New White Paper Shows Job Competencies — Not a Person's Generation — Are What Matter in Restaurant Hiring

DALLAS, June 2, 2015 — Surprise, it’s not managing generational differences that drives strong talent performance in the restaurant industry. Rather, it’s ensuring employees have the key competencies they need to perform well in their roles.

So finds a new white paper from Assess Systems, “Generational Differences: The Newest Way to Justify a Bad Hire.” Through rigorous analysis of the work-related traits of more than 500,000 respondents, the company’s scientists and industrial and organizational psychologists discovered that whether people are good or bad in a particular restaurant position has far less to do with the generations they are members of than it has to do with whether they have — or don’t have — a core set of competencies and personality traits.

“While generational differences exist, their perceived impact has become overblown. Our research illustrates that personality and behavioral factors are much more significant, and determine if a person is the right fit for your restaurant,” said Steve Sasser, President and CEO of Assess Systems, which offers 12 specific assessments for the restaurant industry. “It’s a must to use competency modeling, which ensures the people you’re hiring have the skills, knowledge, and characteristics necessary to perform well in their roles and as part of your team.”

In addition to the broader finding about the importance of competencies, the white paper details the specific competencies Assess Systems has found to be important for multi-unit managers, general managers, assistant managers and kitchen managers.

Assess Systems is releasing the paper at the TDn2K Summer Brand Camp conference, being held today through June 4 in Dallas. HR marketing and operations executives from the restaurant industry are gathering to discuss the present and future of social business and their workplaces. Assess Systems is adding its new white paper to the discussion by showing that while hiring different generations isn’t a problem for restaurants, having people without necessary competencies to succeed in their roles is.

TDn2K, the presenter of Summer Brand Camp, is a consortium of hundreds of restaurant and hospitality industry brands. Assess Systems is a sponsor of Summer Brand Camp and also sponsored TDn2K’s Global Best Practices conference in January.

About Assess Systems
Assess Systems is a global, innovative SaaS technology and services company providing talent selection and people development solutions. Focusing on person-job-organization fit, their assessment solutions help clients select, develop, and promote talent for improved business outcomes. For 30 years, Assess Systems has assessed millions annually across industries, spanning 42 countries and supporting 16 languages. Solutions include: selection process design; competency modeling; pre-employment assessments; competency-based professional, management, and sales assessments; eLearning; leadership & team development programs; 360-degree assessment and feedback; succession planning; and executive assessment and coaching. For additional information, please call 972-233-6055 or visit http://www.assess-systems.com.

Media Contact:
Jason Ferrara
VP, Marketing and Product Management
Assess Systems
+1.972.764.0077
jferrara(at)assess-systems.com