RALEIGH, N.C. -
The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association announced Wednesday a new campaign designed to recruit high-caliber people to hospitality jobs in North Carolina.
"Although our industry has taken a hit like most industries over the last year - we think we've seen the bottom and we're preparing for steady growth over the next several years," said Paul Stone, who is President and CEO of the association. "Some people still think of our industry as a temporary position."
The campaign consists of a dozen billboards across North Carolina. The association hopes they will drive web traffic to a new website, forkit.biz, designed to recruit people, and potentially keep them in North Carolina's hospitality industry.
"I think the hardest employees to find are those who have experience in the industry and haven't moved from job to job," said James Park, who is Director of Operations for Eschelon Hospitality, which owns the Oxford, Sono Japanese Restaurant and Mura at North Hills. "We find a lot of employees who have had, quite frankly, too many jobs...even in the industry and so it's hard for us to get a stable recruit."
Park started as a server himself at another local restaurant and has now made his way up to his Manager of Operations position.
"The restaurant industry has a stigma that people will work here until they find a real job," he said.
According to the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, the industry contributes $17.5 billion to the N.C. economy. That represents 10 percent of the state's workforce. It means the industry employs about 700,000 people statewide.
Stone said the industry should continue to grow. An estimated additional 332,000 jobs should come available by 2014.
"Only one year out of the last 15 - I think that was last year - our industry has not seen real growth," Stone said. "This is one industry where you can come from the dish room to the board room."