Commentary
Where to look for a family entertainment center GM
Talent experts David Curtis of Dave & Buster’s and Beth Standlee of TrainerTainment weigh in on where to find management candidates for a family entertainment center.
November 14, 2022 by Sara Paz
Talent can come from everywhere. However, finding a culturally good fit for your family entertainment center's general manager can be quite a challenge.
Company culture and values carry great weight in choosing leaders such as GMs for your team. Settling for just anybody can discourage good employees, run guests out the door and cripple the energy to go to work. This is one of the reasons why you have to take into consideration where you scout for this role.
Before you can start, you have to be prepared with some of the key aspects of the job hunt, such as the general manager's role, responsibilities and the required skills and characteristics.
To help you search for your FEC's next leader, we talked to recruitment and hospitality veterans David Curtis, senior director of talent at Dave & Buster's, and Beth Standlee, CEO and founder at TrainerTainment, which provides training and coaching to the amusement industry.
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David Curtis |
Following are places where you can pool prospects for your FEC's general manager.
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Beth Standlee |
1. Within your company
There are many benefits to hiring homegrown talent as your general manager. A succession plan under your operations plan can help you fast track an existing employee to the right career path.
"If your AGM, senior manager or AOM are doing something, they should grab someone to share the knowledge. It makes it so much easier especially in smaller organizations where we all rely on each other to execute operations," said Curtis. "Create leadership camps, set up one-on-one sessions and coaching to make sure their skills are honed."
Employees with general manager potential need constant one-on-one, training and mentorship with higher-ups. At this point, professional patience is necessary because homegrown talents take time.
"Bench mentality and growing people is very important when looking to hire within the organization," said Standlee.
"You want to have someone in the pipeline, in the succession plan, who you will develop, groom and hand over the keys to eventually," added Curtis.
When considering this avenue to hire, it is best to work directly with managers, asking them about the potential talent in their teams and managing expectations together in terms of succession timelines.
2. Within the industry
If you are looking to hire a general manager from the family entertainment industry, training and assimilation will be an easier feat for the team.
"I'm more enthusiastic with someone who already has a heart for hospitality, as what we do is like breathing — it's already natural for us," said Standlee.
Working at a family entertainment center entails longer hours and weekend work compared to working in retail or a restaurant. Hiring outside the entertainment and hospitality industries may result in repercussions.
"We hired from retail before — he was a great leader and had a heart for people. But then he could not get his arms around the 1 a.m. closing times and working seven days a week," said Standlee.
Employee turnover, especially for roles like general manager, can be expensive and debilitating for the company and the team.
"I have more failures than I do wins when it comes to recruiting from another industry. I hired culturally good fits but they don't understand the hospitality industry — and they were indeed turned over," said Curtis.
On the contrary, if someone wants to make a transition from another industry to yours, it is up to the company to take a calculated risk on the prospect.
3. Within your network
Great recruiters maximize their network when looking to fill management roles. Here are a few examples of how to utilize and expand your existing networks to source candidates.
- Use professional references as referrals. Your former applicants' references can still be of use, especially if they have backgrounds similar to the position you need to fill.
- Keep in touch with fellow recruiters. Follow new hire announcements from fellow recruiters and reach out for the possibility of doing a shared "runners-up list" for similar positions all of you might be hiring for.
- Increase your chances through your social media presence. Connecting with the right professional relationships on business and recruitment platforms like LinkedIn can help you boost your chances of finding your next general manager. You can also join niche online communities of family entertainment center operators to establish connections that can lead to referrals.
Photos: LinkedIn
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