Where on-site foodservice has the edge in labor situations
By Tara Fitzpatrick, Foodservice Director
A gig with on-site, noncommercial foodservice is something of a best-kept secret for chefs, directors, managers and hourly staff. The benefits and silver linings make onsite foodservice stand apart from local fine dining or hotels or amusement parks or whatever competition you’re up against to get the best and brightest people for your team.
“You always have competition as to where students and employees can find different jobs,” says Paul Muscente, director of Cornell Dining. “People working from home isn’t something we can provide. You can’t serve food from home. So how do we build excitement for coming in? How do we separate ourselves from other organizations, where people feel they want to be part of our department?”
Labor is definitely an issue in onsite dining programs, and it’s one of the top answers to, “What keeps you up at night?” that question journalists always seem to be asking foodservice operators. To better understand the labor crisis/opportunity, let’s take a peek inside the brains of foodservice masterminds dealing with labor on a day-to-day basis. The key points we noticed? Getting cultural buy-in, training that empowers employees, good old fashioned money, benefits and opportunities.