Relying on word of mouth
"I know a man who can." Next to "I know a good place to eat", this has to be the most effective and economical form of advertising.
That's how we found a builder for our barn conversion. He reckons the whole job will take three months and should be ready by the first week in July.
We did not invite tenders. Our chosen builder has been working through the winter renovating the beautiful Victorian farmhouse adjacent to the restaurant, formerly our guesthouse and then staff house. It has taken nearly five months and has been virtually rebuilt.
He was put in touch with us through a regular customer who owns an interior design business, and has proved to be both efficient and knowledgeable.
So we had no hesitation in showing him our plans for the expansion of the business and asking him to quote. His price for this seemed equally realistic and so we asked him to go ahead with the work.
Licensing procedure
We did suffer a blip, though, when we realised we hadn't informed the local licensing bench of our plans to increase the area of the restaurant. We couldn't remember if it was necessary to obtain an official go-ahead from the bench at all, and if it was, whether this was a formality that could be obtained while building works were proceeding or if it needed to be obtained beforehand.
I'm grateful to the recently established British Hospitality Association legal advice helpline, which advised me that our extension plans had to be formally approved before any work could start and that we should not on any account begin building and then apply.
We could make applications ourselves, sending off eight sets of plans to the relevant bodies, or we could go through a solicitor. Then the clerk's office told me the next hearing was at Lyndhurst courts on 1 April and that an application had to be in at least 21 days before the hearing date. Bearing in mind we were learning all this in the first week of March, this didn't give us a lot of time!
Several years ago when we went for a full on-licence we engaged a solicitor from out of the area who specialised in licensing law. He conducted our case then extremely well (and successfully).
We have asked him to act for us again. This means more expense in solicitor's fees and yet another cheque to be paid to yet another local administration body for processing a load of paperwork.
Replacement time
Our Yugoslav head waiter, Beko, and his Irish wife, Breege, who works part-time in the kitchen and restaurant, have given notice that they will be leaving us later in April to go to Ireland. They have been with us for nine years.
It is only when one sits down to think about advertising to replace such staff that you realise how, for a profession that depends on personality perhaps more than ability, no words in an advert can convey to potential applicants exactly what sort of people you are after.
Recent newcomers have either been referred to us by existing staff - friends, for instance, looking for work (the "I know a man who can" situation again) - or they have come of their own accord. I have learnt not to ignore someone who comes seeking work of their own volition: sometimes it is necessary to create jobs for such people rather than risk losing them.
Breege came knocking on the door for part-time work because it was getting cold working outdoors at a local plant nursery. She had a hankering to be a chef.
She helped part-time in the wash-up, and also did vegetable prep and salads when it was busy - the usual progression. Then she went on holiday to Greece, fruit-picking. She returned about three months later with a bronzed Macedonian husband in tow. They were both desperate for work.
Beko began in the wash-up, speaking no English. Breege came back into the kitchen, attended Bournemouth College on day-release, and gained basic cookery qualifications.
After a while, when Beko expressed an interest in working in the restaurant itself - in English, too - we agreed to let him widen his experience.
In the years that followed he learnt about the day-to-day running of a busy restaurant dependant on a large following of regular customers.
All this was in my mind as I debated between "previous experience desirable though not essential" and "should have had some previous supervisory experience".
What might I say in the advert to attract people who, although not possessing what we consider the necessary experience for the job being advertised, turn out to be terrific assets to the business?
Agreeable impressions
Also, one attempts to be a bit politically correct by not mentioning physical appearance too much. After all, if you're looking for a waiter, you rather hope your definition of "smart appearance" is going to tie in to some extent with theirs.
But whatever you include in an advert and wherever it is placed you still have to ready yourself for the unbelievable waste of time a lot of applicants are going to put you to.
On the phone they sound suitable, and interviews are arranged. It is only at the interview stage that tattoos are noticed on fingers ("I could wear gloves") or hair is beyond ponytail length ("I usually tie it back when I'm performing." "Performing?" "Yes, my band - at weekends - did I not mention it on the phone? Can't work Fridays or Saturdays I'm afraid").
If these are the only applicants, what's to choose between the tattoos and the hair?
Being a mile out of town, with no public transport passing our door and having decided against offering live-in accommodation, we don't get too many passers-by responding to a "Staff required - apply within" sign.
But there is one other channel of recruitment I've thought of - word of mouth. It may just be worthwhile asking our builder if he knows of anyone looking for restaurant work.
Next diary from Graham Webb is on 2 May
