Onsite operators often fret about finding good employees. Here's one non-traditional channel that may be worth exploring.
Every year, thousands of people struggle to integrate or reintegrate themselves into mainstream society after finding themselves on the margins. Sometimes the issue is alcohol or chemical dependency, sometimes mental health issues and sometimes run-ins with the law.
Employers have every right, indeed an obligation — to their employees, their shareholders and their customers — to be careful about who they hire. That being said, no one benefits when opportunity is denied to those who sincerely want to turn their lives around.
Onsite foodservice operators and their host institutions can make a difference especially because foodservice is an entry-level industry for someone with no previous work experience, a place to kick-start a productive future life by gaining some experience and demonstrating responsibility and initiative.
While Pioneer is fairly unique and currently operates only in the Northwest, every community has social service agencies and private entities that work with the marginalized. Establishing a good working relationship with such organizations can not only provide a broader societal benefit but provide an onsite foodservice operator with a source of labor.