More jobs and not enough people—that’s one of the equations keeping FSDs up at night. The U.S. has added an average of 178,000 jobs each month so far this year, exceeding 250,000 jobs in both January and February, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. All this job creation gives staff ample opportunity to shop for another employer if their current operation doesn’t live up to expectations.
So recruits don't encounter surprises on the job, some foodservice operators are developing more transparent interview processes. “Planning a well thought-out strategy for the prehiring efforts using honesty, transparency and demonstrating mutually beneficial opportunities will help reduce turnover and develop a consistent, reliable and well-trained staff,” says Nancy Wiseman, dining services director of operations at University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Here’s what Wiseman and other operators are cluing interviewees in on for the best odds at keeping them around.