Recruiting Services for the Food and Beverage Industry

Guide to Recruiting Services for the Food and Beverage Industry

Food service recruitment connects the right people with the right jobs
By Lorri Mealey

Are you looking for a new career? One of the biggest areas of industry growth is job placement. For years the energy sector, pulp and paper and medical fields have all used recruitment services to find qualified employees. Today, recruitment for the food and beverage industry is a growing job field for enterprising people.

In its simplest form, food service recruiting is all about connecting qualified job candidates with the right employer. Once a recruiter has found a candidate, they will help the candidate polish his or her resume and coach them for the job interview.

Food recruiters, also called food service headhunters, receive a commission for each successful candidate they place. The commission is agreed upon between the recruiter and the employer, before the placement is made. Payment is issued once the candidate has officially started working. Food service recruiters may work independently or as part of a larger recruiting firm. Food recruitment has several benefits, including:

1. Flexible hours

2. Telecommuting

3. High commission rates

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decide if you want tackle food beverage industry recruitment alone or as a team Food and beverage industry recruiters may work independently. These food service recruiters keep 100% of the profit and work as their own boss. However, working as part of a food and beverage recruiting team, food recruiters have access to more job leads and a better chance for a steady income.

I recommend:  Check out some of the leading food and beverage recruiters in the nation. Dixie Search Associates, Dick Wray Executive Search and Coughlin and Associates all offer recruiting services for the food and beverage industry.

Understand the drawbacks beverage industry recruiters face If you work as a food or beverage recruiter, you may be giving up a steady pay check, in the beginning, at least. It can take several months to make your first placement. Be sure that you are prepared, both financially and emotionally, for erratic pay checks as you get your business off the ground.

I recommend:  Read more about recruiting at the Lucas Group, a recruitment service in business since 1970. They offer advice on everything from negotiating salaries to how to deal with office politics.

Understand which candidates food or beverage industry recruiters are looking for National and global chains are the biggest clients for food service recruitment. They can afford to pay top dollar to find an executive chef or a general manager. Familiarize yourself with what these companies are looking for from their food service recruiters.

I recommend:  Check out the food service job openings at Monster.com or Jobster.com to see what employers are looking for.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Food or beverage recruiters should not overlook the hotel sector as a place to find both jobs and candidates. Many of the job duties in hotels overlap with those in the restaurant sector.