How to Attract, Hire, and Retain Quality Restaurant Employees

August 9, 2022
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People

Recruits, Employees, Human Resources, Restaurant Managers

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Oracle PeopleSoft Human Capital Management, Microsoft Exchange

High turnover rates, low wages, and demanding work make it difficult to attract and keep good restaurant employees.

The restaurant industry is one of the most challenging industries when it comes to recruiting and retaining workers. The high turnover rate, low wages, and demanding nature of the work make it difficult to attract and keep good employees. As a result, restaurateurs often have to resort to creative methods to find and retain quality staff.

The Challenge of High Turnover Rates in the Restaurant Industry

One of the most challenging aspects of the restaurant industry is the high turnover rate. According to the career experts at Zippia, the average turnover rate for restaurants is 130 percent. This means that for every 100 employees that a restaurant has, 130 of them will leave within the year. The high turnover rate is due to a variety of factors, including low wages, long hours, and demanding work. As a result of the high turnover rate, restaurateurs often have to resort to creative methods to find and retain quality staff.

The turnover rate in the restaurant industry is so high that many managers spend over 25% of their time recruiting new candidates, scheduling interviews, and training. This takes away from the time that they could be spending on other tasks, such as developing new menu items and other customer satisfaction-focused activities. The high turnover rate also means that restaurants are constantly having to train new employees, which is costly, time-consuming, and puts the customer experience at risk. In order to attract and retain quality employees, restaurant managers need to be creative in their recruiting efforts and offer competitive wages and benefits.

Using Creative Methods to Attract Employees

With high turnover rates, low wages, and demanding work hours, it can be difficult to attract and keep good workers. As a result, restaurateurs often have to resort to creative methods to find and retain staff.

One way that restaurants can improve recruiting and hiring processes is with AI assistants like Krista. AI assistants that enable applicants to apply for positions at specific locations in seconds via text messages attract more applicants, saving managers hours per week attracting and screening for qualifications and experience. Additionally, AI assistants can ask questions and get to know potential candidates, which can help managers determine who might be a good fit for the job, then schedule initial interviews during mutually available times.

Restaurant Chain uses Krista Conversational AI to Recruit and Hire Talent

QR codes and text messaging are becoming increasingly popular methods for recruiting workers in the restaurant industry. Krista, a conversational AI platform, is leading the way in this trend by helping restaurateurs to attract and retain quality employees quickly and efficiently.

Here’s how Krista works:

    1. QR codes are placed in strategic locations around the restaurant, such as the entrance or exit.
    2. When potential applicants scan the QR code or text “Apply” to your local number, they can learn more about open positions and submit their contact information.
    3. Once an applicant’s information has been submitted, Krista begins a text conversation to screen them for an open position.
    4. If the applicant passes the 60-second screening process, they choose an interview with the appropriate manager.
    5. Once hired, Krista can help obtain personal and health code information as part of the employee onboarding process.
    6. Post-hire, Krista can guide new employees through a self-paced training curriculum. Training programs can guide employees on how to maximize earnings within their available times to work, build schedules, and provide training updates and procedural changes.

By using Krista to recruit, hire, train, and manage employees, this restaurant chain reduced hiring administration time by thousands of hours per year across 600 locations and 1800 managers.

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