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It’s no secret that the restaurant industry is one of the most challenging to survive in. With ever-changing trends and customers who can be fickle, it takes a lot to keep a business afloat. But one of the major issues that can sink a restaurant is employee retention rates. In order to have a successful restaurant, you need to be able to overcome common pitfalls in the hiring process.
According to a study by the National Restaurant Association and other restaurant benchmarks, employee turnover rates in the restaurant industry can be as high as 70%. That means for every 100 employees you have, on average, 70 will leave within a year. This can be a huge strain on your business, both financially and logistically. Not to mention, it can be really difficult to constantly have to train new employees.
Defining the Problem: High Turnover Rates in the Restaurant Industry
There are a number of reasons why the restaurant industry has such high turnover rates. First and foremost, the hours can be long and grueling. Employees often have to work late nights and weekends, which can be tough to maintain if you have a family or other commitments.
Another big factor is the pay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for restaurant employees is just $9.63 an hour. That’s hardly enough to live on, especially in expensive cities. This low pay often leads to employees feeling unappreciated and overworked, which can result in them quickly moving on to another job.
The working conditions can also be difficult. Many restaurants are hot, cramped, and noisy, which can make the shift feel even longer, and since there’s often a lot of pressure to get orders out quickly, employees can feel like they’re constantly running around without a break.
The Cost of Employee Turnover
The high cost of turnover is one of the biggest problems restaurant businesses face. It can be very expensive to constantly be training new employees. There’s also the lost productivity while a new employee is getting up to speed, and if customers have a bad experience with a new employee, they may never come back.
All of these factors can add up quickly, and they can really hurt your bottom line. In fact, the cost of turnover for a restaurant can be as much as $5,000 per year for each hourly employee. It is a huge expense that can really eat into your profits. So it’s important to find ways to reduce turnover and keep your employees happy.
A variety of factors result in high turnover rates in the restaurant industry, but we’ll show you how to improve your recruitment practices and better overcome these challenges.
Overcoming Common Pitfalls with 5 Steps to Improve Your Recruitment
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how to recruit restaurant staff. However, there are a few common pitfalls that restaurant owners fall into during the hiring process. By following these five tips, you can avoid them and improve your chances of recruiting strong, loyal restaurant employees.
Define what you need
The first step is to take a good look at your business and figure out exactly what you need from your employees. What skills are required for the job? What kind of personality would be a good fit for your restaurant? Once you know what you’re looking for, you can start to narrow down the pool of candidates.
One way to ensure you’re making the best hiring decisions for your restaurant is to compare yourself to other businesses in the industry. Look at what similar restaurants are doing in terms of employee retention and see where you stack up. Are you doing something that’s driving employees away? Is there something they’re doing that you could be doing better? Use this information to help guide your hiring decisions.
Write a clear job description
The next step is to write a clear and concise job description. This will help potential candidates understand exactly what the job entails and whether or not they’re a good fit. Be sure to include information about the hours, pay, and working conditions. This will help weed out any candidates who aren’t willing to work the required hours or are looking for a higher salary.
You may begin by creating a description that weeds out any prospects who are unwilling to work the necessary hours or are seeking a higher wage when you’ve established this understanding.
A clear job description should include:
– The hours required
– The pay range
– A description of the duties and responsibilities associated with the position
– Information on the working conditions
– The required qualifications
– The preferred qualifications
Including this information in the job description will help to ensure that only candidates who are truly interested and qualified applicants for the role.
Use social media
Social media is a great way to reach potential candidates. You can post the job description on your restaurant’s page or on sites like Indeed or Craigslist. This will help you reach a larger pool of candidates and make it easier to find someone who’s a good fit for the job.
Using hashtags to promote your restaurant is another approach to utilize social media for recruitment. This can be used in addition to other marketing efforts and can help you reach a wider audience these hashtags can be used to promote employee referral programs or other incentives you may be offering.
Conduct phone interviews
It’s time to start conducting phone interviews after you’ve received a few applications. This is an excellent approach to discovering whether the applicant is truly interested in the position. Ask about their industry expertise and what they think of the job description, especially if they’re a newbie.
Some questions you could ask during a phone interview are:
– Why are you interested in this position?
– What experience do you have in the restaurant industry?
– What do you think of the job description?
– Do you have any questions for me?
You should have a good sense of whether the candidate is a good fit for your business after the phone interview. If you’re not sure, you may always schedule an in-person meeting to get to know them better.
Train your employees
When you’ve found the right candidate, making sure they get good training is critical to help them get up and running quickly and be productive from day one, avoiding weak customer service. Be sure to go over the basics of the job and what’s expected of them. You should also provide ongoing training as needed so they can continue to improve their skills.
Here are a few tips on how to train your restaurant employees:
1. Start with the basics. Be sure to review the job duties and expectations with your employees. They should have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
2. Provide ongoing training. As your employees gain experience, it is important to provide additional training so they can continue to improve their skills.
3. Tailor the training to your restaurant. Each restaurant is unique, so it is important to tailor the training to your specific needs.
4. Use a variety of methods. There are many different ways to train your employees. Try using a combination of methods, such as lectures, hands-on training, and written materials.
5. Make it fun. Training doesn’t have to be boring. Make it fun and your employees will be more likely to retain the information.
Making sure that your restaurant employees are properly trained is important for providing great service to your customers, and you can follow these tips to make sure that they are ready for the task.
By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can avoid common pitfalls in the hiring process and find the right employees for your restaurant. With a little effort, you can reduce turnover and keep your business running smoothly, and take the time to properly train your employees using a variety of methods to reach potential candidates.
