Streamlining the hiring process

Hiring for foodservice positions, particularly those in healthcare and education that require additional screening, can be a drawn-out process. Here’s how three FSDs are trying to improve procedures where they can, while still being thorough enough to hire the best. 

“We have a lot of hoops to make them jump through.” After assessing the steps, including a phone interview, skill survey, background check and drug screening, the skill survey was cut from the process.

—Lynne Brown, System Foodservice Operations Director, Geisinger Health System, Wilkes-Barre, Penn.

“We hired someone at hourly, groomed him or her, trained them, saw that spark in their eye and we cultivated that. Then when the hiring process opened up, we had someone we already knew about.”

—Tom Rogers, Regional Senior Living Specialist, Sodexo, greater southwest Pennsylvania area

“We treat [our partners] nicely—give them a gift basket of goodies or invite them to lunch.” That connection helps speed up the process—vendors are more willing to squeeze in a drug screen test for the company, even if they are very busy.

—Istvan Abdai, Director of Hospitality, The Garlands of Barrington senior living, Illinois