RMS provides HR services specifically for restaurants

Human resources consulting companies that recruit, review and train personnel for client firms are common, and demand is high in today's tight labor market. Although many firms provide recruiting and placement services for a variety of industries, Restaurant Management Services occupies a niche in the market.

As the chief executive officer of RMS, Merrilee Benz helps restaurants staff their businesses by finding the right managers.

"A prospective employee has to have a rsum, references and go through an interview process before we recommend them to an employer," Benz said. "Some companies perform background and credit checks. We do the legwork, but the company actually hires them."

In addition to recruiting managers, RMS also finds hourly employees for companies such as KFC and Auntie Anne's, locally.

Benz's service is free to prospective employees. The companies that hire Benz to find personnel pay a service fee.

Benz said Springfield has a very high ratio of restaurants-to-residents. "This is a tourist area because we're so close to Branson," she said. "That fact draws attention (from) corporations that want to open another restaurant. There are a lot of successful restaurants here, proving that their dollars would be well spent in Springfield."

She said her company is the only one like it in Springfield, "but nationwide, there are companies like ours," Benz added.

Benz started RMS in Springfield five years ago after working with a similar company in Atlanta, Ga. Before forming the company with her family, she worked as a consultant to bookkeepers and accountants.

Jay Parrino, former owner of several Springfield restaurants, is part owner of a branch office of RMS in St. Louis which opened a month ago. Benz plans to open another branch office in North Carolina within the next year.

"I have an interested party that would like to relocate there and open a branch office," she said.