Sloppy Hiring is Costing You Money and Putting Your Investment at Risk.

This Special Report Will Tell You Why That's True ... and What You Can Do About It

You wouldn't serve a sandwich on moldy bread, would you? Would you be famous for your chili if you made it with spoiled beef? Of course not. These questions sound silly because it is obvious that even the greatest culinary skill cannot produce a quality product from substandard ingredients.

In a similar vein, who would deny that foodservice is a people business? The quality of your staff determines your level of guest service and produces your sales volume. The quality of your staff also determines all your principal operating costs.

Yet many operators still try to produce a quality dining experience with substandard staff. It will not work with people any more than it will work with chili. Operators do not intentionally assemble a substandard staff, but few would deny they could do (or at least want to do) a better job when it comes to staff selection.

"My guests are the most important assets I have," says WC Wells, long-time restaurateur in the Pacific Northwest. "I won't risk their patronage by placing them in the hands of just anyone. Hiring warm bodies is an injustice to me, a betrayal of my staff and a disservice to my guests."

Wells is proud that it is difficult to qualify as a member of his staff. "The real value is to our guests who really receive the benefit of our commitment to select only people who show a strong service attitude. With most of our staff oriented toward delighting our guests, we create stability and consistent high standards in our company. We think this helps good workers become excellent workers."

Yeah, but ...

You may be thinking that an attitude like WCs is unrealistic in today’s labor market ... that you have to take what you can get and do the best you can with it. If that is your position, then don’t waste your time reading any farther. You are not likely to change your situation ... unless you want to.

Staff selection is perhaps the most important aspect of guest service, but in the real world of foodservice operations, it seems there is never enough time to do it right. Did you ever think that this happens because managers have to spend too much time cleaning up the messes made by the marginal workers they hired (but shouldn't have) because there wasn't enough time to spend in staff selection?

You know that warm bodies make for lukewarm business, but how can you break the cycle? Who has time to be a human resources expert when there are meals to get out and deadlines to meet? Just staying on top of labor laws and regulations can be a career! The good news is that you don't have to be an HR whiz, you just need a good system for staff selection.

A staff selection system is an organized plan for creating a quality staff. Without a plan, you are just making things up.

When you make things up, you risk making mistakes, either by hiring the wrong person or by violating employment laws. Making it up takes more time, is less effective and produces more stress. When you make it up, most of the work falls to the manager ... who already has too much to do. Worst of all, without a plan you don't get the best people and that is the greatest loss of all - for you, your staff and especially for your guests.

Without a plan, you are not selecting, you are only guessing at who to hire ... and there is a significant difference. Hiring is filling an employment vacancy. Selection, on the other hand, is the conscious choosing of a person to join your staff. Selection implies that you know what you are looking for and make an informed choice from candidates who meet your pre-established criteria.

A real-world staff selection system is a powerful tool that will improve your ability to recognize the right people the first time around.

There are at least a dozen good reasons for having an organized system to find and hire new employees

1. You will stack the odds in your favor
Your chances of making a mistake will drop significantly. The selection errors that arise when you make a superficial judgement are reduced when your staff selection program lets you verify and document all personal impressions from several points of view.

2. You will make a clear statement to applicants
Following an organized system will deliver a clear message to applicants that you are serious about your business. There will be no question that you will accept only the very best people on your team. High standards attract professionally-oriented people who will be proud that they can measure up.

3. You will stand out from your competition
Most foodservice operations do an uninspired job of staff selection, relying on generic forms from the stationery store and haphazard interviews. In contrast, the professional face you present to job-seekers by following a clearly organized system places you in a clearly different category.

4. You will help create a positive working climate
Climate is a measure of the mental health and attitude in the organization. The majority rules. If you staff your operation with quality workers, you assure that the prevailing climate will foster professional excellence and exemplary guest service.

5. You will improve your level of guest service
The way you treat your staff is the way they will treat your guests. If your system improves the treatment you afford to applicants ... and if that helps you attract and retain workers with a higher service ethic ... it will ultimately work to the benefit of your patrons.

6. You will have a better idea of what you are getting
When you accept a new person onto your staff by following a proven system, you will have an accurate idea of what skills they bring to the job. You will also know how much additional training they require to meet the professional standards of your operation.

7. You will keep your options open as long as possible
You will have more time to observe and evaluate a candidate's performance before making a final employment commitment and assuming the financial risks that come with it.

8. You can decline marginal candidates without backlash
In our suit-happy society, it seems people are always looking for someone to blame if life does not work out the way they planned. Following a well-designed system will give you a defensible way to do what you need to do to control your staff and your business.

9. You can safely spread the responsibility for staff selection
A system clearly outlines the procedures and desired results during each step of the selection process. This makes it easier for others to assume part of the responsibility for staff selection while allowing management to keep control. If you can involve your present staff in the selection process, you will free your personal time and improve the level of satisfaction on the job. You are also likely to get a higher-quality staff because, given the opportunity, your present workers will not hire jerks!

10. You will reduce turnover and related expense
The seeds for turnover are sown by "warm body hiring" and you must break the cycle. While some turnover is desirable, 300% a year is hazardous to your professional health. Following an effective system will help you identify people who are likely to stick around. Only those with perseverance and a desire to become part of your team will complete the process. High retention decreases costs and increases the quality of guest service, resulting in higher profits and improved satisfaction at all levels.

11. You will improve your reputation with minorities
A good system does not discriminate against an applicant based on their native language. Particularly in light of the make-up of many foodservice staffs these days, you would be well-advised to offer all appropriate documents in at least Spanish and English versions. By allowing non English-speaking applicants to take tests in their own language, you will create a reputation as a conscientious employer who is sensitive to the needs of minorities.

12. You will stay out of trouble with the law
Following a well-designed system will give your staff a track to run on and let you prove that you treat all applicants with fairly and equally. You want to be sure that your system has been reviewed by knowledgeable human resources professionals and that it complies with existing labor laws including the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). You should also consult your legal counsel to be sure your plan conforms to all current state and local statutes.

Best of all, an effective staff selection system (rather than shooting from the hip every time) will result in a higher quality staff, which means fewer problems that you must solve. The less time required to solve problems, the more time you will have to be a leader ... or actually have a life!

As an added bonus, you will become a stronger magnet in the labor market. As you draw more qualified workers to your doors, you will decrease your turnover, increase your profitability, raise your level of guest satisfaction and improve repeat business. What's not to like about that?

The Staff Selection Process

A good system will give you a way to separate the folks who will really do the job from the ones that just "give good interview." While you need to be able to pick the good ones out of the crowd, it is also important that every applicant receives a positive first impression of your operation ... every time.

Serious staff selection is multi-faceted. Among other things, it includes the following activities:

• Know the sort of people you want and having an effective means to recruit them
• Establish a clear sequence of events that all new applicants will follow from initial inquiry to final offer
• Set up your materials to be self-screening - encouraging the stars and discouraging the slugs
• Have an application that is foodservice-specific and that provides information you can really use
• Screen applicants early in the process to identify those most likely to succeed
• Hold several interviews, conducted by different people, to give a clearer idea of each candidate's motives and patterns
• Get your staff involved so you can reach a consensus of how candidates are likely to fit into your operation
• Give a lifting test to demonstrate the applicants' physical ability to do the work required
• Give final candidates some situation tests to gain an insight into how the applicant's mind works
• Check references to help you find out if the applicant is truly who they represent themselves to be
• Observe the candidates' bearing, appearance and punctuality to predict their likely conduct on the job

In the pages that follow, we will outline some of the more important elements and understandings that will help you make the shift from simply putting bodies on the payroll to implementing a real staff selection SYSTEM.

Advice to Applicants Letter

Ultimately, your staff will treat your guests the same way you treat your staff. If you want to be the best employer in town, take great care to provide the same level of service to prospective staff members as they provide to their patrons. You must be sure all applicants receive this level of attention, no matter when they appear. The process begins with what we call the Advice to Applicants letter.

Train your staff to greet candidates as warmly as they would welcome guests. No matter when they appear, along with an application, give candidates a letter that contains all the essential information a person needs to know to decide if they want to apply for work with your company.

When someone comes in and asks, "Are you hiring?" the correct (and only) answer should be, "We are always looking for good people. Here is a letter that explains what we are all about along with an application. Fill it out, then give us a call to set up a time to talk."

The letter sets forth your company goals and objectives, outlines the application procedure, sets forth what the company expects from the applicants and what they can expect from the company. This helps assure that every applicant is equally informed and provides a valuable self-screening device. Ask them to take the material home and follow the instructions in the letter.

You do not want anyone to fill out an application on the spot.

There are several reasons for this:

1. Job-seekers will not have all the necessary information with them. If you have a truly effective application, applicants will not have all the information required to complete it at their fingertips. It is imperative that candidates complete the Application at home and return it only when they have all the requested information. Never accept an incomplete application.

2. The best operators never allow anything to happen in their establishment that does not enhance the guest's experience. Many patrons think it looks unprofessional for someone to be doing paperwork at a table in the dining room. This is exactly what it looks like when the manager is working on invoices ... and when someone is filling out an employment application. Applicants are likely to come in at strange hours. You will provide them and your guests with a better experience if you require them to take the material home to complete it.

3. If you allow people to submit an application on the spot, you lose the self-screening value of the letter. When properly crafted, an Advice to Applicant letter should cause about 50% of the people to screen themselves out. Once they see the standards you set for your organization, marginal workers typically decide not to apply. This will decrease the number of useless applications to wade through and reduce the amount of effort required to fill the position. The fewer people you have to decline, the less chance that one of them will come back at you in the future for some real or imagined injustice.

Important points:

Print the letter on your company letterhead. Use good paper, not a photocopy. It will make a stronger statement. Above all, don't say anything in the letter that you don't mean or will not actually do. The letter makes an important first statement about the way you conduct your business and should evolve as your operation evolves. If applicants find out that you talk a different game than you play, your credibility will suffer, your turnover will increase and you will just look foolish.

Application for Employment

You must have a good application, one designed specifically for the needs of the foodservice industry. If you are using a form from the office supply store, you will not differentiate yourself from every other amateur operation in town. The application must provide all necessary information so that you can learn the applicant's credentials. The questions give you a way to safely disengage from candidates who provide false or misleading information.

To illustrate the point and clarify the reason for some questions, here is a brief discussion of some less common questions that should be on your application.

Can you read at a 6th grade level?
Reading ability is essential to all positions in hospitality. Even entry level kitchen workers must read food labels, chemical use instructions and receiving invoices. The dining room staff must read menus, guest checks and coupons. It is unlikely that anyone will answer "no" to this question. If you later discover that a worker has substandard reading skills, you may terminate him for making a false statement on the application, not because he can't read.

Have you been convicted of a felony?
Federal law allows you to ask about convictions (not arrests) since the answer is a matter of public record. Individual states may have regulations that are more restrictive. If you plan to ask the question, you must be able to show how the answer bears on the position in question. To protect yourself from a charge of wrongful hiring, be sure to ask the question of all applicants for positions involving driving, security duties and any position which would be likely to place the individual alone with a member of the opposite sex.

Even when you can ask the question, a positive answer should not automatically disqualify the applicant. However, since you can ask the question, you can verify the answer. If a police check reveals different information than that provided by candidates, you can drop them for making a false statement on their application, not because they have a criminal record.

Can you provide proof of age?
You cannot ask applicants how old they are, but Federal law requires that a worker be at least 18 years of age to handle certain pieces of kitchen equipment. State law sets a minimum allowable age for people who will prepare or serve alcoholic beverages. The age questions apply to applicants for those positions where age is a bona fide job qualification. If someone is applying for a position where age is not a factor, just cross the question out.

Are you a smoker?
Because there is adequate evidence that smoking increases the danger of passing along foodborne illness, most states allow you to give preference to nonsmokers for foodservice positions. Many operators say that smokers feel their habit entitles them to more breaks than nonsmokers and that smokers are therefore often less productive. This may or may not be universally true, but if the issue ever comes up, remember that the public health consideration is your only defensible reason for giving preference to nonsmokers.

Is there any reason why you could not be bonded?
This question is relevant if the position is bonded. It also serves as a self-screening question to discourage applications from those whose history would make them ineligible for bonding. If the applicant answers "no" and subsequent research reveals information to the contrary, you can terminate the individual for providing misleading information on the application.

Is there any reason you could not perform all the physical requirements of the job?
Again, the obvious answer is "no"... so once you determine that the applicant is worth pursuing, give them a Lifting Test that duplicates, as closely as possible, the maximum physical requirements of the job. If they cannot pass the test (or refuse to take it), you will find out before they are a liability on your Workers Comp policy! You can then remove them from consideration because they lied on their application, not because they couldn't lift a case of beer.

Describe your use of drugs and alcohol
You can ask for this information if you declare (in the Advice to Applicants letter and your Staff Manual) that you operate a drug-free workplace. Because you can ask the question, you can verify the answer. If a subsequent medical test reveals information contrary to what applicants have provided, they can be terminated for making a false statement, not because of their drug or alcohol use.

When are you available to work?
Ask the applicant when they are and are not available to work. This will give you a defensible basis to terminate them if they subsequently decide they cannot take a particular shift. This solves the predicament of people who say they can work anytime and suddenly decide to become "religious" on weekends two weeks after they start work.

Work experience information
For each of their last three positions, request easily verifiable information (dates, salaries, duties) ... but also ask for names and telephone numbers of co-workers and subordinates. You will get a different perspective on a person's work habits by talking to their peers and those who worked for them. The applicant is responsible to provide the telephone numbers. Your Advice to Applicants letter should advise them that you will not consider applications where this information is missing. This tests the applicant's seriousness and saves you time.

Education information
It is disturbing to learn how many people list bogus educational references on employment applications. Require applicants to provide a phone number where you can verify their educational statements and you reduce the risk of receiving false information. Of course if verifying the statement reveals erroneous information, you have a defensible reason for eliminating a candidate from further consideration.

Why would you be a good choice for this position?
If the applicant does not believe in themself, why should you? This question allows the individual to present a case for themselves. After all, wouldn't you prefer to staff your operation with people who really want to work for you? You do not want to see the Great American Novel, just an honest case for their own value.

Disclaimer statement
The disclaimer gives permission to verify all statements the applicant makes on the application. It also provides you with the right to terminate someone, either during the selection process or after they have been hired, if you discover they have made false or misleading statements on their application. For these reasons, you should not accept an unsigned application under any circumstances.

Appearance Matters

To really give your application impact, print it on good quality 11"x17" paper. Fold it in half and you will have an attractive presentation that will prevent pages from getting separated (as could happen with attached sheets if the staple gives way). If possible, use the same paper as your letterhead so that it will match the Advice to Applicants letter. This presents a more professional appearance, particularly if your recruiting plan calls for leaving this material in places where interested applicants can pick it up.

To Test or Not to Test?

Some companies have elevated the role of pre-employment testing to an art form. Armed with a battery of personality profiles, honesty tests and psychological probes into every imaginable corner of a person's psyche, they attempt to find the best candidates for a job opening.

Structured tests are clearly preferable to a simple "chemistry test" (the "I like you/don’t like you" judgement) that defines the hiring process in many operations. Still, structured tests can be expensive and they still don’t eliminate the need for several complete interviews and a thorough background check. For most hospitality operations, structured industrial tests are overkill.

You can go this route, of course, but in the real world that most operators live in, tests that are neither deep, psychological or expensive make more sense. There are two different types of tests worth considering:

Screening Tests

Screening tests identify candidates most likely to be successful. Screening tests quickly separate applicants with good potential from those who are unlikely to be as productive. Sanitation and Professional Screening Tests are simple quizzes that will identify those applicants who obviously have no familiarity with the technical basics of the position.

Situation Tests

Situation Tests are plausible scenarios that place applicants in sticky situations and ask them how they would handle it. Situation Tests show how the candidate's mind works, give an insight into their professional perspective and help gauge their priorities under stress.

It is inappropriate (and illegal) to use pre-employment testing as a means to discriminate against anyone. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations include lengthy definitions of "protected classes" of workers and other legalisms. The simple fact is that people are people and you must treat them all equally. Period. If challenged, you must be able to justify the purpose of the tests and show how the testing relates to the selection process.

Tests Can Come Back to Bite You Unless You Are Careful

Whatever tests you decide to use, you must be able to defend that they are valid and accurate. To be safe, keep track of your own results as you use them. This way you can be sure that you are getting the quality of people you want. You can also verify that you are not categorically eliminating disproportionate numbers of any particular protected group.

All other things truly being equal (which they seldom are), candidates with the highest test scores are more likely to be successful on the job. However, the actual test score is less important than what the answers reveal about an applicant's professional knowledge, skills and personal approach.

Measuring an applicant's knowledge is only one purpose of a test. A written test can help you decide where in the organization an otherwise qualified candidate should start, not if they should start. Therefore, it is dangerous to use written tests as your sole selection criteria.

Why Your Interviews are Terrible

Interviewing is not a natural skill, as anyone who has done it can attest, and without training it is easy to make mistakes. Here are the most common errors made by interviewers. Some of these conclusions are based on self-evaluation by interviewers and some come from observing interviews in progress. But the biggest source of errors was reports by candidates on what interviewers do that reduces the effectiveness of the process.

Talking too much
Most interviewers talk half the time or more during an interview. The candidate should be talking 80 or 90 percent of the time. After all, how much can you learn about an applicant if you do all the talking?

Telegraphing desired responses
When you give the applicant too much information in the early part of the interview, you often tip them off to the type of answers you want to hear. No wonder so many people seem like such a natural fit!

Jumping to conclusions
We often make judgements about people quickly, usually reaching a decision during the first six to eight minutes. Once the judgement is formed, it is difficult to change.

Not using an organized approach
Interviews conducted off the top of your head typically come down to variations of "tell me about yourself." You ask a few other questions, get some minor information and the interview is over. The problem is that this haphazard approach does not give you a basis for comparing candidates. When several interviewers talk to a candidate without any common plan, it is often impossible to reconcile their observations. Interviewing is more stressful without a structured approach because every time you interview a candidate you have to decide on the spot what to do and how to do it. No wonder many people hate interviewing.

When you design interviews, keep these observations (and a few pet peeves) in mind. Here are a few more design parameters:

Avoid distracting note-taking
Note-taking during an interview can be distracting for both parties. Set up your interview questions to require only that the interviewer check a box showing the degree to which the candidate's answer matched the desired type of response.

Reasonable time frame
The first interview should take 30-45 minutes to complete. The second and third interviews for hourly staff should last no longer than 20-30 minutes each. You should be able to complete second and third interviews for supervisory staff will normally last 30-45 minutes each. Compare this to your last "endless interview."

Distinct structure and goals
Make sure your interviews are organized so that interviewers know exactly what qualities they are measuring, what questions they will be asking, what answers they are looking for and how long the interview will take. Then be able to score each interview to give a clearer basis for comparison between candidates.

Clear guideline for inexperienced interviewers
The structure of the interview allows more members of the staff to become involved in the selection process. This relieves management of the time demands of doing it all alone, spreads the responsibility for staff selection and contributes to the atmosphere of participation in your operation.

Simple to administer
The interviews should be ready to go, meaning that the interviewer gets a single sheet with the questions, the answers you are looking for, the answers you are NOT looking for and a check box to grade the applicant's response. The interviewer does not have to decide what to say or worry about how much time to spend. Structured this way, how the interview is supposed to start is obvious ... and it is equally obvious when the interview is over.

The Surprising Cost of Turnover

For years I have seen numbers tossed around about how many thousands of dollars turnover costs the typical business and, frankly, I had a problem with the figures. I did not doubt that turnover was expensive, but it seemed that the numbers were so huge and I had never seen the calculations that supported them.

In his book, From Turnover to Teamwork, Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor , answered my questions when he calculated what it costs when you hire someone who does not work out for you. His numbers, shocking as they were, resonated with me. If anything, they seemed too low ... and he wasn't even including the value of the manager's time in his calculation.

Bill suggested that the cost of turnover has direct and indirect components. The direct costs are those expenses that arise solely because a worker quits or is terminated. They can be calculated on a per-person basis. Indirect costs arise as a result of the impact that the staff change has on the ongoing operation and are harder to quantify because they show up as increased costs for the entire operation.

That said, see if you can relate to these numbers, updated a bit to reflect current costs:

Direct Costs of Turnover:

... and this is just for hourly workers!

If this was the extent of the bleeding it would be bad enough, but it gets worse. In addition to the direct costs, there are also other, more indirect costs that you incur every time you lose a good worker:

Indirect Costs of Turnover:

1. Increased turnover creates inconsistent (decreased) guest service which tends to lower your reputation in the market which increases negative word-of-mouth and reduces repeat patronage resulting in lower sales.
Estimated impact: Sales are 5-15% lower

2. Increased turnover means more lesser-trained workers which increases waste and translates into increased product and operating costs.
Estimated impact: Operating expenses are 5-15% higher

3. Increased turnover means the operation is staffed with generally less-productive workers which contributes to a higher labor cost.
Estimated impact: Labor cost is 10-20% higher

4. Increased turnover leads to the loss of team cohesiveness which increases staff alienation which fuels staff turnover and keeps the process going!
Estimated impact: Escalation of the relationships previously outlined

In contrast, organizations with lower turnover can expect improvement in all categories (higher sales, lower costs) by approximately the same percentages.

Think about coming out of pocket an extra $1700-$4400 dollars every time you lose an employee!

If the cost of turnover was a separate item on your P&L, you would be up in arms! But because you don't see the cost, you may not even be aware of how badly turnover is affecting your bottom line. Multiply the number of people who left your employ last year by $3000 and see if that number gets your attention.

You will always have people coming and going, of course, but if you could reduce your turnover by 50% through better hiring decisions, all that money now being lost would stick to your fingers.

How long can you afford to let the bleeding continue?

Fortunately, you do not have to continue to pay this price. A proven Staff Selection System can dramatically improve your odds of getting the right people ... the first time ... and actually free up your life in the process!

How much more effective a manager (spouse/parent) could you be if you could reclaim the time you are presently spending trying to keep your shifts full and train rookies?

How to Put Your Staff Selection Process on Automatic Pilot

You may be feeling overwhelmed. How will you ever be able to put together something that will do all this? The good news is that you don't have to - the work has already been done for you. Let me explain ...

In the early 1990's, I was close to taking on a management contract for a new restaurant. I knew how critical it was to get a great opening staff and also realized that my key people were going to have to do most of the actual recruiting, interviewing and hiring. I needed a system that would do everything that we have just told you about ... and more.

Nothing like that existed, so I created one for his own use. It took him nearly six months of research to get it right. For the last 15+ years, my Sure-Fire Staff Selection System™ has been used, tweaked, tested and improved by hundreds of operators all over the world. Their results speak for themselves ... and now you can take advantage of their collective experience. When you see what it can do for you, I think you will be as excited about it as I am to present it to you.

What People Are Saying About the Sure-Fire System

We used the screening interview for all our initial hires in opening a new restaurant and turnover was less than 20% in a six-month period. In fact, the only hiring mistakes we made were when we followed our gut feel rather than what the system indicated!
- Jack Welch, Growth Restaurants, Basking Ridge, NJ

I've been using Bill's system for nine months now. The value that I've gotten is tremendous. It has saved me hundreds of hours researching the information, lots of mistakes trying to acquire the experience myself, thousands of dollars in training and hiring costs, and endless hours of grief about not being able to hire enough people or the "right" people. The more you put in it, the more it gives you back.
- Alkis Crassas, Evos, Tampa, FL

Interviewing is like a first date. Everybody wears their best clothes and shows their best side. The employer is trying to sell the applicant and the applicant is selling the employer. We use The Sure-Fire Selection System to help us stay focused on the job at hand ... hiring the right person for the job every time. Thanks!"
- Michael Attias, Corky's BBQ, Brentwood, TN

I have used your application and have some interesting feedback from it. Some have felt they have to be "about perfect to work for us", others have filled it out without any problems. We have eliminated many applicants that must feel they can't live up to the expectations, therefore we have weeded out the ones that we may not have wanted. The applicants that we did receive are wonderful! We live in a smaller town and know everyone, and are very moved by the prospects we do have, which were a lot of college students.
- Donna Walsh, DonMar, Inc., Princeton, MN

One of the things we did that was extremely successful was use The Sure-Fire Staff Selection System in our hiring process. We were able to hire one of the best opening teams I have ever had the pleasure to be associated with, the local paper gave us a glowing review and said our service staff was "polished and professional. The System is one of the best works dealing with food and beverage that I have ever seen and has a permanent spot in my library.
- Steve Youngerman, Harry's Bar, Meridian, ID

We use the screening questions on every first interview. We have found that it is extremely effective in conducting a meaningful interview with a prospective employee. It is easy for our managers to use and therefore they always use it ! Not only do we find out valuable characteristics about the applicant but they too learn that working for us will be fun and professional.
- Kirby Walker, Noodles, Fayetteville, AR

I totally buy into your Sure-Fire Staff Selection System! In a restaurant I recently opened, I relied on it completely, quite frankly, as an experiment. I've opened 35 restaurants and have used many interview techniques before with varying degrees of success, but nothing that approached what your system did for me. I had a staff of 35 people to hire. Your ad ideas worked well. I had well over 150 applicants that got through the application stage. The application itself is a great tool that weeded out people that were not serious about working and/or not responsible. Just the fact that our employees took the time and the effort to fill it out showed that they were "above average".

As my managers used the simple 14-question screening interview and graded people, it became obvious that we were finding people who really cared about who they were and most importantly were responsible. A lot of our people were young (16-22) and I now have a different vision of this group than is currently held by a lot of folks. Of course the managers themselves were hired with the tools supplied in your system. It helped me identify managers who were self-starters and eager to surround themselves with quality people.

A great thing about this process is that anyone can use it. It doesn't require much training. My managers (not me!) merely had to ask the questions and follow up, and it was very obvious who to hire/not hire. Your system also helped with covering the legal bases that government regulations require. Bottom line: we hired 35 and lost 3, much better than my experience in the past. Thanks for your insights and a great, easily utilized program.
- Bob Funt, Quantum Hospitality, Spokane, WA

I have used various elements of your system with success. In talking to colleagues and working as a consultant, I find the majority fail to use any system from start to finish if they have a system at all. Very few take the time and trouble to interview, select, orient, and mentor employees well. And they wonder why they have such high turnover and suffer from poor performance.

This malady happens whether the manager is a neophyte or experienced ... and whether it is a chain or independent. Chains and franchises usually have all the materials available to implement a sound recruiting program but managers fail to follow through. My suggestion to anyone is to follow your excellent system. But follow it from apples to zucchini. Managers must begin at the beginning and recognize that developing people are their primary task in a service industry.
- Cliff Wener, Diner Designer, Wilmette, IL

To maximize my ROH (return on hassle), I focused on selection, training and retention of employees. With the Sure-Fire System, my turnover in full service operations went from 135% to 75% and has remained there. Our 16 quick-service restaurants maintain 100% turnover in today's tight labor market (and with QSR industry average at over 250%). We have also attained the highest productivity (sales/labor hour) in the industry. If I could offer only one suggestion to any operator, it would be to focus on selection. Hire excellent people, and join them! Not to imply absentee management, but I can almost say that proper selection makes supervision superfluous.
- Rick Barger, Pal's Restaurants, Kingsport, TN

I've used the System with great results. The tongue-in-cheek ads always draw a better applicant. The applicant letter lets them know how serious we are about excellence. And our in-depth training system tells them we are serious about all aspects of our guest experience. Your system is also idiot proof. I've used it at three properties now and the staff and management are thrilled to have this powerful tool to enhance their staff selection process. I could go on longer. Suffice it to say I recommend that anyone in a hiring position seriously consider adapting this system to their business.
- Donald James, Quality Inn, Ham Lake, MN

We used our version of the Application for Employment and the Advice to Applicants letter and had very interesting results. I eliminated candidates that would have normally been interviewed (and maybe hired) and interviewed those I might have otherwise overlooked.

I then used your interview questions and found them to be both helpful and insightful. Instead of dreading an interview where I asked the same boring questions and got the same boring answers, I found myself engaged in rather interesting conversations with some very intriguing people. I originally eliminated the question regarding the applicant's favorite school subject. I decided to use this question when one woman's eyes lit up and face reddened when she answered, "High school Biology because we got to dissect a cat!!!" Her response was so animated that I knew I found a "Superstar" (I was right!). I then found myself eagerly awaiting each applicants response to that question since it offers so much insight.

My training class this week has to be one of the best I have seen. They are lively, energetic and progressing much better than those in the past. Another interesting tidbit: Most of my new hires are much older than those in the past. These are the kind of people we dream of getting our hands on and are thrilled they are offering us their talents and years of experience.
- Angela Lee, McGuire's Irish Pub, Pensacola, FL

There's more, but you get the idea!

Good Things Come in Large Packages

The Sure-Fire Staff Selection System is so extensive that it was designed in several phases for easier implementation. Open the Phase I box and implement those pieces. When they are all in place and operating smoothly, open the Phase II box. When that is up and running, implement Phase III.

By taking it a step at a time, you (and your staff) can gradually improve the quality of your selections without throwing the whole place into chaos or making this into another career. After all, you still have to run the joint!

You may be wondering what the whole system looks like, so here is an overview:

THE SURE-FIRE STAFF SELECTION SYSTEM™

The Sure-Fire Staff Selection System is incredibly complete.

In fact, it is the only ready-to-use real-world system of its type specifically tailored to the needs of the foodservice industry. Perhaps it is the only system of its kind anywhere. However, don't let the size of it intimidate you. Even if you put it all into operation, you may choose not to use every piece of the system when filling every position.

Each time you fill a vacancy it is an event. As long as you are consistent with each applicant in each individual event, you should stay out of trouble with the law. Still, having all these tools to choose from will definitely help you sort out the winners from the losers.

Everything you need to slow the revolving door is included in the structure of the system. It has been tested and refined under real-world conditions by operators in all segments of the foodservice and hospitality industry (you probably noticed the comments from users earlier in this letter) and it really works! The point is that if you need a means of staff selection that will work and work well but does not turn into another career when you try to apply it, here it is!

Best of all, you will get everything you need to put the system to work for you right away - all the forms and all the tests along with CDs containing all the information you and your staff will need to understand how the pieces fit together. Put that together with personalized coaching and it is as close as possible to actually doing your staff selection for you!

"OK, I'm impressed. What will it take to get my hands on the Sure-Fire System?"

The good news is that you do NOT need to make a huge financial commitment. In fact, I will actually GIVE you the Sure-Fire System! Why? Because over the years I have come to realize that the real value is not in the tool - the real value comes from actually DOING SOMETHING with the tool.

Too many of us will get a new resource like the Sure-Fire System and for one reason or another, never really put it into action. Oh, we may make a timid start, but the new habits never take hold or the person who was championing the idea leaves or there is an emergency that diverts everyone’s attention or (fill in the blank) ... and the new resource is shortly abandoned. Can you relate? What a waste!

But the truth is that you really don’t want a big box of forms and CDs when you purchase something like the Sure-Fire System. You are actually buying the RESULTS that the System can bring you ... and the key to those results is strong support during the implementation period. So for awhile, at least, I am taking a different approach: if you will make just four monthly payments of $197 for four months of implementation support, I will GIVE you the Sure-Fire Staff Selection System ... for FREE!

That’s right. I will hold your hand, kick your butt and do everything I can to walk you (or your designated agents) through the implementation process from beginning to end. You will not be staring at the box wondering where to start or what to do, you will not be slowed down by the normal resistance to a new idea and I will not let you stay distracted by other routine emergencies. For four months I will help you write great ads, explain how to customize forms if necessary and coach you as you put the System to use piece by piece.

Do you hire Spanish-speaking workers? You can get all the key documents that you might give to an applicant in the Spanish language as well for just one more monthly installment of $247.

After the first four months, you will automatically continue as a senior subscriber for just $27 a month which will give you (and the new employees who are sure to become involved in staff selection in the future) access to extended coaching assistance. There is no long-term contract and you can cancel your subscription at any time after the first four months (five months if you get the Spanish supplement) - but this will assure that you continue to get full value from your investment in the Sure-Fire System for years to come.

And there’s even more ... if you act quickly!

When you order the Sure-Fire Staff Selection System before the expiration date of this offer, you will also receive a FREE Special Bonus Package, an additional value of over $1200.00! After the expiration date, or if you would like the bonus material but not the system itself, these items can be purchased separately.

Here is what you will receive in the Special Bonus Package:

FREE Special Bonus #1
Sure-Fire Staff Recruiting System ($197.00 separately)

• Over 175 sources for recruiting quality workers
• How to use business cards for recruiting
• How to craft classified ads that rock
• Staff recruiting instructional audio CD
• Six classified ad critique coupons (a $900 value!)

FREE Special Bonus #2
Special Report: Background Research ($77.00 separately)

• How to conduct meaningful background research
• Employer Reference Check guides
• Co-Worker Reference Check guides
• A "Secret Weapon" for discounted online background research
• Background Research forms on CD

FREE Special Bonus #3
Special Report: Results-Based Position Descriptions ($27.00 separately)

• How and why to structure results-based position descriptions
• Sample results-based position descriptions for major foodservice job classifications (note: clients who have implemented this way of defining their jobs say that productivity increases 20%!)

FREE Special Bonus #4
Special Report: Making the Offer ($17.00 separately)

• Why all job offers should be made in writing ... and just what you should say in the letter
• Sample Offer Letters for salaried, hourly, tipped and non-tipped employees

You get ALL of this material - A proven System that can save you literally thousands of dollars on every bad hire that you avoid ... PLUS over $1200.00 in bonuses ... PLUS personalized attention to be sure you get a good start and actually implement the System - for just four installments of $197. Best of all, you get an end to your labor hassles in an easy-to-use format that will allow your staff to actually relieve you of most of the heavy lifting!

How Long Do You Plan to Be in Business?

As a long-time restaurateur myself, I can appreciate the investment that is involved here ... so let's put the numbers into perspective. We already calculated that losing just ONE staff member can easily cost you $1700-$4400 in direct out-of-pocket costs ... and most likely a lot more. But let's be conservative, split the difference and call it $3000 a head.

To see how this might pencil out for your operation, just put your numbers in the first two boxes below and click on "Calculate." Go ahead. Give it a try. I think you will be stunned at what it tells you ...

Your modest investment in the Sure-Fire Staff Selection System will seriously reduce a significant hidden operating expense (the cost of turnover) that will go on year after year for as long as you are in business.

The only other unanswered question is how much you will reduce your turnover by using the Sure-Fire System to make smarter hiring decisions. The answer to that one is totally up to you, but the numbers don't lie. If using a proven System like Sure-Fire only kept you from making only ONE wrong hiring decision in the next several years, it would easily save you almost four times more than your initial investment.

Prove It To Yourself Without Risking a Dime

You really can't lose. In fact, I am so sure you will find the Sure-Fire Staff Selection System to be an incredibly effective way to get the right people the first time that I will back up my offer with a 100% "You Gotta Love It" Guarantee. Simply sign up, try it for yourself and make me prove it!

That’s right - put the System in place as directed. Let me help you get it set up and running. Work with it for a full year. If you do not agree that you are getting better quality workers with less effort as a result, send back any remaining System material and I will refund every penny you paid. No questions, no hassles, no hard feelings. You can’t get much better than that!

The Universe Rewards Action

In my experience there are people who take action, there are people who think about taking action (but never do it) and there are people without a clue. Where do you fit in?

• How much more effectively could you manage if you didn’t have to spend so much time keeping your shifts full and training rookies?
• How much more profitable would you be if you had lower staff turnover?
• What would your bottom line be like if all your crew was thoroughly trained and had their jobs down cold?
• How much easier would your life be if your restaurant was staffed with great people who always did a great job?
• How much longer are you going to settle for less than all this before you decide to do something about it?

If you are ready to end your labor problems - or at least cut them down to size - and start to get your life back, you owe it to yourself to do the smart thing. The Sure-Fire Staff Selection System works ... and it can be working for you in a matter of days if you have the courage to let your life be easy.

If you can’t make a quick decision on something that offers a value this incredible for an investment this reasonable ... one that is field-tested, proven, endorsed and fully guaranteed ... well, when do you expect to get a better offer?

Right now, while it is fresh in your mind, click here to put the power of the Sure-Fire Staff Selection System to work for you within a few days.

DO IT NOW! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Yours in hospitality,

Bill Marvin
The Restaurant Doctor

PS #1: There is something liberating about taking action, so I want to give you one more reason to act quickly on this generous offer. If you order the Sure-Fire Staff Selection System within 90 days of accepting the Best Free Offer Ever, I will send you a FREE electronic copy of my industry classic, "Restaurant Basics: Why Guests Don't Come Back and What You Can Do About It" - the only book on customer service written entirely from the guests' point of view. The hardcover version sells steadily at $70.00, but this is my special gift to you - on top of the $1200.00+ in bonuses I have already discussed - just for taking quick action.

PS #2: Want more reason to grab this deal right now? OK, since you caught me in a good mood, how about this? If you order before the expiration date, I will also give you FREE FedEx shipping, so you can have your new Staff Selection System working for you within days! That's right: instant gratification and free shipping - but only if you order within ten days.

PS #3: I absolutely, positively, unconditionally GUARANTEE your complete and total satisfaction with the Sure-Fire System. If you do nothing, you will continue to work harder than you have to ... or guess at who you should hire ... or settle for whoever happens to walk in the door ... or shortchange yourself, your guests and your good workers with warm body hiring ... or all of the above. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Just look at the comments from people who have been using the System. You can be one of them.