You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Anymore.

Two different reactions to not being employed here.

Back in February, I interviewed a 30 year old Chef who was applying to be Sous Chef at my restaurant, and was interested in working towards further promotion. It quickly became apparent that his last restaurant had over promoted him. I asked him during his interview to tell me his food cost. He stated it was 14%. I asked him to think about it, and try again. He responded that it was 14%. Now, I'm pretty sure that even my busser knows that you can't run that food cost. Impossible. The industry average is 25-35%. I asked him how it was he managed to do that, exactly. And he responded that he always used everything up, never had any waste. YIKES! Um, hello? Shelf life? Bacteria? Food poisoning? Ever heard of it? So are you honestly bragging to me that you used two week old meat, fish, vegetables, and reheated soups until they were all gone? Apparently, that was what he was telling me.

(Quick mental note to myself: Do not eat at his former restaurant!)

I proceeded to tell him that I enjoyed speaking to him and I really liked certain things about him and his resume. I did not however think he was ready to be a Sous Chef at any restaurant that maintained standards, and that he may possibly have been over titled at his last job. The applicant stood up quickly, practically knocking his chair over, and yells "I've been offered a Chef job for $50,000/year!" I looked him in the eye and replied that if someone made him that offer, I would highly recommend he take it, as I don't pay my line cooks that much. He then stormed out and spent the next few days calling everybody he could get hold of to angrily tell them that I had recommended that he take a job for $50,000/yr.

At what part in that conversation, did me offering him $12 an hour to be a line cook, seem like the better deal? Am I missing something here?

Skip ahead two months later, I have a very polite, very young host, only his second job ever. He's had a hard life already. Family issues. Cops. You name it. Did a good job for me, with the exception of some tardiness issues. Received a warning that I work on the '3 strikes and you're out' system. My patience only goes so far. Today was his last strike. He walked in an hour and a half late for his shift, with an excuse about family strife. I pulled him aside and asked him to tell me what he thought I should do. His response? "I'm the one who filled out the application. I'm the one who asked for the job. You didn't call me for the job. If I can't be responsible, I can't have the job here." And then he apologized, clocked out, and left the building.

Huh! Ain't that something? Someone that actually got it!