February 5th, 2010 — Candidate helpful tips, Industry questions/insights?, Market Conditions
Over the years I have learned to pay attention to the national unemployment rate as it pertains to our industry. There is movement in employment decisions in Hospitality that follow the increase or decrease in the national unemployment rate. While dropping from 10% is a very positive thing for the economy in general, historically our industry does not start to visibly increase hiring across the board until around 6.0%. However this recession may be different in that real estate prices are soo low they might stimulate some new unit expansion or even some new concepts to begin to expand beyond the market test phase. My immediate reaction is to say this is good news for us as a sign of the worst being over!
However, can anyone explain to me how the pundits expected to see jobs growth of 5000-13,000 and instead got a jobs loss of 20,000 and the unemployment rate still drops ?
January 6th, 2010 — Candidate helpful tips, General Hospitality, Uncategorized
In this day and age of instantaneous communication; email, text, tweets,voice-mails etcetera etcetera when someone reaches out they assume you receive the message immediately and the clock is ticking….. Continue reading →
December 3rd, 2009 — Client helpful tips, General Hospitality, Interview etiquette
We are likely to be missing a whole forest of trees sacrificed for paper on which to write the volumes of advice, lectures, and dictums regarding the importance of making a good first impression when going into an interview. Unfortunately ninety five percent of it is directed toward the candidate..
Everyone involved in any part of the interview process knows the general rules of etiquette that apply, but often forget they apply to both sides of the desk.
“A company suffers from success syndrome just before falling sales and profits creates the counterattack from upper management that begins the real downward spiral”.
When these two concepts bond together the perception are anything but good and you know what they say about perceptions being reality….
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December 2nd, 2009 — Uncategorized
As I have the pleasure of speaking to a wide variety of people at different levels of the industry I can often hear things about plans for new concepts and expansion. Therefore many people call to ask what’s new? What’s hot?
I was talking today to an old friend and co-worker who asked me when the last time a restaurant concept really wowed me——-I had no answer.
This someone whom I worked and traveled with back in the late 70’s and 80’s and again in the early 90’s. We saw our first Macaroni Grill in Dallas before they had expanded across the country, Houston’s in Washington DC and Atlanta, the first Longhorn Steakhouse, and the second Lone Star Steakhouse. I remember them being significantly different yet still quality oriented that they made very serious impressions.
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December 2nd, 2009 — Candidate helpful tips, Interview etiquette, Market Conditions
HALLELUJAH The Recession is Dead or Dying. One of my friends who is on my top five smartest people list once said that once you read about economic news whatever they say is about to happen, already has. Hence when any of the experts fear a recession, it already exists, when the recession seems to be easing it has already ended.
Today the media is quoting many experts that the recession has ended sometime this summer.
Before we get too giddy on the news let’s remember that unemployment is still hovering around ten percent which is a frightening number, credit is still tight and likely to be so for some time, and people are spending less. No doubt this has been the most difficult year in business I have seen and caused havoc for many clients and brought expansion of new restaurant concepts to a screeching halt.
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