Client: Regional Restaurant Group (Full Service & Fast Casual Concepts)
Client Role: Field IT Manager
Service Provided: Executive Search & Placement for Critical IT Role
Executive Summary:
A prominent regional restaurant group faced significant operational strain due to an unfilled Field IT Manager role critical for supporting their diverse locations. The challenge centered on finding a bilingual candidate with specific Toast POS expertise willing to travel extensively throughout the Boston metro area. Through a highly targeted search and rigorous vetting process, we identified and placed an ideal candidate within 6 weeks, alleviating management overload and securing vital IT infrastructure support.
Client Background:
- Industry: Restaurant (Full Service & Fast Casual)
- Scope: Multiple locations across the Greater Boston metropolitan area.
- Critical Systems: Reliant on robust Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, primarily Toast, alongside complex multi-location networks, data security protocols, and end-user support.
- Pain Point: Extended vacancy in the Field IT Manager role threatened system stability, security, and operational efficiency, impacting both staff and customer experience.
The Core Challenge:
The client urgently needed to backfill their Field IT Manager but encountered unique hurdles:
- Demanding Travel Requirement: Candidates needed to be willing and able to drive extensively to support locations across the entire Boston metropolitan area.
- Niche Technical Expertise: Required hands-on experience managing and troubleshooting Toast POS systems – a critical platform for their operations.
- Bilingual Requirement (Spanish/English): Essential for effective communication with a significant portion of their staff.
- Multi-Unit Experience: Proven ability to manage IT infrastructure, security, and support across geographically dispersed locations.
- Competitive Market: Finding candidates meeting all criteria within the competitive Boston tech and restaurant labor market was proving exceptionally difficult.
Our Solution: A Targeted & Collaborative Approach
We implemented a customized recruitment strategy focused exclusively on overcoming the client’s specific challenges:
- Deep-Dive Requirement Analysis: Conducted intensive consultations with the hiring manager, IT leadership, and HR to map all technical (Toast POS, networking, security), operational (travel, multi-site), and cultural (bilingual) requirements.
- Hyper-Targeted Sourcing: Leveraged specialized restaurant/hospitality IT networks, bilingual job boards, Toast-specific user communities, and proactive search to identify candidates uniquely qualified for this specific role.
- Rigorous Technical & Operational Vetting: Implemented a multi-stage screening process emphasizing:
- Verifiable Toast POS implementation, management, and troubleshooting experience.
- Proven track record in multi-site IT support and network management.
- Demonstrated understanding of data security best practices in a retail/restaurant environment.
- Confirmation of willingness and ability for extensive daily travel within Boston.
- Assessment of Spanish language fluency.
- Streamlined Client Presentation: Curated only the most precisely matched candidates for client review, minimizing time-to-interview.
Implementation & Metrics:
- Total Candidates Sourced: 233 (Initial broad pool)
- Candidates Thoroughly Screened & Qualified: 42
- Top-Tier Candidates Presented to Client: 10 (Meeting all core requirements)
- Candidates Interviewed by Client: 6
- Final Placement: 1 Ideal Candidate
- Time-to-Fill: Approximately 6 weeks from project kick-off to offer acceptance.
The Outcome: Resolution & Strategic Relief
- The Ideal Candidate Placed:
- 5+ Years of Directly Relevant Experience: Extensive background in restaurant IT and network support.
- Toast POS Expertise: Recently managed multiple POS systems, including Toast, in a similar multi-unit environment.
- Bilingual Proficiency (Spanish/English): Fluent communication skills.
- Boston-Area Resident: Fully prepared and equipped for the extensive travel demands.
- Proven Multi-Site Management: Experience maintaining data security, network integrity, and user support across dispersed locations.
- Operational Impact:
- Immediate alleviation of the overwhelming IT support burden on the existing Manager and team.
- Secured critical expertise for maintaining and optimizing the vital Toast POS infrastructure.
- Enhanced network stability and data security across all locations.
- Improved on-site technical support responsiveness for restaurant staff.
- Strategic Benefit: Freed up the Manager and leadership to refocus on strategic initiatives and business growth, rather than constant firefighting.
What the Client Avoided:
- Continued Managerial Burnout: Preventing further overload and potential turnover of key leadership.
- Operational Disruptions: Mitigating risks of POS failures, network outages, or security vulnerabilities due to lack of dedicated expert support.
- Prolonged Vacancy Costs: Lost productivity, potential revenue impact from system downtime, and increased reliance on expensive external consultants.
- Settling for a Compromise Hire: Avoiding the costs and risks associated with hiring a candidate lacking essential skills (Toast, bilingualism, or travel willingness).
Candidate Testimonial:
“You were amazing to work with, very kind, responsive, and helpful. I’m grateful for this opportunity and your time and consideration for it. Far exceeded my expectations and I appreciate you not forgetting about me when we had 1st spoken. I will be sure to leave the review and hope to work with you again down the road. Excited for tomorrow and what this opportunity may bring.” – Placed Field IT Manager
Conclusion:
This case study exemplifies how a specialized, data-driven, and highly collaborative recruitment approach solves critical talent gaps in the competitive restaurant IT sector. By understanding the unique challenges of supporting multi-unit restaurants – especially the trifecta of travel, niche technical skills (Toast POS), and bilingual needs – we delivered not just a candidate, but a strategic solution. The placed Field IT Manager restored operational stability, enhanced system reliability, and allowed management to refocus on growth, demonstrating the tangible ROI of precise talent acquisition for essential technical roles.