Recruiting and retaining good staff is a well-known pain point in the restaurant industry. And with the number of restaurants multiplying, the demand for talent’s at an all-time high. The trouble is, there’s not enough talent to go around. So how can restaurants survive — and even thrive — when they’re up against a foodservice labor shortage?
Work on retention
Hiring employees comes with a hefty price tag. With the average cost of replacing an employee ringing up at $5,684, it’s worth focusing on retaining your current employees. How? Place a premium on your work culture. Find ways to make it fun, such as hosting company happy hours and offering after-hours enrichment activities like cooking classes. Show employees you’re invested in them by soliciting their feedback. And should you have an employee leave, don’t let them walk out the door without an exit interview. Exit interviews offer the perfect opportunity to get employees’ perspectives on what’s working and what isn’t, so you can make adjustments and improve for the future.
Get creative with recruiting
Restaurant jobs are a dime a dozen, so figure out a way to make your job posts stand out from the pack. Spruce up your job descriptions and shine a spotlight on your strengths. If your restaurant offers unique perks or an especially fun atmosphere, don’t be afraid to boast a little. And just as importantly, consider all channels and options when promoting job openings. Whether you incentivize employees for referrals, promote your openings on social media or host industry networking events, use all avenues to get the word out.
Offer better benefits
Review your benefits and see how you stack up against others in the industry. And this isn’t just healthcare benefits (though those are worth considering). Are you offering ongoing training opportunities, year end bonuses, free shift meals, or other perks? Worthwhile incentives like these will make your employees want to stick around (and tell their friends about it). Plus, a good benefits package makes employees feel appreciated for their hard work — and a little recognition goes a long way when it comes to retention.
Streamline responsibilities
From the front of the house to the back, find ways to automate and streamline responsibilities for your staff. Restaurant staff tend to wear a lot of hats, so you’ll get bonus points if you can take time-consuming or headache-inducing tasks off their plate. Whether it’s with programmable cook settings or a more efficient POS system, leverage technology to make work easier (and more enjoyable) for your employees. This will decrease their stress and increase their productivity, which can result in higher retention rates.
Ensure your staff sticks around.
When you’re trying to build out a superstar team in the midst of a labor shortage, a lot of your success has to do with your retention strategy. Once you find the right people, properly training them is one of the first steps. How to do that? Check out this super secret trick to training restaurant employees.
