When writing this lesson, I initially debated whether I should focus on bringing in technology or if I should discuss the implementation of the plan.
Instead of choosing one I have opted to address both.
When it comes to the school, you want to use flyers, posters, signs and banners but it doesn’t mean you can’t leverage technology as well. Recently, a general manager of Sunrise Hospitality posted a banner that’s about 4 foot tall by 8 foot wide and on this banner it states that he is offering a $350.00 sign on bonus.
Just text “payme” to an 800 number if you’re interested it says. So the old school banner gets a new life by utilizing a text platform that in return sends the interested party a text back with information about the $350.00 bonus as well as telling them about all of the open positions. One minute later they receive a second text that gives them links so that they can complete an application online using their computer at home or using their mobile device.
That’s great!
But he took it one step further. He took pictures of himself next to the sign, and posted it on Facebook and LinkedIn. Old school meet new school.
If you would like to know the specifics on setting up your own text platform reach out to me via email, and I’ll be more than happy to walk you through the basics. My email is Jim.Huffman@sunrisehospitality.net.
In today’s climate, it’s more important than ever that you focus on creating a plan that will get recruits in your door. Developing a plan that gets you in front of the greatest number of people, both employed and unemployed, should be the goal of your strategic master plan.
But the bottom line is you have to do more then be strategic, you have to do more than plan, you have to do more than talk, you MUST ACT.
Recognizing that you have a shortage and then developing a plan is only part of it actually doing something about it.
This is the part where most of us fall short. Too often we find ourselves short staffed and having to cover a position and once that job is done we’re focused on getting out of the hotel or restaurant and going home. Might I suggest that that is the worst possible course of action you can take. Suck-it-up and after working the long shift, stop at the grocery store on the way home and put up a poster, stop at the Starbucks and grab a cup of coffee while you place a flyer on the bulletin board, actually do something to change your current situation.
You can have all the tools in the world but unless you choose to use them you will find yourself only continuing to live in misery, understaffed and overworked.