In a time where the national unemployment rate is at an all time high- over 10% in most markets- your initial response when contacted by a restaurant recruiter may be to hang up the phone.  Before you do just that, you may want to consider a few benefits that make the fee seen more beneficial to your bottom line.

Sourcing
If given the choice, would you hire a restaurant manager that has a proven track record of success with your competitor, or a manager that was fired from his last three jobs?  No doubt, the answer seems obvious.  But if the manager has a proven track record with your competitor, do you really think he or she is out beating the street and looking for a new job in a market ripe with lay offs and closings?  This is where a recruiter is most beneficial.  Recruiters will seek out those top-performing managers and bring them to you.  Despite what you may think, a good recruiter is not shady or underhanded in their process.  They simply present a better opportunity to that top performing manager and open the window of communication between you and the type of person you want running your business.

Scouring
Anyone who has tried to hire lately knows that a simple ad in the local newspaper will bring in hundreds of applications.  While your ad may clearly require five years of restaurant management experience, you’ll find that the desperate job seeker will translate that very loosely.  As a result, you find yourself wading through hundreds of applications of under qualified- or not at all qualified- individuals.  Hours of wasted time that could be spent growing your business can be avoided with the use of a recruiter.  The recruiters job is not only to source candidates for your position, but also to prescreen, interview and check references of the managers they present to you for consideration.  The end result is you only have to do a few interviews with highly qualified individuals that you know meet your expectations.  The only hard part at that point is choosing between them.

Trial Run
One of the best advantages to using a professional recruiter is that you have the ability to do a “trial run” with your new hire.  As a hospitality professional and business owner, you know that hiring a new manager is expensive.  The cost of training a new manager can equate to thousands in lost time and resources, a hefty price to pay repeatedly if your new manager decides to walk away shortly after or during training.  A recruiter’s job is two-part. They not only act as a recruiter, but often as a councilor as well.  A good recruiter stays in constant contact with their new hire and can alert you in advance of any concerns.  Its in their best interest to help you keep that person on board, as most recruiting contracts include a 90 day or more guarantee- your manager is replaced for free if either of you are unhappy.

So before you hang up that phone, consider the benefits.  You could just hire your competition’s star employee, save time and money by not advertising and wading through unqualified applicants, and have an insurance policy against a hiring mistake.  Recruiters are feeling the pain of a bad economy as well, so you may just get all of this at a more than reasonable price if you negotiate carefully.