Casting a net: working for change

Anna Sulan Masing gives thought to the lack of networking in the hospitality industry, suggesting that there is a need for a place to allow skills and knowledge to be exchanged between peers and mentors.

We are living in a ‘networked world’, a virtual hive of activity. But ‘networking’ is a dirty word. It fills people’s minds with images of bad suits, hotel function rooms, name badges and fake smiles. It’s a whiff of the car salesman and the entrepreneurial, motivational speaker’s attitude to sell yourself - a foreign idea to the self-deprecating Brit, a remote concept to the hospitality world.

The Oxford Dictionary defines a network as ‘a group of people who exchange information’. But is it more than that? Can a network be more personal, offer depth and even a sense of belonging? How do you develop them within an industry, such as hospitality, which involves long, unsociable hours? Can we be inspired by how other industries use networks?

We develop relationships and networks naturally, but do we need to formalise our efforts to build on our networks to grow an industry, and should we be encouraging each other to be actively ‘networking’?

The familiar relationship of a mentor is part of a successful network, and one-to-one mentorships have always be prevalent within the hospitality industry - with talented young chefs being referred to as ‘protégée’. This relationship is an important part of anyone’s professional life, finding someone who you can trust to push and to offer advice. Finding someone like this is hard and for a young person within any industry a significant part of the effort is having the confidence to seek out a mentor. I spoke to Rachel Rojas (Gaucho) about ways to develop networks for front of house, and why those networks haven't developed in comparison to the back of house, which are beginning to grow. She suggested that one reason, a real and valid concern due to staff shortage, is that some senior managers in the industry may not be encouraging staff to build networks as they fear it could lead to departures. Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, suggests we look at the employer and employees relationship as an alliance - good staff are likely to recommend other good people, people leaving on good terms may return in the future and to be up front that you will leave one day, but have much to offer and in learn in the mean time. So these are relationships that are based on mutual trust, investment and therefore benefit. In relation to that, Alice’s points illustrate the idea that people are motivated by wanting to be good at their jobs, and aren’t on the look out just for greener pastures.

Chefs of Tomorrow (Image credit: Ming Tang-Evans) Elizabeth Allen (Pidgin) spoke to me about how she understands that her team want to develop and learn, which will eventually lead to them leaving. She wants to be part of, and to help facilitate, them getting what they need. This creates a dynamic and collaborative working environment. Elizabeth actively encourages her team to be on social media. Social media not only offers her ways to connect with people in the industry, it is also a space to listen and see how others are navigating certain aspects of their career. It doesn’t necessitate engagement to learn and benefit from. Elizabeth emphasised how much her own mentors, who encouraged her to meet new challenges, have influenced her.

Mentor relationships work well when developed alongside broader networks, because a network can include peers. Natalie Kane, project manager for e-commerce start-ups, said her professional network is a place that gives her context of where she is in her career, a place where she and her peers can be reflective and supportive to each other. In August, Dan Doherty (Duck & Waffle) spoke on Twitter about a young chef being scarred by a previous workplace, with Neil Rankin (Smokehouse) suggesting that “half the battle is teaching head chefs proper management skills”. Being in leadership roles can be lonely places; and so, can a robust and meaningful network with your peers provide a space to develop such skills and exchange knowledge?

Within the restaurant industry it is easier to see how mentorship and networks can be developed with chefs, structures like stages ingrain an idea of moving, learning, connecting - and indeed a lot of good things are happening. Bloodshot at The Diary is a place for chefs to cook for each other, plus charity dinners like Too Many Chefs offer places for connections and relationships to develop. Competitions or projects like Chefs of Tomorrow provide spaces for younger chefs to meet, and the new Chef Database is a place where restaurants and chefs can engage with each other.

But how do networks work in front of house? Head waiter Alice Donghi (Duck & Waffle) spoke to me about how important mentors have been in giving her confidence and how making the effort to nurture relationships with past colleagues offers opportunity to “talk freely and seek advice”, as speaking to managers can feel pressured. She also emphasised that if there was a more formal network for front of house she would definitely utilise it: “being a waitress is tough and having someone on your side would be stimulating, and definitely worth it.” Alice also said that weekly meetings are vital in establishing the networks and relationships between current staff.

Other waiters echoed these sentiments and most wanted to have more opportunities and ways to connect across the industry. One of the outcomes of the CODE app is that it has sparked conversations; because you often have to inform the restaurant before arriving, the serving staff know you are in the industry. Therefore waiters, when dining at other restaurants, speak to other FOH and share stories, such as how they as individuals are coping with the current bank holiday/summer/Christmas season. Those conversations made these waiters feel like they were part of something; a bigger picture; an industry that is exciting to be part of. Making connections gives a sense of belonging – feeling like you belong is feeling valued.

I asked Lee Westcott (Typing Room) what made him love cooking and what made him stay in the kitchen in those early, tough years. He said that it “gave me a team”. A kitchen offers a very structured and specific team dynamic, and I think a good network is exactly that too - it’s an extended team and a support system.

It has been interesting to see how people view networks and understand them in a broad sense. It is clear that a number of people have really benefitted from having comprehensive networks and mentors that have then worked as robust support systems. It feels like networks and spaces to engage with each other are growing, and that we are getting more and more comfortable with the idea of networks. But within any industry it is important to encourage those early in their careers to keep developing so that the industry grows. It seems that those younger members of the hospitality industry are crying out to be pushed and want to be encouraged, and also be taught more about how to develop networks.

Maybe we need to stop sneering at the car salesman and take a leaf out of the flashy entrepreneurs handbook, and bravely put ourselves out there to gather like-minded people around us, ask for help, and encourage each other to build on what we’ve got.