Welcome to YODL! In addition to daily original content, YODL helps CFIN Members find new partners, resources, and funding opportunities to grow their food business. Learn more about this growing community and become a CFIN Member (for free!) today.
Oakville, ON-based Gastronomous Technologies creates smart commercial kitchens using automation, interconnected robotics and software to solve foodservice challenges such as labour shortages, consistency, profitability, supply chain management and waste disposal.
Like other growing foodtech companies, Gastronomous now requires additional staff. We asked co-founder and CEO Kevork Sevadjian to discuss the search for talent.
Q: What sort of positions are you looking to fill in your company?
A: We’re looking for software programmers, mechatronics engineering, service technicians and professionals in sales and business development.
Q: How and where are you looking for candidates?
A: Through LinkedIn and personal networks.
Q: Have you faced any challenges attracting candidates?
A: No we haven’t, because our hires come from outside the food industry. The nature of our business – a thriving startup in a hot new space – makes it easy to attract top talent. We are also able to attract top talent because the younger generation is more willing to work for a risky startup with huge upside as opposed to a more stable job with a big company. However, on the customer side, we constantly hear about the difficulties of finding labour.
Q: Do you offer any special benefits to attract new hires, or to retain employees?
A: We offer competitive salaries, benefits and stock options. The stock options are very attractive and because they vest over four years, they tend to create a retention effect.
Q: When hiring technology professionals what do they generally need to understand about working in the food industry?
A: They need to understand customer requirements. We find that technology professionals are not familiar with the food industry, other than what they know personally.
Q: How does working in the food industry differ from other industries when it comes to roles that involve technology?
A: There are no existing technology standards in this industry.
Q: Anything else to add about finding and retaining employees?
A: Culture is everything. Build the right culture in your business and always hire for attitude and character before skills. The rest can be taught. Once you have a core team that understands the company culture, it becomes like a self-perpetuating flywheel that constantly gains momentum.