Are you scanning resumes, making calls, and scheduling interviews, but dealing with daily no-shows? Being ghosted by prospective employees is a common challenge for restaurateurs. Recent studies indicate that restaurants and bars are about 600,000 jobs short of pre-pandemic levels, so getting past the interview stage is crucial to hiring – and keeping – a winning team.
Why are you getting ghosted?
Applicants could be skipping the job interview for any number of reasons: they may have gotten another job, have decided they’re not a fit, or they simply got too nervous to attend. Why has this worsened since the pandemic? In today’s employees’ market, where there are more job openings than applicants, candidates are applying for multiple jobs and choosing their favourites.
Job search engines make it easy for people to apply to positions en masse, with just a few clicks. Once someone interviews for their top choice, the remaining interested companies may be left in the lurch.
How to minimize interview no-shows
As the labour shortage continues, ghosting could become your biggest staffing challenge, costing you valuable time and money. Here are some quick tips to help you quit getting ghosted and get on with the hiring process:
Shorten your timelines
Schedule interviews within 24 to 48 hours to stay top of mind. As time passes, you run the risk of another offer coming in before you even have the chance to meet them.
Stay in touch
Send a reminder. This may seem unnecessary, but this step shows that you are eager and excited to meet them and is another way to stay in touch before the interview.
Get ahead
Pre-screen candidates to get a feel for whether they might be a good fit. Asking some interview questions before scheduling the meeting may help weed out anyone that isn’t suitable in advance.
Keep communication open
Make yourself accessible by email, phone, or even by text. The easier it is for them to reach you, the better communication you’ll have right off the bat. This makes it easier to reschedule, too. Life happens and as inconvenient as it is to reschedule, the easier you make it, the better your chances are that they’ll make it to the next one.
Building your restaurant business is hard enough without wasting time and starting over at the interview level, so start by creating an inviting environment to stand out from your competition.
