Hoping to hire

WHITE POINT - The hospitality industry isn’t for everyone, but Joanne Veinotte says people who enjoy it end up loving their jobs and becoming passionate about the business.
Veinotte, who is the general manager of White Point Beach Resort in Queens County, is eager to find employees who have an affinity for hospitality work.
“We’ve been looking for employees pretty consistently now for the last year,” she said.
She is hoping to hire approximately 15 people. Some of the positions Veinotte is looking to fill include line cooks, room keepers, part-time bartenders and servers and a full-time server.
“When we’re hiring in the summer, it’s very important that we bring in people who know how to serve because when you’re feeding 300 people in a dining room, we can’t put someone that’s new to the game in there because it will be terrifying," she said.
That leaves White Point in a difficult position. From about the beginning of May until the end of October, White Point needs its food and beverage staff (besides bussers) to be experienced. Those months are extremely busy, and there’s just not enough time to fully train inexperienced staff, explained Veinotte.
For those who are eager to work but may not have extensive hospitality experience, a good place to start could be working as a room keeper. Another good starting point for someone a little less experienced would be a busser position. Working as a recreational attendant is another potential job for someone looking to gain familiarity with the hospitality industry.
Veinotte said it’s a good idea for applicants to specify which positions they’re applying for so resumés can go to the correct departments.
Every year, White Point tries to avoid challenges by hiring early in the year to be ready for the busiest season.
“This year, we’ve decided that we’re going to start preparing for next year now,” said Veinotte.
Veinotte has also been reaching out to various agencies in the search for employees.
One of the challenges is that many people ask whether White Point has staff accommodation, and it doesn’t. But, when the weather is bad in the winter, staff members do stay at the resort so they can get their jobs done efficiently.
In winter months, part-time staff would get about 10 to 20 hours a week. In the summer, those hours could increase to as many as 40 hours a week. Those who’ve worked part-time all winter and are comfortable with their jobs can make the transition to working during the busier season.
“Victoria Day weekend is really when our summer starts, so that’s when we really start to ramp up and you start to get more hours,” Veinotte said.
Veinotte reminds people working in hospitality is not an easy job.
“We’re here 24/7. We are open every single day of the year, 24 hours, so it really is a lifestyle for those of us who work here,” she said. “It can be very, very rewarding.”
The staff at White Point gets to know families that have been coming back to the resort year after year, she says, which is also very special.
Two big things Veinotte hopes to get from people she hires are the willingness to “give it a fair shake” and a good attitude.
“Come in the door knowing that this is not going to be an easy job, but it will be the best job.”
For more information about White Point and its careers, visit http://www.whitepoint.com/careers/.