Not that long ago in the land of pizzerias, owners and managers knew what a day off looked like. Employees were plentiful and hiring was an afterthought. Every now and then, you’d find the stack of applications behind the counter and knew you should call a few of them — but didn’t want to overwhelm your schedule. 

Nick Bogacz, founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh

One pandemic and many variants later, plus government mandates and handouts, here we are enduring the greatest labor shortage of our generation. Many of us cannot remember the last day off we’ve had or feel guilty about not being in the pizzeria when we finally do get a day off. Our managers are burned out, and rank-and-file employees are also worn thin. 

So, what’s the solution? For many operators, shortening hours or closing a couple days a week has been the answer. But that’s not viable long-term. That’s playing defense, and there’s only one way out of this mess: going on the offensive.

Previously in this column, we’ve talked about wage increases, adding benefits, employee incentives and all the other ways to keep your team intact. But, conversely, long gone are the days of finding that stack of applications for new hires. So, instead of being passive, embrace that hiring activities are a daily task. You cannot just jump on the pizza line and only think about hiring when someone calls off — you have to be active every day. 

Sure, you can put up a sign advertising a potential hourly rate plus a signing bonus. Right now, that’s too common and too lazy. Full disclosure: I’ve tried it and it hasn’t worked — and I’ve tried everything. 

Thankfully, many of us are independent operators who excel at sales. Think of hiring the same way. Bait the hooks — all of them. That’s why, at my store, we flood the market with ads and strategies to encourage hiring prospects. 

Where you’ll find our ads:

• On every single pizza box
• Indeed (spending $1,000 to $2,000 per store, per month)
• Craigslist (three ads for each position weekly)
• Facebook/Instagram (weekly, with good pictures)
• All stores have a hiring banner (just not as cheesy as the one already mentioned)

Additionally, your current employees can be a great resource. Ask around if they know anyone that is looking for a job. We also have a referral bonus program and include letters about it in every paycheck.

Once someone applies through any of those methods, contact them within four hours (I’ve found the best time to reach someone is between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the work week) and try to set up an interview within 48 hours. If you’re not willing to commit to those two action items, you might be doomed to be understaffed for a long time. Again, it’s about remaining on the offensive to fill empty positions as quickly as possible. 

Once you have an applicant in for the interview, if all goes well, you might find you have guilt-free time off again. But that leads us to our next topic: how to conduct an interview. We’ll touch on that next month.

Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh.  Instagram: @caliente_pizza