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From Desk Clerk to General Manager – Tips for Advancing your Career
Perhaps you took a position as a hotel front desk clerk or room attendant, or a restaurant server or bartender simply to pay the bills, but after being behind the scenes you’d like to advance your position and make a career for yourself. Congratulations! You’ve chosen fields in which there will always be a need for dedicated experienced personnel. But now the most important question is how do you stay on track and keep moving up?
You’ve made a major life decision; now don’t blow it by losing focus. Realize early on that simply showing up on time and putting in the work probably isn’t going to get you moving up that ladder as fast you want or deserve. Being competent is important but it alone isn’t going to get you where you want to go. Make sure your immediate supervisor knows when you go above and beyond. And don’t hesitate to inform your current boss as well as upper management that you have higher career goals.
Network, network and then network some more. Just because you currently aren’t where you want to be doesn’t mean you should sit on the sidelines. Surrounding yourself with people in the same industry provides the opportunity for a mentor or even someone with the connections to actively help you achieve your objective sooner.
Keep learning. The more you know, the more opportunities there are and quite often those opportunities translate into a better paying managerial position. Transferable skills are highly sought after especially in the service industry where workers are often transient. The more positions you are capable of filling often gets you front and center with those who have the authority to help you climb that corporate ladder.
Whether searching for a temporary gig to pay off some unexpected bills, a permanent part-time side hustle or just a foot in the door where you can show off your skills and talents, Staffing One Services to here to help. Please contact one of our experienced staffing representatives today for more information.
Is Tip Pooling Legal?
Though strictly regulated by both federal and state law, tip pooling is one aspect of the food and beverage industry which frequently comes under scrutiny by both governmental agencies and employment attorneys. Previously the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division ruled that under the Fair Labor Standards Act, tip pools can legally only include those employees who “customarily and regularly receive tips.” In March, 2018, a December, 2017 proposal was signed into law mandating tipped employees who are paid the full minimum federal wage of $7.25 an hour (or the state minimum, whichever is higher,) instead of the traditional $2.13 per hour with the difference made up through hourly tips, may now be required to share those tips with non-tipped employees. This was done in order to lessen the wage difference between traditional “front of the house” employees such as servers and bartenders and “back of the house” employees including dishwashers and cooks, who, while just as important to the dining experience, may earn less.
Food and beverage business owners, managers and anyone considered to be in a supervisory position are not allowed to take part in tip pooling. While they can in fact require tipped personnel to participate in tip pooling, they themselves cannot benefit.
In today’s climate of rising food costs, additional new expenses including third-party food delivery services and a nationwide campaign to dramatically increase the federal minimum wage, some employers instead of using tip pooling to equalize pay are using it as a way to pay lower wages to their non-tipped back of the house employees. This practice, while legal as long as the hourly paid rate before tip pooling is either the federal or state minimum (whichever is higher) is seen by many as unethical and duplicit. These employers are taking the original reason behind the updated law and twisting it for their own financial gain.
Providing the greater St. Louis area with quality temporary employees for the hospitality and service industry for now over 20 years, Staffing One Services wishes each and every one of our past, present and future clients a very happy, safe and prosperous New Year!
How Food Delivery is Reshaping the F&B Industry
No longer do you have to get dressed, drive across town to your favorite cafe, find a parking spot, put your name on a waiting list and then hang out until you’re called. From restaurants specializing in fine dining to Mom & Pop establishments, nationwide fast food chains to casual cafes, the majority are now offering home or business delivery either by hiring their own drivers or using a third-party service such as Uber Eats, Grubhub or DoorDash.
The interest in food delivery is generating a new dynamic in the restaurant business. Many employment opportunities have been created to handle the order taking and packaging of these meals to leave the restaurant. Orders are generally placed one of two ways: either over the phone or online. The order is then processed as if the customer was in the restaurant, the only exception being all food items have to be boxed for take-out and then handed off to the delivery driver.
While it’s easy to assume restaurants offering delivery service are seeing a bottom line increase, unfortunately the majority say this isn’t true. Along with having to hire more staff, the cost of the actual delivery itself is causing the overall profit margin to shrink. Frequently the meal ordered for delivery is less expensive, with high profit items including beverages, generally not included. And while the demand for food delivery is increasing in volume, it is not yet high enough to offset additional labor costs.
Unless streamlined processes can quickly be implemented to reduce costs, one of two things will begin to occur. Many of your favorite restaurants and cafes will no longer offer food delivery, or worse case scenario, they will be forced to close their doors. So while the convenience is unarguably a plus, perhaps stop and think next time before ordering dinner online or by phone.
Searching for a long-term, part-time or temporary job in the St. Louis area? Call Staffing One Services today at 314.361.2444 for assistance.
Contact Us
- 5615 Pershing Avenue, Suite 24, St. Louis, MO 63112-1757
- Phone: (314) 361.2444
- Fax: (314) 361.1611
- Open M-F, 7:30am to 4:00pm
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