Harri Surpasses 100K Members!

Back in August of last year, we congratulated Laura for being the 50,000th member. Then in October, we hit 60,000 members. Now... we here at #TeamHarri are proud to announce that we reached OVER 100,000 MEMBERS back in March 2015!

We finally sat down with Rachel, our 100,000th member after busy schedules delayed us from speaking to her sooner to discuss her experience with Harri.

When did you join Harri?

I joined Harri about 5 months ago. I was looking for a way to better project myself while applying for jobs and Harri was the top result on Google. As soon as I finished creating my profile I received about 3 requests to apply for a job within the hour.

What has your experience been in the Hospitality Industry?

I’ve been a Barista for about 3 years now. I’ve worked for Locanda Verde, Intelligencia, Lafayette, and Donna. I’m really focused on making a successful career out of it.

Have you found a job through Harri?

Yes, I found my jobs at both Lafayette and Donna through Harri. They’re both great companies that I really enjoy working for and I’m very excited to be part of each of their teams.

What is your dream job?

I definitely plan on staying in the hospitality industry and it’s my goal to start my own business. My next step is to go to Honduras and work on the farms where they grow coffee. I want to change the way that farmers are being both paid and treated. It’s a very laborious process. Improving work conditions will help the coffee industry in many ways, especially with providing a higher quality product.

How can Harri help achieve your goals?

Harri is a great site for networking and gives you the ability to go beyond just applying for jobs. As Harri grows as a company and as I grow as a professional, I will continue to use the site to take the next steps in my career and even hope to hire staff through Harri when I’m running my own business. I love that I’m able to showcase how I am as a professional and who I am as a person.

Not a Harri member? Become one today

Already a member? See which companies are hiring

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Foodies Unite: US Restaurant spending strongest since 2006

 

The economy has improved and the result is a thriving appetite for Americans.

Spending is up across the industry, from fast-food chains to full-scale restaurants, and has increased quicker in the past five months than any time before the Great Recession struck in the end of 2006. People are going out to eat more often, a fact confirmed by two separate government reports.

The Commerce Department measures consumption at restaurants and the results are published in it's retail report. The report states that annualized sales from September to January were up a seasonally adjusted 13.7%, marking the strongest five-month stretch since December 2006. This level of spending has only eclipsed twice in the past 25 years; in late 1992 and mid-1994.

According to the department's personal-spending report, during the same time period (September to January) consumer spending at restaurants increased by an annual 9.5% pace, also the strongest since 2006.

For most restaurants, business remains bustling through February, however, large old-style fast-food chains like McDonald's continue to struggle. Young, upscale fast-food restaurants such as Habit Burger and Chipotle are posting rapid growth.

When the economy makes a turn for the worse, dining out is one of the first things Americans cut back on. In the same sense, Americans eat out more when the economy improves and they feel more secure in their jobs. The U.S. added over 3 million jobs in 2014, the fastest since 1999 and in turn, the unemployment rate has decreased to 5.5%. Layoffs are near the lowest level in 15 years.

With a healthy economy, over 400,000 new jobs were added by the restaurant industry in 2014, the largest increase ever. The pace of hiring was the fastest since 1993 and the industry employed more than 11 million people marking a new record.  Employment in this sector is almost 14% higher than it's peak prior to the recession.

The industry is experiencing growth and increased profits, however, one caveat continues to be the on going debate on employee wages. The restaurant industry pays a lower wage which is well below the national average wage. Workers are forced to rely on tips to make ends meet.

The question remains: can restaurants keep it up? Will the economy continue trending in the same direction allowing consumers to dine out more frequently?

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Harri's Hospitality Industry Tips & Tricks for Job Seekers

Harri-tips-&-tricks

For the first installment of the Harri Tips & Tricks series, #TeamHarri sat down with Christine Black, a member of Harri with a unique perspective.

Christine originally came to Harri as a job seeker and now she's the one doing the hiring. She has decided to share tips and tricks for both job seekers and employers with us. Check out part one of our interview with Christine below where she gives advice to job seekers in the hospitality industry.

Christine B. Harri Portfolio

How did you find Harri?

I was searching for management opportunities online and I came across  a post which led me to Harri. I found a few jobs I wanted to apply for. To be honest, I was hesitant at first. I didn't finish profile. I decided to keep searching on Craigslist but I had no luck so I ended up coming back to Harri.

What made you decide to join?

I needed a job and I wasn't finding anything on Craigslist. I gave Harri a second chance.

"I think it's a testament to the platform...I was hired very quickly because I was able to showcase myself better on Harri than I would with an ordinary resume."

What was your experience as a job seeker like?

It was very good. I wasn't job hunting on the site very long, I ended up landing a job quickly. I was interested in a job but I wasn't able to attend the open call. I used Harri's messaging platform to speak with the prospective employer. We scheduled an interview and then I landed a job at Gigino Trattoria. I think it's a testament to the platform. Even though I wasn't able to attend the open call, I was hired very quickly because I was able to showcase myself better on Harri than I would with an ordinary resume.

What jobs did you get through Harri?

I joined Harri as a bartender but after the discussion with the hiring manager I decided to apply for management positions. I got the job working at Gigino Trattoria.

"Job seekers can showcase more of themselves on Harri than on a resume or cover letter. For employers, they can understand the job seeker better and see if and where they fit into their organization."

Have you told other job seekers about Harri?

Yes I have. I told them that Harri allows prospective employers a better sense of who you are. It actually helps both parties.  Job seekers can showcase more of themselves on Harri than on a resume or cover letter. For employers, they can understand the job seeker better and see if and where they fit into their organization.

What advice would you give to job seekers?

I would say the more information they provide on their Harri portfolio, they increase their chances of getting hired. It's true what they say, the "early bird gets the worm". After you apply respond early and often to your prospective employer. Always present yourself as best as you can. Don't be as casual with employers as you would be with say, your friends or coworkers.

Rigatoni-Frescura

If you'd like to work with Christine and the team at Gigino Trattoria, they are currently hiring a Host / Hostess. Interested? Apply here.

Harri now has over 60,000 members & over 400 jobs!

Not a member? Become one today

Already a member? See  which companies are hiring

Be sure to follow Harri on Facebook or Twitter

for updates and real time job listings.

Las Vegas Harri Style

Meet Laura, Harri's 50,000th member.  Last month, in celebration of this milestone, #TeamHarri sent Laura to Sin City as a token of our appreciation.  We recently sat down with her to discuss her experience with Harri and what it was like to win a trip to Las Vegas. Read the interview below.

1. How did you first find out about Harri?

I was online searching for event work. I came across a job post and it directed me to Harri. The site was unlike any other hospitality site I've seen before so I decided to check it out.

2. What made you decide to become a Harri member?

With so many fantastic job opportunities and great companies hiring on Harri, I wanted to apply to many of them. I decided to become a member.

3. How would you rate the job seeking experience on Harri?

Harri is basically like a 1 stop shop for hospitality professionals. I love it! It's so easy. Create your profile, search tons of great jobs and then just click to apply. It's a lot better than using Craigslist. You can easily review companies to find the right fit for you.

4. Have you been hired through Harri?

As a matter of fact yes. After registering, I created a profile, filled in in my work experience and added professional photos to my Harri portfolio.  I applied for several jobs and then began receiving messages from employers.

After interviewing, I was hired at the Standard. I initially came to Harri seeking event coordinator opportunities but with so many great jobs available, I ended up with a fantastic bartender job instead. My coworker at the Standard was also hired through Harri so it's definitely working.

5. Would you recommend Harri to fellow hospitality professionals?

I actually recommended it recently to a girl I met at the bar. She just moved to New York from LA and is looking for work in the hospitality industry so I told her to check out Harri. Everyone I know asked me about my Vegas trip. So I told them that Harri not only got me a great job, I also won the trip.

6. How it feel to find out you were Harri's 50,000th member?

I was in total shock, I was like, "Is this for real?" It's kind of funny because I actually waited to make my profile. I was searching for a job late at night and I didn't make my profile until the following morning because I was tired. Turns out I end up winning something I wasn't aware of and it was really cool. The entire process was totally random: a combination of fate & luck or being at right place, at the right time I guess.

It was also great meeting everyone at #TeamHarri. You guys are awesome.

7. What was it like learning you were going to Vegas?

I screamed! I was super excited and started jumping up and down. Then I had to figure out if either my boyfriend or best friend were coming with me, so I held a contest between the two of them to see who was going to make the cut <laughs>.

I've been to Vegas once before, so this time around I already knew where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do and what I wanted to see. I was looking forward to visiting again.

8. How was your trip?

Oh my, it was so much fun! We didn't want to leave. We went to a bunch of nice restaurants and gambled a little.

9. Vegas is known for being on the wild side. Did you party?

Yes, we went to 1Oak one night. There was a disco party going on. It happens monthly and every time there is a different theme. When we went, it was circus themed so there were people dressed up as clowns, circus performers etc. It was crazy.

10. Being that you're a part of the hospitality industry, did you tell anyone in Vegas about Harri? 

People saw me taking photos with the Harri 50K sign all over town so I definitely got asked questions by random people and especially the showgirls. I told them I was Harri's 50,000th member and that I was in town because I won a trip.

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Update: Harri now has over 60,000 members!

You too can become the next Harri success story.

Not a member? Become one now

Already a member? See who's hiring

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100 Hires in 30 days: Harri Successfully Staffs Summer Garden & Bar

"Using Harri was a relief and reduced the stress of hiring. Features such as 'applicant availability' allowed me to reduce screening time by 1 1/2 hours a day." - Rebecca, HR Coordinator at Patina Restaurant Group

On a sunny Saturday morning, Team Harri set off to midtown to celebrate a milestone with Summer Garden & Bar, Rockefeller Center’s premiere tourist hot spot. With a limited hiring window, Rebecca and her HR team at Patina Restaurant Group exclusively used Harri to hire their seasonal staff.

Using Harri's Applicant Management System, Summer Garden & Bar easily:

• Screened 2,000 applicants
• Hired 100 seasonal employees
• Saved 1.5 hours per day by reducing screening time

Team Harri was excited to meet and chat with candidates who used the site to apply for work and celebrate another success. You can also find success in hiring, join Harri today.

Ready to post a job? Get started today!