by Bob Gershberg, CEO/Managing Partner Wray Executive Search
In the Executive Search world, we often say there is an art and science to executive recruitment. Matching skill sets and competencies is the science side and clearly the easier task. Finding the right cultural fit and matching chemistry is the art side and substantively more complex. Great hires can be game changers and are vital to the ultimate success of any organization. Conversely, bad hires can be costly and disastrous to any team.
A culture lens is essential in effective hiring and needs to be front and center during the interview processes. Focus on what motivates the candidate and determine how well that aligns with the success factors current superstars possess. Good chemistry elevates everybody’s game. Poor chemistry diminishes unity and creates the dreaded toxic work environment.
“Leadership is hard to define, and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.”
- Indra Nooyi (Former CEO, PepsiCo)
The Restaurant Puzzle Palace
by John A. Gordon, Principal and Founder, Pacific Management Consulting Group
Compared to years and decades ago, restaurant managers at all levels have so much more information. When I started in 1978, it was about French fry yields, meat variances, and labor hours versus chart. Those key performance indicators (KPIs) are still important but now there are real time guest ratings and guest flow indicators to manage.
I’m working a corporate transformation project for an international multibrand franchisee with several US brands. They are very sophisticated and invested greatly in management systems. One of the findings we realized is the data itself seen every month needed to be examined from a 30,000 foot view; one month of results was not a call to action but interesting, rather best seen as a part of the puzzle to be seen from above. The lesson: take your time but not too much time to see the trend.
by Steve Crichlow, Proncipal at Compass Restaurant Consulting & Research
Prior to the Covid-19 crisis that effectively shut down the economy, there existed a workforce problem of finding and retaining qualified employees. This had been a top concern for restaurant operators for some time – going back to the summer of 2015. In fact, most industries were facing a short supply of qualified applicants and had begun to pursue alternative solutions. For the restaurant industry this meant upgrading Technology with new BOH systems, POS with IA capabilities, digital menus, technology that analyzed and helped improve labor efficiencies, reducing labor needs, redesigned kitchens – smart equipment, new App that features order/pay and loyalty program, redesign entire restaurant, etc.
Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
- Sheryl Sandberg (COO, Facebook)
Viewpoint Too
Post-Merger Success: Increasing the Odds
by Bob Gershberg, CEO/Managing Partner Wray Executive Search
With Merger & Acquisition activity in the industry continuing at a heated pace, it is time to revisit the importance of cultural integration. M&A due diligence should go way further than a perfunctory view of the balance sheets, company records and competitive set. In fact, a whole host of business, legal and human capital considerations ought to be enmeshed. Conflicting company cultures is one of the biggest reasons for failed mergers. According to a report by the Hay Group, an astounding 91 percent of mergers fail because of culture shock.
Once asked if the ill-fated AOL Time Warner merger was a success, Steve Case, the architect of the deal joked, “Of course it was. We could never have lost that much money on our own.” “Culture clash” is the oft mentioned culprit. In this era of mergers, private equity acquisitions or change in ownership, so much time is spent on financial due diligence, pre-closing, but so dreadfully little on post-acquisition strategy. So much time spent on studying the existing state with so little focus on innovative assessment of how to improve and change the existing state. So much time spent on financial capital but so little on the human capital side.
Featuring Benjamin Nasberg, President & CEO, Carbone Restaurant Group
By Rebecca Patt, SVP Development, Wray Executive Search
Benjamin Nasberg is the President & CEO of Carbone Restaurant Group, a multi-faceted food service start-up based in Winnipeg, Canada. CRG is the franchisor of QSR pizza concept Fast Fired, which has three locations open in Canada and several more coming soon. CRG is currently developing self-serve pizza and ice cream robotic vending units. Yep, that’s right: pizza and ice cream robots! They are also the developer of a ghost kitchen program in partnership with Reef Technologies. The company has a focus on sustainability and providing plant-based options.
Tell us about the pizza and ice cream robotics. What are they, when will they be ready, and where will we find them?
The robotics sector for food service is heating up and chilling out! CRG is rolling out a line of FAST FIRED Pizza Pods and FAST FROZEN Ice cream Pods as early as Q4 2021. The machines are fully contactless and allow for a fun and exciting way for customers to order custom pies and treats. The Pizza Pods developed by California based Piestro, hold 90 hand stretched doughs, freshly made sauce, cheese and a variety of freshly stocked toppings. Upon a customer ordering, the robot sauces, cheeses, and tops the pizza right in front of the customers eyes via a window seeing the process "unfold". The pizza then cooks in a ventless electric oven in under 3 minutes. The bots are 24/7, 100% ventless, and equipped with facial recognition software for payment processing. These bots are ready to roll out in colleges, hospitals, convenience stores, airports, the list goes on!
