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The Importance of Culture & Mentorship
Workstream Blog

The Importance of Culture & Mentorship

By Workstream

August 26, 2019 | 2 min read

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19 years ago, Jose Santos moved from Brazil to the U.S. and found his passion very unexpectedly. He began looking for a job, any job would do, as he was an immigrant to this country. Like many in the industry, he went to a restaurant - a small Cuban restaurant, to be specific; and applied for his first job. Jose was hired as a prep and fryer cook.

He was not familiar with cooking, nor could he speak English or Spanish, both of which proved to be a challenge. How exactly did he end up who he is today? We conducted an interview to find out more.

Q: How would you describe your leadership style?

Jose: I consider myself a visionary leader. I'm always coaching and communicating my vision and goals for the future to my cooks. I think it's very important to make sure everyone is involved. I want to inspire my team members.

Q: How you would describe your company culture?

Jose: The business is family-oriented, from the concept down to the staff and operations. The team superpower is definitely the long term employees that enhance the quality of work and mindset needed for success.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you have met in your career?

Jose: One of the biggest challenges I have faced is building a team in the kitchen, and it has happened more than once. When you have the responsibility of leading the kitchen, building a solid back of the house team is essential for success. I have definitely had challenges with seasoned employees that did not respond well to change of any kind. However, I found that taking the time to show them the goals and the "big picture", made it easier for them to make the adjustments they needed, in order to contribute to the success of the business

Q: What are some challenges or trends you see in hiring today?

Jose: I believe one of the challenges today has to do with recruiting. The whole process of contacting quality candidates and setting up an interview sometimes takes too long, and we end up loosing them. I guess I am more "old-school", in that sense. I still believe in going to the job location, introducing yourself and trying to meet with the chef or manager, despite the fact that it is becoming more difficult to do nowadays.


Workstream's Recruiting Tip:

Job board integrations and text-to-apply posters help in contacting quality candidates, saving you time in copying and pasting job descriptions across multiple job boards.

Furthermore, automated scheduling and integrated calendars allow candidates to schedule their own interviews, doing away with the hassle of setting up interviews. Reminders will also be sent prior to the interview, ensuring that candidates turn up for the meeting, or reschedule it to another time of their convenience, effectively reducing the instances of ghosting.

In light of COVID-19, face-to-face interviews are also harder to come by, and many organizations are gearing towards virtual interviews. Video resumes make it easier to determine a candidate's interest in the position, while smart screening will also allow recruiters to use multiple choice questions and automate scoring. This automates the entire hiring journey, which makes recruiting a more seamless and efficient process.

Q: Have you ever had an hourly job? If yes, please share with us your experience?

Jose: Of course! I had many hourly jobs in the beginning of my career. When I started working in the restaurant business, I was a prep cook, then a busboy, and food runner.

Q: Who inspires you and why?

Jose: Chef Rafael, my "Cuban father" from Hard Grove Cafe in Jersey City, NJ. He took a chance with me and gave me the opportunity to work in his kitchen as my first job in the United States. He was patient, talented, and taught me what a great leader should be. It is because of him that I found my passion for cooking and became who I am today.

Want to stay on top of hiring trends? Schedule a chat with us to find out more!
By Workstream
Workstream is the leading HR, Payroll, and Hiring platform for the hourly workforce. Its smart technology streamlines HR tasks so franchise and business owners can move fast, reduce labor costs, and simplify operations—all in one place. 46 of the top 50 quick-service restaurant brands—including Burger King, Jimmy John’s, Taco Bell—rely on Workstream to hire, retain, and pay their teams. Learn how you can better manage your hourly workforce with Workstream.

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Californians also have the right to direct businesses to limit the use and disclosure of their sensitive personal information.

Businesses covered under the CCPA must provide a link on their website that allows you to request the limiting of your SPI, if they plan on using it in certain ways. That link will also typically be at the bottom of a webpage and will say: “limit the use of my sensitive personal information” or “your privacy choices.” Once you send this request, the business must stop using your SPI for anything other than to:

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In summary, the CCPA gives you the right to opt-out of the sale and sharing of your personal information and gives you additional rights to further limit the use and disclosure of your sensitive personal information.

When you exercise these rights together, you exert greater control in protecting your personal data which is important for your identity, safety, and financial health.

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Next in the LOCKED series, we will explore the right to correct and right to know. Follow us on social media to get live updates or check back in one week for the next post.

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