The search for great employees can be a hard task, especially with so many start-ups and opportunities for the top of the crop to choose. Hosting a networking event or specialized talk at your office is an excellent way to entice potential talent into your company, and to let them see how it all goes down in the big house. By bringing them to your site and allowing outsiders to witness all that your company has to offer, you are showcasing the physical office space, as well as the overall atmosphere and culture you create.
How about hosting a catered networking breakfast? The casual atmosphere makes it a lot easier for guests to relax and show their personality a lot more. With food as a focal point, the awkward barriers come down and everyone can get a tasty meal into them, whilst exchanging business cards and contacts. Set a theme for the event, by perhaps having an employee or two, talk briefly about a topic in the industry that your company is in. Be careful to keep it brief and to the point, with no more than 10-15 minute presentations.
You could also take the route of planning a longer event with a few key speakers that are experts in their field. Your company’s take on a TED Talk, if you will. Twitter did a great job of this in their UK and Ireland offices last year. They hosted #ScalingTwitter Tech Talks in Dublin and London to highlight the work of their engineering teams, and how they cope with the challenges of operating at scale. Not only were they showing the 100 guests the impressive office, friendly employees, delicious free food and drink; the countless tweets and pictures posted about the event got the message out there for the wider talent pool to see. Barbecue food, tacos or party snacks are suggested ideas for the catering, as they are easy to eat whilst standing and chatting before and after the event.
By discreetly poaching the best talent in the field, your company can gain the competitive advantage that it needs to get to the top. As management guru Jim Collins once said; “Leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with ‘where’ but with ‘who.’ They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.”
Networking Breakfast
Here’s a list of some great vendors we work with that cater for breakfast:
New York
Lightly crisped crepes stuffed with a variety of fillings both savory and sweet are freshly spun at this longtime East Village café. An onsite crepe bar can also be arranged, adding another impressive element to the checklist.
The Crooked Tree
San Francisco
Belgian couple Julie and Arnaud borrowed recipes from Julie’s great aunts to make incredibly delicate sweet and savory tarts with local ingredients.
Vive la Tarte
Chicago
Elegant, creative, and decadent pancakes inspired by global cuisines and culinary styles from around the world!
Babycakes Gourmet
Evening Event Meals
We also have fantastic vendors that can cater to your evening event:
New York
What makes a good sandwich? The bread of course! Here the bread is made daily from a family recipe passed rooted in Puebla, Mexico.
Cemita’s
San Francisco
Founded by two chefs with a love of garden to table style eating; CatHead’s revives deep-rooted traditional recipes with a fresh twist.
CatHead’s BBQ
Chicago
A contemporary caterer that focuses on clean, flavorful meals, all while using seasonal and sustainable ingredients!
Artisan Catering
