Hot Right Now: Chef Jobs

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Chef Jobs on Harri If you're thinking about becoming a chef, restaurant industry experts say New York City is the land of opportunity for you.

There is a shortage of back of house staff, such as chefs and line cooks, as well as front of house managers and other restaurant jobs in the city right now. According to Stephen Zagor, director of culinary business and industry studies at the Institute of Culinary Education, this shortage is leading to high job placement rates:

"We talk to restaurants all the time, and they're constantly calling us because they know we're a reservoir of talent," he said. "They keep saying, 'We need, we need, we need.'"

The reason for this is partially due to the high turnover rate in the industry as well as the food scene explosion that has taken place over the past few years. "The restaurant industry often offers day jobs for performers and artists, which also attributes to the high turnover rates" Zagor said.

The rise of niche dinning combined with more openings have made it harder for restaurants to adequately staff their concepts, however, those who want to work in restaurants and kitchens can catch a lucky break with more opportunities available. Maureen Drum, director of career services at the Institute of Culinary Education, had this to say about the current state of the New York restaurant business:

"There's so many different types of venues, everything from pop-up food tables to food trucks to more casual-style service restaurants, because of that trend there are so many more avenues for a cook to head into."

Not only is there competition for work, wages are competitive as well. The average annual wage for all restaurant professionals in New York state was $50,430 in 2014, compared to $42,570 nationwide, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Chef Jesse Schenker, owner of Recette on West 12th Street and The Gander on West 18th Street, started his culinary career in Florida. He's seen first hand, the opportunities available in New York City. Despite the number of opportunities available, working in the restaurant industry still requires drive and commitment.

"It's really a question about one's commitment because this industry is truly a lifestyle," said Chef Schenker. "There's so much sacrifice but there's much to be gained."

 If you're someone who's looking for a fresh start or someone looking to break into the industry, Harri is the best place to discover which opportunities are available hospitality professionals.

[Via Am new York]

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How to Avoid Discriminatory Job Posts and Avoid Fines

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Experienced Waitress Wanted Signs like the one posted above will soon be a thing of the past. What's the problem with it you ask? Read below.

Recently, the NYC Commission on Human Rights aka the "City Commission" increased its efforts to enforce the NYC Human Rights law. The committee has focused particularly on job postings examining advertisements on Craigslist that indicate a preference towards a particular gender or age. An example of this is a job posting for a "waitress" as opposed to using a more neutral job title of "server".  Another example is when an employer states that they are looking to hire someone described as "energetic". The term is often considered a code word for only wanting a "young" employee.

The committee goes a step beyond highlighting this type of language on job posts. In order to create further evidence of a violation, the committee sends multiple inquiries to the employer in question. These inquiries contain nearly identical resumes, however, some are sent from male applicants and others from female applicants. Tracking software is used to see if the employer only opens emails from only one gender or from both.

If discriminatory practices are in place, the City Commission sends an agency-initiated complaint of discrimination to the employer, alleging discrimination in employment based upon the job post and the protected class at issue (ex. age or gender). After the complaint is filed, the City Commission mandates supervisor training and an financial penalty ranging from $2,500 - $5,000.

Workplace Discrimination

The City Commission isn't the only government agency combing through Craigslist. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other state agencies have been doing this for years. In addition to sending out resumes, these agencies have been known to send "spotters", who often apply to jobs in person in order to weed out discrimination based on gender, age, race etc. Hospitality and the Retail industries are prone to these types of investigations. It is not limited to the restaurant industry.

In order to avoid this type of investigation and the fines associated with it, employers should be extremely vigilant and thorough when drafting job posts, ensuring that they do not indicate any preference that may violate anti-discrimination laws. Employers are also advised to maintain records of each applicant and individual that interviewed for each job, including maintaining all resumes and applications submitted. Harri is already compliant to this law. Harri's built in features such as having the correct terminology preloaded for job posts and our Applicant Management System (AMS). Our AMS easily allows employers to track, message, store and hire; all from one dashboard for a cost less than Craigslist.

In addition to keeping records and using proper job posting techniques, staff training is also imperative. Employers should ensure employees that screening is not based on unlawful factors. Finally, a system of checks and balances should be implementing prior to posting ads online.

[Courtesy of The NY Alliance]

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