The Value of a Recruiting Partner Who's Walked in Your Shoes

After 25 years of operations leadership and climbing my way to the executive level, I found myself looking for another career move after my role was dissolved, I explored among other things, the notion of recruiting. I had spoken to a couple of agencies, but it didn’t feel like a good fit. I then discovered two former teammates of mine were involved with Source One Hospitality: one as a Director of Recruiting, another as a client. Both said amazing things about the people and the quality of their work which led to more conversations and ultimately joining the team as a Director of Recruiting myself.

Having worked with recruiters in the past both as a candidate, and a client receiving “resumes” and, there had been some good, bad and tepid experiences; but I didn’t really know what I didn’t know. Joining the team at Source One Hospitality and learning their approach was truly eye opening. I was immediately taken aback by how much they care about a great outcome for both clients and candidates, the value of people’s time and the importance of connection and understanding the needs of both client and candidate. I was grateful to be on a team that takes a thoughtful, highly communicative approach that not only makes great matches, but leads to long-term relationships with candidates and clients.

In the restaurant and hospitality world, talent is critical to your success. Great teams build great businesses, and the wrong hire can cost more than just time and money. That is where recruiters can help. But not all recruiters are created equal.

Partnering with a recruiting team who not only understands your industry but has lived it, provides the type of insider perspective that is a total game-changer. A recruiting team with experience walking in the shoes of an operator, leading teams, leading multi-unit leaders, and collaborating cross-functionally with support center departments, is a game changer.

Speaking the lingo, peeling back the layers, and finding talent beyond the resume

An industry-experienced recruiter knows what right looks like! They understand the stressful situations that come from a busy Friday night when you are short-staffed or the kitchen gets behind. They have worked on good teams and bad; seen both poor leaders and those that inspire. They understand P&L responsibility, how culture impacts vibe and turnover, and how tiny details in service can make a difference in the guest experience. This knowledge allows them to thoroughly vet talent, peel the layers back, ask better questions, spot the all-too-common red flags that may indicate a poor fit or find hidden treasures in a candidate who may not have otherwise been considered because their resume was a little “off”.

Leaders have more time to lead, not sift through resumes.

Time spent by a leader looking for talent, sifting through resumes or breaking the ice during an initial interview is time away from coaching their team, taking care of guests, and driving sales and profit. Good recruiters don’t just pass along resumes; they leverage their vast network of people they have forged relationships with over the decades to find referrals and they use the above-mentioned expertise to find a match. By the time the candidate and client meet, both are armed with valuable information about each other which saves everyone time and provides the opportunity for a productive conversation right out of the chute.

We Build Long-Term Partnerships

After 25+ years of restaurant leadership, I am now on the Source One Hospitality team with some outstanding, talented, and thoughtful former hospitality pros. Members of our team have spent years in the trenches, leading teams and as executives; and we care about more than just filling a role. We take the approach discussed here and build long-term relationships. We commit to learning everything we need to about our client’s needs and what makes our candidates tick. We understand the pain of a bad match, the excitement of developing a rising star, and the impact of strong leadership at every level, which is why we are relentless in creating lasting matches where both our clients and the candidate wins!