Human Resource
January 2005

Recruiting: Are You Drilling Deep Enough?

By Peter Langlois

Where do you go to find your college talent? If you’ve identified the same Schools that your counterparts with other chains are visiting, your productivity isn’t likely to be meeting your objectives. The top flight or top tier of Schools simply cannot produce enough grads to meet our overall demand. My experience is that Grads of The Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales, Cornell, Purdue, etc.—all the other majors—are making a choice from among about five offers. That means many companies may walk away from leading schools empty-handed and frustrated that they’ve wasted time and money.

Why not consider drilling down into the next tier of Schools, including many with two-year programs? You might find some of these to be local, and therefore less cost-intensive. I see a growing trend among young people to be weary of four-year programs that require two years of studies that are perceived to be boring, and even a waste of time and money. Let’s face it; the cost of a four-year program is forcing families to look at alternatives. They see many of the two-year programs as an opportunity to get certification faster in a field of interest without nearly as many required courses in which they have no interest. Young people are getting their careers started faster and believe with two years of college and two years experience, they’ll move along their career path at faster clips. With world-class companies supporting Continuing Education and lifelong learning, many view picking up additional degrees as an ongoing necessity for advancement.

Establishing intern programs with local two-year Schools is also a formula that works for employers and students alike. Both are taking a test drive, so to speak. When you bring someone on board and orient/train them and evaluate them based on their intern performance, both parties get a reading on potential performance. Win-or-lose, it’s a whole lot less expensive than other recruiting measures.

I think you should drill down even further to the high school level. If you’re not involved in or aware of the NRAEF’s Pro-Start program for high school students, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to find future leaders. Get involved by helping financially or mentoring young people interested in our business. Your kindness and concern will be rewarded, and you’ll find out what makes young people tick. You’ll be amazed how many believe they will enjoy the rewards of working hard to be successful.

Lastly, I’d say go places that have the potential to get you or your company noticed by the next generation of prospects. I had a very interesting experience recently at a Wolfgang Puck book signing at the new Wolfgang Puck Express in West Houston. I went there to meet Chef Puck and to see how some of my former students were performing. Imagine my surprise and great pleasure when a mom and her 11 year-old-son, Alex, approached me saying that they wanted to talk with me. After all, I’m no chef, much less a celeb like Wolfgang. What could they possibly want from me?

Would you believe that this young man had reached a career decision to be a chef and he wanted to spend time at The Art Institute of Houston-Culinary getting started on his craft? His question: “I know who you are. Can you help?” His mom, so very supportive, gave me the look a parent gives when she’s proud of her son. Of course, I’ll be doing everything I can to see he spends time with a chef or two at the School. Lesson for me: You can’t be in the right place at the right time unless you’re in the right place at the right time… (My apologies to Yogi Berra). Just like in restaurant operations, it’s key to be out there where the action truly is. That often is not surfing the web or attending another meeting with the rest of choir, but rather physically hitting the streets, the local campuses and student haunts. BTW, I’d like to thank Chef Puck for drawing in Alex and his mom to his book signing.