Restaurant News Resource - Hamister Group Restaurant Industry News

Learn How Relationship Development Can Help You Land Top Performers

Thorough interview preparation is one of the most important aspects of successful hiring. Even busy managers can increase their company's recruiting power and differentiate themselves by diligently following a preparation checklist.

Any American over the age of 30 will immediately recognize Kenny Rogers' 1978 hit The Gambler:

We have a shocking confession: Matt, Kent, and I have absolutely no intention of providing excellent customer and co-worker service. We provide care. What's the difference?

I think of employment ads and descriptions as personalized letters to ideal candidates. Trying to screen out inferior candidates is useless at this stage: they are desperate and will apply no matter what I write, whether they have the credentials or not. I concentrate all my attention on the person who will love the particular job and whom we will love as a co-worker.

Respect Your Customer, For Better Or For Worse

Mark Hamister often talks about the importance of not straying too far from your present skill sets when entering a new business sector. Tackling the unknown is an energizing challenge, but it is crucial to choose an industry that you can understand well from your previous experience. There is one thing, however, that Hamister cautions entrepreneurs not to do after carefully selecting a new line of business: never assume that you know anything about your new customers until you ask them.

When I hear the term 'networking event', I imagine swarms of salespeople buzzing about the superiority of their products and businesses. They ask when I will be available to meet and--you guessed it--buy something.

More Lessons from the Early Years of The Hamister Group

Fir'em is not always the right answer. Co-workers may be delivering inferior results because of personal problems, lack of training, unrealistic expectations, or failed attempts to innovate. In some cases the proper response to these issues can turn a hopeless employee into a corporate champion.