Presented at the 2008 NRA Show, MFHA shares insight on how to recruit multicultural talent and optimize performance.

1. Recruiting in a Multicultural
Environment
The National Restaurant
Association Show
May 17, 2008

2. Agenda
• MFHA approach
• CSP Business Case
• Factors in engagement of minority
communities
• Finding & Developing Talent
• Getting Started
• What to avoid - How to succeed

3. Courage is the most
important virtue.
- Maya Angelou, American Poet, Writer &
Historian

4. MFHA Approach
“Diversity of thought,
perspectives & experiences is
the goal. Diverse points of view
produce the best solutions.”

5. MFHA Diversity Model
Workforce
Customers
Community
Suppliers
Positive outcomes for each seat!

6. CSP Business Case
• Diversity is a business growth opportunity.
– Demographic changes: major employer of
minorities.
– Market opportunity: urban markets offer
growth.
– Innovation: diverse talent drives creativity &
new solutions.
– Globalization: having a global mindset for
managing difference is how you win.

7. Rationale
• Workforce Development- engaged employees
are productive and long lasting.
• Competitive Advantage- being culturally
intelligent builds a competitive barrier vs. the
competition.
• Combat Discrimination- race, sex, ethnicity,
religion, disability, age, sexual orientation.
• Legislation- settlements are costly.

8. Framing the Issue
• The #1 challenge for service industry
employers is sourcing talent.
– We rely heavily on high school graduates
– Young workers are harder to manage
– Fewer students work during school year
– More minorities in the workforce
– Immigrant labor is critical

9. Framing the Issue
• Customers want more service and they
want it now!
– Service is training is need more than ever.
– Due to popular culture, service jobs are not
seen as being “cool”.
– Common courtesy standards have slipped
across all segments of business.

10. Engaging Minority Communities
• Difficult/Challenging—Why?
– History with employment & service
– Hard work
– Image
– Hours
– Exploring the unknown, misunderstandings
– Different needs, different tools

11. Engaging Minority Communities
•
Difficult—BUT—It Can Be Done!
– Effective outreach
– Development of innovative strategies &
tactics
– Honesty regarding knowledge of the
community and its issues
– Acknowledgement of risks and willingness to
make mistakes
– Seeking help/support, i.e. MFHA

12. Solution Strategy
• Make your business relevant to the
minority community.
– Educate them that profit is not a dirty word.
– Support issues that impact them.
– Show them the way.
– Use values based training built on respect,
patience and authenticity.

13. Finding Talent
• NEW BUSINESS MODELS NEEDED:
– The traditional workplace model, where all
workers follow the same non-spoken rules
and most workers come from similar
backgrounds is no longer working in today’s
business environment.
– What are the new workplace models that
bring about productive and competitive work
teams?

14. Developing Talent
• MORE TRAINING IS NECESSARY:
– Unfortunately for many US businesses,
training is still seen as an expense instead of
an investment.
– The reality of a more diverse population is
that employers must make the decision to
train employees better to avoid higher
turnover costs and reduced sales.
– The question is how do we get senior
management to see the value of training?

15. How Do You Get Started?
• Only 3 of the 4 seats at the table will be used
initially—
– Workforce
• Escalator to the Middle Class
• Still an industry where you can go from the dishroom to the
Boardroom w/o a college degree
– Customer
• Understand who the emerging customer is and their needs
and wants
– Community
• Tell the story of who we are and what we do
• Profit is not a “4-Letter Word”

16. Outcomes That Grow The Industry
Workforce
•
•
•
•
Increased Productivity
Recruiting / Retention Success
Improved Communication
People Development
Customers
•
•
•
•
Better Experience
Better Customer Service
Improved Image
Increased Business
Community
•
•
•
•
Improved Image
Value Added Relationships
Strategic Partnerships
Cultural Understanding
Suppliers
•
•
•
•
Increased MBE Volume
Wider Participation
Reduced Costs
Product Innovation
Positive outcomes for each seat!

17. The Process
• Define success.
• Educate yourself on the issues (“g”lobal
and Local).
• “Really” define the issues-not just the
symptoms, go to the core.
• Prioritize the options.
• Set boundaries/Rules of engagement—
geographic, values, standards of
operation, outcomes, mindset

18. The Process, cont’d
• Identify allies, partners—MFHA, local
organizations, local influencers.
• Commit to an action plan.
• Set timelines.
• Execute.
• Reassess-Evaluate-Continuous
Improvement.

19. Potential Landmines
•
“Aha’s” To Be Aware Of-– Talking about race, ethnicity is not
something we are taught to do
– There is bound to be some level of
discomfort
– We usually only talk among ourselves, when
we do talk race, ethnicity
– We often talk in stereotypes and with
“unbalanced views of each other”

20. Factors for Success
• Do This—
– Withhold judgment
– Focus on the facts
– Avoid emotion as much as possible
– Stay in the present, avoid a re-hash of the
past
– Avoid dealing, playing or reacting to race,
gender, difference cards
– Understand, accept and acknowledge the
industry’s role in discrimination

21. Summary
• Diversity is a business growth opportunity.
• The business case is crystal clear.
• Engage diverse & minority communities to
make your business relevant to them.
• Sourcing & developing talent requires
investment for the long term.
• Expect bumps in the road.
• This MUST DO WORK!

22. "You can't build a
reputation on what you
are going to do."
--Henry Ford, American Auto Manufacturer
(1863-1947)

23. THANK YOU!
Gerry Fernandez, President & Founder
MFHA- The Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance ®
1144 Narragansett Boulevard
Providence, RI 02905
401.461.6343 / 9004- fax
Gerry.fernandez@mfha.net