5 Steps to Successfully Onboard Restaurant Employees

Now that you have completed the task of finding and interviewing the right candidate for your restaurant, the next step is onboarding. Studies show that when employees properly onboard staff, it leads to higher satisfaction levels, decreases turnover and high retention rates. Not only do you want to remain compliant, you want to keep potential hires happy and make them feel valued.

Here is a checklist of must-do’s when onboarding your new staff:

#1: Send hires onboarding papers

At Harri, we make this step super simple for you and your employees. Send new hirees offer letters and necessary onboarding documents online. You save both time and money with digital onboarding. (And think about, you probably do not want to deal with piles of paperwork anyway.) In addition, you will be 100% compliant to labor laws. You do not need to stress about putting together an onboarding package because everything is already pre-loaded onto Harri. All you have to do is select whichever forms are needed, and send it over to them digitally.

#2: Plan out an onboarding first day

On the new hires’ first day, they will not know their way around yet, so do give them a tour around the restaurant. After, sit them down once more to review what their jobs’ responsibilities and duties are. They probably will feel like a lot is being thrown at them and it seems daunting. Don’t scare them away on the first day already. Set aside some time during their shift to do an icebreaker session with the rest of the team during mealtime. Provide a welcoming atmosphere for them so that they can get more comfortable with everybody.

#3: Run a trail and stage training

Run a trail (or stog) on the servers, chefs and others during the onboarding period. Remember – It is illegal to stage a candidate unless their onboarding paperwork in 100% complete. Monitor how their work ethic is like during their shifts and how they interact with the rest of the team. Keep note of these things so that at the end of their trial, you can make an informed final decision to hire or not hire the candidate.

#4: Assign mentors to new hires

Before you assign one of your current staff to mentor a new hire, make sure to ask them if they would be willing to take on the position. If they agree so, encourage them to help out their mentees get settled in and get them up to speed with the workings of the restaurant. The new hires can also shadow and learn from their mentors during this time.

#5: Provide feedback on performance

Schedule a meeting at the end of the first shift to go over the new hires’ performance. Things to review include their general performance, attendance, attitude, cooperativeness with the team, amongst other job specific-related details. Do not forget about your staff’s approvals as well. It is important to hear their comments too, since they will be working with the new hires as a team.

Harri Wins NYC Hospitality Alliance's Technology Award

It's hard to deny the fact that New York City is the hospitality capital of the world. With over 24,000+ restaurants, bars, nightclubs and such, the industry would be nothing without its passionate professionals, working tirelessly day in and day out. So to celebrate, the NYC Hospitality Alliance hosted an awards ceremony to recognize the industry's achievements. 

Andrew Rigie, the Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, said, "It was an amazing night. We are a passionate industry and it’s important to recognize the hard work and dedication these individuals and businesses put into their craft. Hospitality is an art, and we are so proud to honor and celebrate their contributions.”

Team Harri was in attendance at the event, which was held at the iconic nightclub, Marquee New York. Awards that were presented included Big Apple Legacy Award, Four Stars Award, I ❤ Hospitality Award and others.

Harri was nominated for the Technology Award along with notable names, like ADP, delivery.com, Paycom and more. The award acknowledges the contributions of a technology platform and how it enhances the way the hospitality industry operates. (See here for the entire list of award winners and nominations.)

We were amongst other innovative platforms in our category, but we are proud to announce that Harri took home the Technology Award. The award is a reminder of how much work we have done so far. It also gives us motivation to develop even greater features and products to service the needs of the industry, both employers and employees. 

Big thanks again to the NYC Hospitality Alliance on the successful night and the award! 

Valuable Tax Credits for Hospitality Workers

Get the word out to employees and customers who could benefit from the Earned Income and the Child Tax credits, which reduce the amount of income tax workers owe. Workers who don't make enough money to owe taxes can still qualify for the credit, but they must file tax returns to claim the credits.

Earned Income Credit
The EIC is a refundable, federal income tax credit for full- and part-time workers who fall below certain income thresholds. Employers must notify employees for whom income tax was not withheld at any time during the year and are encouraged to notify employees whose wages for 2015 were less than $53,267 that he or she may be eligible. The EIC can be worth as much $6,242. Singles who raised children and earned less than $47,747, or those who are married filing jointly, raised children and earned less than $53,267, in 2015 can claim the credit, as well as singles not raising children who earned less than $14,820 last year or, for those who are married filing jointly, $20,330.

Some workers with children choose to receive part of their EIC payments in advance as part of their regular paychecks and the rest after they file their annual tax returns. Individual taxpayers who earned less than $39,131, or those married filing jointly who earned less than $44,651, with at least one qualifying child are eligible.

Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit is worth up to $1,000 for each qualifying child under 17. The tax credits can help employees pay for childcare and cover other day-to-day needs. Families who earned at least $3,000 in taxable income in 2015 are eligible.

Employer assistance
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities offers free posters, fliers and paycheck inserts for employers. Color posters are available in English and Spanish, and fliers are available in 21 languages. Get more information at 202-408-1080. Download thematerials, and get tips to promote the tax credits.

The Internal Revenue Service also offers an employer toolkit with outreach tips, posters, payroll stuffers, and social media tools. 

Free tax help
The IRS offers free electronic filing and assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, a partnership with community-based organizations. Workers who earned less than $54,000 in 2015 are eligible, as well as people with limited English-language skills, people with disabilities and the elderly. Taxpayers can call 800-906-9887 to find a VITA site near them. The IRS helpline at 800-829-1040 is set up to answer taxpayer calls about credits or other tax issues. 

(via National Restaurant Association)

Converged Technology Group IDs Eight Ways Video Enhances HR Recruitment Efforts

 

ISLANDIA, N.Y., Oct.  29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- When a company hires a new employee, the expectation is that the organization's overall productivity will increase. Locating, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training and retaining qualified candidates, however, is both time consuming and costly. The goal of today's human resources (HR) professional is, therefore, to find and hire the best available talent and to integrate new employees in a way that moves them from newbies to significant contributors in the most cost-effective and timely way possible. According to Converged Technology Group (www.convergedtechgroup.com), an award-winning Managed Services Partner (MSP) serving clients throughout the Northeast, successful HR professionals have discovered they all have one secret in common, and it's one that propels them – and their organizations – to the front of the race for employee ROI: video collaboration.

"In partnership  with Cisco, we recently held an event focused on the use of video throughout the recruitment process that drew widespread attention from people in a variety of HR roles, including recruiters, learning and development professionals, as well as C-level executives," says Leo E. Galletta, President and CEO, Converged Technology Group. "The event showcased the strategies, capabilities and technologies required to engage the broad spectrum of a multi-generational workforce. During the event, we performed live demonstrations of video collaboration tools, something which all of the attendees said they found to be relevant and extremely valuable. Why did an event focused on the relationship between HR and IT resonate so well among traditionally non-technical line-of-business professionals? Because companies are having very different conversations today about business outcomes and the best ways to recruit, develop and retain top talent – and most have realized that technology is the key."

The ROI of Video Collaboration

Today's HR professionals conduct worldwide searches to fill key positions, and they need the technological tools that can help them do it. To expand their search and attract an increasingly technology-dependent millennial workforce, recruiters must embrace video and use it to its fullest extent to increase their company's return on human capital.  Experts agree that video is quickly becoming an HR pro's most valuable tool: Studies show that video yields 35 percent greater year-over-year improvements in time to hire and 32 percent greater reductions in costs per hire.¹ To help HR, IT and the C-suite see eye-to-eye, Converged Technology Group has identified eight important reasons to embrace video collaboration in the recruitment, development and retention process:

1. It's Personal: Interviewers can more effectively and efficiently pre-screen candidates face-to-face via video than they can over the phone.
2. Putting it all Together: Group interviews are becoming more commonplace, and video allows hiring managers to assemble remote resources to conduct an interview on short notice.
3. Part of the Team: When relocation isn't a possibility, video makes it easier to hire, train and retain remote workers where they are, yet still have them feel like a valued part of the team.
4. Warming Cold Feet: Staying connected with employees in transition by beginning the onboarding process before they arrive keeps new hires engaged from the day the offer goes out until their first day on the job.
5. Anywhere, Anytime Communication: Video allows for instant communication between colleagues, giving new hires a feeling of connectedness from the start that speeds the onboarding process.
6. Experience Matters: The days of using post-it notes and rotary phones to conduct business are gone; tech-savvy millennials expect to work in a connected, digital environment and are actually shopping for employers that offer them the kind of "connected workplace" experience they envision.
7. A Balancing Act: Because the line between work and personal time has blurred, employees want to be equipped with the tools they need to be as productive at home as they would be in the office, giving them the option of building a more flexible schedule and a better work-life balance.
8. Love of Learning: Video helps learning and development managers present training that is more compelling and engaging, something which ultimately translates to better organizational return and employee retention.

¹ Aberdeen Group: "Bridging Distance in the Talent Lifecycle"

More Information:

• Missed the event? Wondering if video is right for your organization? Schedule a consultation with Converged Technology Group to find out: http://ow.ly/TSFkl.
• Productivity-boosting communication and collaboration solutions can help HR recruit, develop and retain top talent more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before; learn how harnessing the power of video can change the way you do business in five important ways: http://bit.ly/1urB6pT.
• Explore what managed services like Assist360 can do to reduce collaboration support costs: http://ow.ly/urpZz.

About Converged Technology Group

Converged Technology Group is an award-winning Managed Services Partner (MSP) focused on improving IT performance and business outcomes while lowering the cost of technology support for businesses in healthcare, financial services, education, retail, legal and other cutting-edge industries. Located in Islandia, NY, and New York City, Converged Technology Group provides enterprise networking, collaboration, virtualized data center, cloud solutions and managed services to both regional and multinational corporations. The company provides business-critical uptime all the time, and helps clients design, implement and operate their IT infrastructure, communication and computing systems for the greatest return on their IT investments. For more information on Converged Technology Group, please contact us at 631-468-5728 or info@convergedtechgroup.com, and visit our website at www.convergedtechgroup.com.

(via PR Newswire)

The 5C's for the Perfect Candidate

Recruiting potential employees for your business never comes easy. There are several factors and considerations to think about when looking for the perfect candidates. Fortunately, to make it easier for you, here's a checklist of five characteristics to keep in mind the next time you are hiring:

1. Competent

This is still the first factor to consider. Does the potential employee have the necessary skills, experiences and education to successfully complete the tasks you need performed?

2. Compatible

Can this person get along with colleagues, and more importantly, can he or she get along with existing and potential clients and partners? A critical component to also remember is the person’s willingness and ability to be harmonious with you, his or her boss.

3. Commitment

Is the candidate serious about working for the long term? Or is he or she just passing through, always looking for something better? A history of past jobs and time spent at each provides clear insight on the matter.

4. Character

Does the person have values that align with yours? Are they honest; do they tell the truth and keep promises? Are they above reproach? Are they selfless and a team player?

5. Culture

Every business has a culture or a way that people behave and interact with each other. Culture is based on certain values, expectations, policies and procedures that influence the behavior of a leader and employees. Workers who don’t reflect a company’s culture tend to be disruptive and difficult.

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