This morning I was facilitating an introduction to recruitment and selection for restaurant managers, and there was one particular “a-ha” moment for the group that I thought I’d share.

It was about the “red flags” or preconceived notions that managers traditionally based hiring decisions on during the selection process.  Here are some of the things that these managers had been screening out when candidates applied for jobs, and the challenges I posed to them.

No Pen.  Why would an applicant come to apply for a job and not bring a pen with them?  Many managers thought that if they need to hire someone who is organized and prepared, this is a big red flag, and that they would automatically take these candidates out of the running for the job.  My challenge: In an age of blackberries and iPhones, what Gen Yer is carrying a pen with them?  They use computers at school and text to communicate across distance.  They likely aren’t thinking about our antiquated process of having someone fill out an application.

Sneakers and other dress code no-no’s.  This one is a tough one to get past for many.  For those of us in Gen X or the Boomer generation, it seems like simple common sense for people to dress up when they are applying for jobs.  Why would I give someone a second glance who walked in to hand in a resume in sneakers or jeans?  A few things to consider:  First of all, especially in an industry like the restaurant industry, people are often applying for their first job, and nobody has taught them how to dress.  One manager said to me “My mother wouldn’t have let me out of the house to apply for a job in running shoes”.  My response: If you judge them on their clothing, you may be finding more out about the applicant’s parent than about how they themselves will actually fit into your culture or serve your customers.  Some other things to consider before you cross these sneaker-clad folks off your list: Perhaps they thought they were only going to drop off a resume and didn’t expect to see a manager.  Perhaps they have been watching leading companies like Google and Zappos and have seen the dress code there (not business casual), so thought jeans were the norm.  At the end of the day, it’s likely you have a uniform or a dress code in your business, so you can easily set the expectation for dress code with the right person.

Applying for a job during a peak revenue period.  Talk about a no-no!  Granted, if you’re managing a restaurant, you are likely busy during the lunch and dinner periods.  My watch out here, though, is twofold.  First, in my mind, it is most important to find someone with the personaliy that fits your culture and values, who will genuinely care about serving your customers, rather than someone who has a wealth of experience in your industry.  So this may be a candidate who doesn’t know that Friday night between 5-8 is a bad time to apply.  In fact, on the contrary, they may think that this is the best time to apply, since it’s likely a manager will be in the restaurant.

At the end of the day, my advice to these managers was to focus on the personality traits of the person and whether they are a fit with what you’re looking for.  You can train them on your expectations and the job responsibilities.  Always remember that a job applicatn is also a potential customer, and that the way you treat them is what their impression of your business will be.  Whenever possible (always) take 2 minutes to at least meet them, introduce yourself, and ask a few general screening questions to see whether you should take further time later to interview them.  Be careful how you judge some of the traditional red flags.  You never know when your next superstar is going to walk into your restaurant, and the worst thing you can do is turn them away because of a missing pen, poor clothing choice, or bad timing.  Your competitor may be the winner in this situation, as the superstar walks across the street and gets hired.

What do you think?  What “red flags” do you screen candidates out of the running for? 

Pic from Flicr user rvw