TL;DR
The main reason why you should use Competency Frameworks when you are hiring for management roles is to de-risk the process. Hiring the wrong manager can harm guest experience, negatively impacting team performance and ultimately negatively impacting your bottom line.
Competency frameworks are essential tools in management recruitment for restaurants, bars and hotels, providing a structured approach to identifying, assessing, and selecting candidates who possess the skills, behaviours, and attributes necessary for success in this dynamic industry.
Hospitality businesses, such as restaurants and hotels operate in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment where managers must balance operational efficiency, team leadership, and guest satisfaction. A well-designed competency framework ensures that hiring decisions align with organizational goals, enhance performance, and foster long-term success.
First, competency frameworks clarify the specific skills and qualities required for restaurant management roles. These roles demand a unique blend of technical expertise, such as inventory management and food safety compliance, and soft skills, like communication, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. For instance, a restaurant manager must handle customer complaints with tact while motivating a diverse team during peak hours. A competency framework defines these requirements—e.g., leadership, adaptability, financial acumen—and provides measurable criteria for evaluation. This clarity reduces the risk of hiring candidates who may excel in one area, like culinary knowledge, but lack critical skills, such as conflict resolution.
Moreover, competency frameworks streamline the recruitment process by standardizing assessments. Without a framework, hiring managers may rely on subjective impressions or generic job descriptions, leading to inconsistent evaluations and biased decisions. A framework establishes objective benchmarks, such as the ability to drive sales growth or maintain staff retention, which can be tested through structured interviews, role-playing scenarios, or practical exercises. For example, a candidate might be asked to resolve a simulated staffing shortage or develop a cost-saving strategy. This ensures that all applicants are judged fairly and consistently, improving the quality of hires. At Surety we use competency frameworks whenever we recruit for management positions.
In hospitality and F&B where turnover rates can exceed 70%, the use of competency frameworks in hiring the right management can support increased retention in two important ways. Firstly, by ensuring management candidates themselves are aligned with the organisation’s culture and expectations and secondly, by ensuring the team members working under the new manager are treated appropriately and within the organisation’s culture and expectations.
Restaurants thrive on teamwork, customer focus, and resilience, and managers set the tone for these values. A framework that emphasizes cultural fit—through competencies like collaboration or customer orientation—helps identify candidates who share the restaurant’s vision. For instance, a chain prioritizing sustainability might prioritize competencies like ethical decision-making. Hiring managers who embody these values reduces turnover, as they are more likely to stay and inspire their teams to do the same.
Additionally, competency frameworks enhance training and development post-hire. By identifying gaps between a candidate’s current skills and desired competencies, restaurants can create targeted onboarding programs. For example, a new manager strong in operations but weak in financial analysis can receive focused training in budgeting. This not only improves individual performance but also builds a pipeline of capable leaders, critical in an industry with high promotion rates.
Finally, using competency frameworks demonstrates professionalism and attracts top talent. Candidates are more likely to apply to organizations that use transparent, structured hiring processes, as it signals investment in employee success. In a competitive labor market, this can differentiate a restaurant from competitors.
In conclusion, competency frameworks are vital for restaurant management recruitment. They ensure precise skill identification, objective assessments, cultural alignment, and ongoing development, ultimately driving operational success and employee retention. By adopting these frameworks, restaurants can build strong leadership teams that navigate challenges and deliver exceptional dining experiences.