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Salsa lessons that prevent a candidate from working on a Monday evening, another that is unlikely to be on Sunday’s schedule, an alarm clock that doesn’t ring for a future employee that calls for a meeting… in the afternoon, and finally, the young man who is conspicuous by his absence without ever giving any news during an interview.
When welcomed by Marion Fournier, the new owner of the restaurant Le 267 in Vieux-Longueuil Press Little did she suspect that her sunny afternoon in early June would not be as fruitful as she had hoped – to allow us to attend her job interviews – at her establishment under construction.
In fact, she has already had a taste of the new reality of recruitment, which demands a lot of time from the employer. He should call the candidate as soon as he receives his Curriculum Vitae and then maintain constant contact with him. “That’s one a job Full time,” she said bluntly.
Photo by Alain Roberge, Pres
Marion Fournier in the process of hiring staff. She needs more than 20 employees for her new restaurant.
And Mme Fournier has heard so many “horror stories” from his restaurateur friends that some of the incidents since the beginning of his hiring process seem normal to him. “I hired three chefs…I only have one left,” she said before her interview session began, a few weeks before her scheduled start date.
Even the restaurant didn’t expect that all the young men would ask her to work from Monday to Friday. “Yes, I have No shows “, she also admitted, trying to bury the aggressive sound of the drills.
“We also have people who don’t answer calls and resumes that don’t give a phone number. But it’s not really the majority, I wonder. “, she adds, confident despite everything.
Bad surprises
But that afternoon he had other surprises, this time bad ones. Mme Deciding to jump into catering by opening the first establishment of Pacini’s newest concept, Fournier has so far managed to hire 12 people. To run his restaurant – which includes three brands of Tok-Tok (Korean hot dogs), Smokissim (smoked meat sandwiches for dipping sauce) and Ques de Castor -, Mme Fournier needs more than 20 employees.
Like the previous days, the interview session started very well. The first candidate, 23-year-old Melanie, arrived early. The interview takes place on a bench outside the restaurant, to escape the dust and noise of a place that doesn’t seem ready to welcome any soon-to-be customers.
Photo by Alain Roberge, Pres
Marion Fournier, 23, in an interview with Melanie
“I’m always smiling,” she says spontaneously when someone comments on her cheerful appearance. Hair in a bun, white sneakers on her feet, the candidate who has taken care of her appearance enthusiastically answers the questions of her potential employer. The exchange takes place in a cheerful tone. Mme Fournier sells his salad and stresses the importance of having fun while working out. She is convincing.
Melanie wants to work part-time because she enrolled in an esthetics course. Is she ready to go to work on the weekend? “Yeah, no problem,” she says, scoring points with her interviewer.
Describing herself as flexible, she is quick to say that she will not be available on Monday evenings. “This is my Latin salsa-dance class. This request, however, did not raise eyebrows from Marion Fournier.
When she gets up from a park bench, a restaurant employee draws a smiley face on the application. Will she call her back? ” Yes ! She is really very dynamic, she replies after the candidate has left. I have a specialty as an employer, I know that. »
Photo by Alain Roberge, Pres
Marion Fournier was satisfied with her interview with Melanie.
Caught up with reality
However, after a few minutes, she knew the reality of the recruitment. We will never see the second candidate called at 2 pm. On several occasions, as she waited for him in the sun on the sidewalk, Mrs.me Fournier consulted his text messages. nothing
“If she doesn’t bother to call me, it’s a bad omen,” she says, hiding her disappointment badly. The ghost candidate finally calls 15 minutes after her scheduled interview time. Her phone is out of charge, she explains in a muffled voice. No alarm went off to wake her up.
“I have bad feeling “, M’s right hand represents Julieme Fournier, was present to welcome the candidates. “I’m going to give the runner a chance”, adds the boss, who agrees to meet the young woman later in the evening.
After about 30 minutes, the scene repeats itself. A third ray of hope is conspicuous by his absence. We learn later that he never gives any hint of life.
Heaven, the last candidate of the day, shows up with a friend, also interested in a summer job. Marion Fournier decided to conduct in-house interviews after the workers exit. At the age of 17, the young man said he was given up his livelihood because his employer did not respect his schedules. At 267, he is willing to work until 9:30 pm some evenings during the week.
His friend, questioned after him, did not hide his fear. Her legs betrayed her, flailing madly under the table. The young woman who worked at McDonald’s and Burger King is not available on Sundays.
Despite everything, they made a good impression on M.me Fournier. However, she remains hesitant as they show little openness to working on weekends.
It should be noted that all the candidates questioned showed more enthusiasm when they came to know that the photo booth was in a restaurant (Photobooth) or by offering the option of delivery by electric bicycle only at the salary provided. The hourly rate is set between $15 and $17, and tip sharing is sometimes as high as $4 an hour. They were called to an information session a few weeks later. Everyone made their presence felt. The inauguration is scheduled for June 20.
After a month…
About a month later, on the occasion of the 1ster July, the Le 267 has still not welcomed its first customers. Work delays and connection issues are on the list of factors explaining the situation. There are no candidates Press Met with Mr.me Fournier did not make it to the briefing despite everyone signing up. They gave him no sign of life. On the phone, Marion Fournier didn’t hide her fear of losing other employees in the rush to collect money over the summer.
I try to make them aware. I brought some to clean up. I know it will be dirty later, but I at least give them hours, they have a salary. I will be close.
Marion Fournier, owner of 267
Mme Fournier also asked some to give him coupons for the lottery. It seems that this experiment has been finalized. “I will write to them. I will inform them. »
If a new boss has acted on instinct, her strategy to retain her team seems right, according to Celine Morellan, a human resources expert and president of the consulting group Value Leaders.
“In a situation like this, if we cannot pay them directly, the best strategy is constant contact not only between the boss and the employees, but also between the employees. »
“We must never disconnect from the mission of our organization in our interactions with them. Then, between them, they don’t want to go,” she adds.
Added again a few days ago, Mme Fournier finally announced that it could open on Monday, July 11. Recently, it lost two employees who started working elsewhere. Currently, she has 25 people in her team. “I still have surprises,” she drops candidly. At the opening, this is where I see how many employees are left. »
“We can no longer recruit like we used to”
Photo by Alain Roberge, Pres
The balance of power has shifted in favor of workers, and it’s up to employers to adapt, argues Céline Morellan, president of Value Leaders, a consulting group.
“The more you talk about the labor shortage in the media, the worse it gets in interviews. The workers know they have a big stick, they know they’re needed, and if this boss says no, there’s another one who says yes. It’s that simple,” sums up Céline Morellan, president of Leaders de Valliers, a human resources expert and consulting group.
She explains that the manufacturing sector as well as service establishments such as restaurants and hair salons are particularly affected by this situation.
Now that the balance of power has shifted and candidates know they need them more than ever, what must employers do to succeed in their “recruitment operation”?
“It’s up to them to change their mindset,” she explains to the entrepreneurs she meets. We can no longer recruit the way we recruited then. It’s over, it’s dead. »
Photo courtesy of CÉline morellon
Expecting a letter of recommendation or a letter of motivation with a curriculum vitae and rejecting applications won’t work. You get a resume, you’re happy.
Céline Morellon, President of Value Leaders, Consulting Group
“You take the time to analyze it and you immediately meet your world, she adds. We can no longer have recruitment processes that last three, four or five days. When people send a CV, they send it to four different places, it’s first-come, first-served. »
The interview should also reflect the image of the company. “If your corporate atmosphere is festive and joyful funInterview festival, happiness and the funDescribes Mme Morellan. If your interview environment is tougher, more square, you’ll find players who appreciate it, need to adapt to what they experience the next day and the day after. »
Another important point is that, knowing that there is a labor shortage and sometimes no application is submitted for a posted position, companies should start recruiting early, advises Céline Morellan. In this regard, she does not hesitate to criticize the “lack of vision” of many institutions.
“That’s what’s happening in airports right now, that’s what’s happening everywhere,” she observed. Organizations are unable to present themselves adequately. They all started summer recruitment in March. Last December we had to start displaying and announcing our colors. »
