Looking for Restaurant Help in Alexandria? Join the Club

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- There is an abundance of work available in Alexandria's restaurants, not only in the new businesses opening soon (Five Guys, Myron Mixon's BBQ, Portner Brewhouse and more), but in others as well. We counted at least 29 Alexandria restaurants seeking employees. Alexandria, where the unemployment rate is 3 percent, is competing with surrounding restaurants in Shirlington Village, Kingstowne and National Harbor (where there are still about 60 restaurant-related job openings at MGM alone) for employees.

Looking for some tips for hiring?

Be quick: Text or call a potential employee back; some people don't check their email or it might get lost in a sea of emails, according to Tara Blaker, a business blogger for Yelp.

Get creative: She suggests also getting creative with compensation with tip-pooling, quarterly bonuses or getting rid of tipping altogether.

Hang a sign in your window advertising for help -- it might catch the eye of someone who lives nearby (short commute!).

Get local: List your job on Patch

Ask current employees: The National Restaurant Association advises asking current employees for referrals. Consider a bonus/cash reward paid six months down the road to employees' for referrals who stay that length of time, suggests Barry Maher of Barry Maher & Associates. Josh Lindenmuth also suggests asking current employees to get the word out on their own social media accounts.

Find out what current employees like best about working at your restaurant: The association also says to ask others from your team to help define your culture. Survey – and learn from – your top 20 percent of performers. Inquire about what they like best about working here and what personal attributes are most important for employees to be successful at your operation. Then, request that they describe the company culture.

Check with non-profits looking for jobs for their members: Immigration, domestic violence, veterans, and various other non-profit organizations are constantly looking for employers who are looking to help their clientele get back on their feet with a job, says Fit Small Business. Better yet, the non-profit usually has already done a background check and some job training in order for the person to be in their database.

A quick glance at want ads shows openings currently available at the following restaurants in Alexandria:

• Blackwall Hitch
• Brabo
• Five Guys
• La Madeleine
• Starbucks
• Portner Brewhouse
• FireFlies
• Hilton Old Town Alexandria
• Quattro Formaggi
• South China
• Chipotle
• Trademark Drink and Eat
• Panera
• Carluccio's
• Stomping Ground
• The Sushi Bar
• Cheesetique
• Laporta's
• RT's
• City Kitchen
• Royal Restaurant
• Shooter McGee's
• Magnolia's on King
• Geranio Restaurant
• T.J. Stone's
• Los Cuates
• Myron Mixon's BBQ
• Nick's Nightclub
• Finn & Porter

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