Like most of us during the early days of the pandemic, business owners were running on pure adrenaline, just trying to find ways to survive.

Now, with vaccinations on the rise and eased restrictions, they’re poised and ready to get back to normal. However, they’re facing a major pandemic-induced challenge: chronic labor shortages in the job market.

What led to our current hiring challenges?

To sum it up, the COVID pandemic is to blame. Shutdowns and social distancing caused businesses across industries to close their doors. Those that relied on face-to-face interactions — like restaurants — moved toward a remote, curb-side or delivery business model. Layoffs followed.

Meanwhile, organizations in certain industries, including warehousing, e-commerce, fulfillment and grocery stores, were facing unprecedented demand. To attract workers, they raised wages and offered signing bonuses. Workers flocked to these positions and are not likely to leave them. In fact, a recent survey by Joblist found that nearly 30% of restaurant workers do not plan on returning to the industry.

 

Lastly, enhanced unemployment benefits could incentivize some workers to stay home. According to QSR Magazine and Black Box Intelligence, these circumstances came together to create “a perfect storm” of talent shortages.

 

Hiring decisions should be about candidate experience, culture fit for the employer brand, and creating a healthy and diverse workforce. Unfortunately, in today’s job market, sourcing any qualified candidates is a far bigger concern.

5 ways to beat the talent crunch and find qualified candidates

These labor market conditions won’t last forever. While you can be optimistic that several elements of the perfect storm are beginning to pass, it would be a mistake to let that optimism turn to denial. The pandemic has created permanent changes that employers in all industries will have to face going forward. You can adapt by considering the following.

1. Focus on recruiting. Employee referrals, website job boards and social media posts are some of the most successful methods of recruiting for restaurants, according to a poll by Black Box Intelligence and QSR Magazine. Communicate openings to staff and post them online.
2. Recruiters need to create job descriptions that tout your culture and career paths. Show workers a job with your organization is more than just a job. Create and post job descriptions that showcase your culture and your business as a place employees can grow.
3. Make applying easy. Blake Casper, a McDonald’s franchisee who was offering a $50 incentive just for candidates to show up for interviews, had better luck employing a mix of referral programs, signing bonuses and allowing candidates to text to apply. Consider adopting text-to-apply technology.
4. Offer robust onboarding. Show new hires that you’re willing to invest in their expertise and performance by training them well from the start. Not only will training help you attract top talent, it can help you retain the best candidates, too.
5. Offer flexible scheduling. The ability to work remotely is a perk that workers are beginning to expect. If offering remote work isn’t possible because of your business model, offering a flexible schedule can be the next best thing.

The right technology can help find the right candidates

Taking the steps above might sound daunting if you don’t have any type of human resources management solution. But with the right technology, you can make talent acquisition less painful and automate key aspects of your recruiting strategy and hiring process.

When it comes to recruitment, it’s helpful to use a technology that empowers you to post your job openings online and on social media platforms with just a few clicks. Potential candidates should be able to text to apply easily from any mobile device. The right system should also make it easy for you to manage the entire recruitment process all from one central dashboard.

The right solution will also have an onboarding module that will help you recruit the right talent and take steps toward their retention. Look for technology that incorporates all of these capabilities into a system that also helps you manage payroll and scheduling.

Heartland can simplify the hiring process and other staffing needs

Heartland Hire aggregates all your job postings, current applicants, and scheduled interviews all in one convenient dashboard. You can also access relevant resumes, interview notes, job stats and more in your own database. Plus, with Heartland Hire, you can create a new job posting in 60 seconds and post it to your careers page and social media accounts in a few clicks.

This type of technology, combined with our personalized customer service, can help you take the steps you need to adapt to the current talent pool crisis and secure the new team members you need.

You can learn more about Heartland’s human resources management and payroll services by clicking here. To read more about Hiring in Hard Times, check out our infographic here.

 

 

“Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” – The World Health Organization

 

• Stress influences many hormones, including cortisol, that impact the production of antibodies & extra stress on the pituitary and adrenal glands leaving us immunocompromised.
• According to many studies, the most common health problem in the world is depression, often manifested in the form of insomnia, stress, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, obesity, and heart disease.
• Social relationships have an impact on our mental health, physical health and mortality risk. Sociologists have identified a link between social relationships and health outcomes. Many studies show that social relationships, both quality and quantity, have short and long-term effects on our health.
• Loneliness can kill. A person who is lonely is 50% more likely to die prematurely than a person who has healthy social relationships. Loneliness can reduce a person’s immune system and cause inflammation in the body which can lead to heart disease and other chronic conditions. Without social or emotional support, stress can place a bigger toll on a person’s health. –Psychology Today

 

The Cost of Burnout is High:  How Do We Recover?

 

• Know your stress signals & triggers

Pay attention throughout the day to your ups and downs, periods of flatness, low energy, agitation, sadness, lack of concentration, lack of motivation, hopelessness, feeling lack of control, grief, inability to accomplish and deliver what we usually can, exhaustion, “I have nothing left to give anyone”, irritability, etc.

 

• Recognize your level of agitation/heightened emotional state and take corrective action to manage in real time as it occurs or as soon afterwards as feasible.

 

• Choose effective recovery strategies to quiet the mind, relax the body and bring yourself back to a place of restoration.

 

Focus on right brain activities:

• Sensory
• Appreciation / gratitude
• At the moment awareness / mindfulness
• Not goal-directed

 

Give some thought to YOU:

Make time for these things daily – even a few minutes throughout the day changes our physiology and makes us stronger physically and mentally.

 

• What gives you a measure of peace?
• What relaxes you?
• What makes you feel great or at least good?
• What gives you joy?
• What restores you?

 

Assess and focus on what really matters to you in life and work: what can you get rid of? What can you work around? What can be put off?

 

Here is what others are doing:

 

·       Turn off the news
·       Read a book
·       Listen to music
·       Take a break from social media
·       Learn how to control your breathing
·       Grounding:try to relax as you lie flat on your back on the floor
·       Get outside
·       Move your head and body
·       Practice mindfulness
·       Learn to meditate (Headspace, Sanvello, Calm)
·       Try yoga
·       Journal
·       Laugh (stimulates lungs, heart and endorphins)
·       Exercise

 

·       Spend time with an animal

·       Hug more (those in your household during COVID)

·       Ask others how they are feeling

·       Connect with others virtually

·       Focus on giving if you are able

·       Mindfully focus on every single simple activity and the accompanying feeling of accomplishment

·       Start & end the day with gratitude

 

Breathe! It is our best tool – easy and free! If you do nothing else, schedule yourself, make time for deep breathing throughout the day – even a few breaths will trigger a reset in your mind and body. In for 4, hold for 4, out for 6 is a tried-and -true method but anything works!

The way service looks has changed rapidly, but Heartland’s kept up. We’ve upgraded our products and developed new features to help business owners thrive.

Heartland Restaurant is designed specifically for hospitality businesses – from quick service to casual and fine dining. Streamlining operations in one solution makes it easier for restaurant owners to manage and grow their business from tableside to delivery, kiosk to kitchen and from countertop to online.

Point of Sale

Our cloud‐based POS solutions have smooth‐as‐butter integrations with online ordering, contactless payments and more. Manage from work, home or wherever life takes you.

Online Ordering

Make the transition with a simple, reliable solution delivering the revenue you need and the efficient, cleanly designed checkout experience customers expect.

Mobile Payments

Designed for dependability, you can accept payments online or in‐person payments from your phone or tablet in minutes. Curbside pickup just became a breeze.

Email Marketing

Keep your customers close even during social distancing. Provide key information and updates about your hours, current specials, takeout, delivery options and more.

Payroll

Everything in the restaurant industry is fast paced, including your payroll and HR needs. With our tools, you’ll spend less time worrying about employee onboarding or payroll and more time building memorable customer experiences.

Virtual Gift

Ditch physical gift cards for the convenience of selling virtual gift cards on your website. Ideal for customers wanting to show their support, or just looking for a delicious meal.

Want to know more?  Visit Heartland. 

The way service looks has changed rapidly, but Heartland’s kept up. We’ve upgraded our products and developed new features to help business owners thrive.

Heartland Restaurant is designed specifically for hospitality businesses – from quick service to casual and fine dining. Streamlining operations in one solution makes it easier for restaurant owners to manage and grow their business from tableside to delivery, kiosk to kitchen and from countertop to online.

Point of Sale

Our cloud‐based POS solutions have smooth‐as‐butter integrations with online ordering, contactless payments and more. Manage from work, home or wherever life takes you.

Online Ordering

Make the transition with a simple, reliable solution delivering the revenue you need and the efficient, cleanly designed checkout experience customers expect.

Mobile Payments

Designed for dependability, you can accept payments online or in‐person payments from your phone or tablet in minutes. Curbside pickup just became a breeze.

Email Marketing

Keep your customers close even during social distancing. Provide key information and updates about your hours, current specials, takeout, delivery options and more.

Payroll

Everything in the restaurant industry is fast paced, including your payroll and HR needs. With our tools, you’ll spend less time worrying about employee onboarding or payroll and more time building memorable customer experiences.

Virtual Gift

Ditch physical gift cards for the convenience of selling virtual gift cards on your website. Ideal for customers wanting to show their support, or just looking for a delicious meal.

Want to know more?  Visit Heartland.

Minimalism, a movement to rid life of excess in favor of what’s important, is growing in popularity. It’s only natural the trend would extend to business. And it turns out there’s freedom in simplicity. Now, all you need to run your business is:

1. Your phone
2. Heartland Mobile Pay
3. Your next destination

Don’t be fooled; this lightweight card reader is a heavy hitter when it comes to features. Whether your customers tap, dip or swipe, Mobile Pay does it all — and gets you access to your money within 24 hours. The only limitation is the bounds of your entrepreneurial spirit.

The ideal customer experience, anywhere 

Ruggedly designed to work in any environment, Mobile Pay is ready to collect payments wherever business takes you. Process transactions at lightning speed, or generate invoices for later payment. Customers get the efficient experience they expect, and you get the security of EMV electronic chip card technology authenticating each card as genuine.

Never miss a sale 

Go boldly back to business after downloading the Mobile Pay app and connecting the Heartland card reader to your phone or tablet. With Mobile Pay’s reliability, worrying about technical glitches and lost sales are a thing of the past. Rest even easier knowing Mobile Pay encrypts card data as soon as it enters the card reader, and card data is never stored on your mobile device.

Customer trends revealed 

Data helps you run a better business. Mobile Pay provides a companion merchant web portal, accessible 24/365 from any internet-enabled device. Simply view real-time sales, transaction details and inventory. Export reports to share with partners when you need to re-stock or reevaluate.

Get all the functionality of a traditional payment terminal with the counterspace of a phone. Mobile Pay is the flexible solution for your evolving business.

Like most small businesses, restaurateurs threw their 2020 plans out the window after pandemic shutdowns shuttered locations. But SMBs aren’t the only ones who altered their plans. You can add point of sale software providers to the list.

Companies like Heartland began upgrading products and developing new features to help small business owners thrive when business is unusual.

Here are six of the latest product features and things you should consider when deciding to upgrade your point of sale:

Is your POS more than you bargained for?

Point of sale systems aren’t one size fits all. Some solutions are designed for complex businesses, offering features that you’ll never use. Usually, complex solutions mean a complex user experience. If you’re having trouble navigating the display screen, think about the new server you just hired. How many hours will it take to cross-train him on the system?

Support. Support. Support.

If location is most important in small business hierocracy, support is the next bullet on the list. Make sure you’re getting the point of sale support you need as the business grows. Is the company offering consulting support? If not, find a partner who’s aware of the latest payment tech trends and products, so you have the tools you need today and in the future.

Does it have online ordering?

Yes, it’s not new, but before you skip ahead to the next tip, make sure you understand the benefits of integrating online ordering with the point of sale.

A cloud-based POS with a built-in online ordering tool lets you accept orders on your website and manage them at the POS. And since these are cloud-based systems, you can track online sales from anywhere, on any web browser.

Make sure it’s restaurant approved.

Remember, not all point of sale systems are the same. Choose one built for your restaurant. Some newer, cloud-based POS systems offer an array of features like real-time reporting, time and attendance, inventory management, and customer buying behaviors. These systems are perfect if you want to save on inventory costs, reduce overtime wages, and optimize your menu.

Can’t touch this.

Payment companies invested a ton of resources into contactless and touchless payment technology over the last year, with Scan to Pay and Pay-to-Link being the latest to hit the market. These two features are transforming the way restaurants accept payments. Sounds great, but what is Scan to Pay and Pay-by-Link?

Scan to Pay technology lets customers scan a unique QR code with their smartphone, usually printed on their check, and pay for their meal at the table, host stand, or the curb.

With Pay-by-Link, you can create a unique payment link and text it to the customer. No more accepting cards over the phone. No more unpaid to-go orders.

Keep scheduling, payroll, and the POS under one roof.

Why should you find a solution that combines these three functions? Well, fewer headaches for one, but by combining scheduling, payroll, and payments, you’ll spend less time scrolling through spreadsheets and more time growing your business.

An integrated solution shares data, so if a server enters her tip on the point of sale, it’s synced with the other programs. And since these are cloud-based systems, you can create schedules from anywhere, on any web browser. Staff can view schedule updates from their phone in real time.

If it feels like the right time to update your point of sale, we suggest you check out Heartland Restaurant. It’s a smart, cloud-based POS designed for restaurants; it checks all our boxes.

 

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