Identifying Hiring Trends with Behzad Jamshidi

Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., Behzad Jamshidi's most recent endeavor was with Chef Gabriel Kreuther , the owner of a two-Michelin-star restaurant in New York City. He has been mentored in the kitchens of Michelin-starred and world-renowned chefs, such as Pino Posteraro (Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill, Canada's Top 20 Best – Vancouver), Daniel Boulud (Daniel, 2 Michelin stars – NYC), Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana, Best Restaurant in the World 2018 – Modena), and Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin, 3 Michelin Stars – NYC). Chef Behzad's training with these culinary royalty inspired his obsession for fine dining and service. 

He loves using skills that he's acquired, and applying them towards creating narratives through food. They evolve into stories that are whimsical and communal, which inspires guests to share their experiences with one another. 

Through Moosh, Behzad hopes to create platforms and communities for people who aspire to promote communal experience, create social changes, and celebrate the diversity within food culture.

Q: What professional accomplishments are you most proud you since you start the Moosh NYC project? 

Behzad: Alongside our project partners, we have also been recognized by multiple trade publications and press such as the NYT, Eater, CBS and more. We have gained interest for the impact we make, in the way that immigrants share their stories and identities through food, and how essential they are to the American narrative and our culture as a country. We are putting together a dinner at the James Beard House March 11th, which will highlight and showcase the community and stories which inspire Moosh NYC, and share with the world a greater understanding about the density in Persian culture and cuisine.

Q: What are the superpowers of your team? 

Behzad: Our ability to lead with authenticity, by sharing stories of our personal journeys, to creating communities through communal curated events, and raising awareness and impact around all our project - we are always cooking with the intention of giving guests more than just a meal, and more than just an experience.

Q: How would you describe your leadership style? 

Behzad: I make it a point to create and cater environments for my patrons and collaborators, that best promotes their defining qualities, and provide them with the freedom to explore, express and self discover wherever possible. I never want someone to walk away feeling like a project was a waste of a time, or that their contribution wasn't fully realized. I'm passionate about helping people define their own brand, and promoting it alongside my own.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you have met in your career? 

Behzad: A career in itself is the biggest challenge. Having to balance all your day to day activities while keeping in mind the intentional support you need to provide yourself is indelible. I have the cumulative interests of over 50 people on any given day to keep in mind, while still managing my own stress, health and happiness and assuring that I'm giving the best of myself all the time.

Q: What are some challenges or trends you see in hiring today?

Behzad: I think we are still making the mistake of hiring based off a single dimension of need. We make a checklist of items that we feel are essential to a role, and require individuals who fill the role, and may produce underwhelming work that is not driven by passion. However, this checklist may also scare away individuals who could otherwise come to the table offering so much more if the role promoted their interests and sought out to learn what they would want to contribute.

Q: Have you ever had an hourly job? If yes, please share with us your experience.

Behzad: I've had many hourly jobs, and I've been fortunate that I have always loved what I did, in any capacity. I've worked in food and hospitality, yet no matter how laborious some the work was, I have always been my happiest. But in certain hourly positions, I couldn't help but count down the hours on the clock, to where I could leave a restaurant, and go explore and cook more of the food I wanted to.

Still unsure of how to overcome the challenges you've been facing while hiring hourly workers? We're more than willing to help - schedule a call with us today!