How to Recruit Great Restaurant Staff
Running a successful restaurant involves a lot more than just serving delicious dishes; it demands a strong team that works efficiently to deliver exceptional service. The right staff ensures customer satisfaction, manages kitchen operations, and represents your restaurant’s brand. However, recruiting great restaurant staff can be a challenging process due to high turnover rates, misaligned expectations, and the need for a variety of roles. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to recruit restaurant staff and the critical steps for restaurant staff recruitment while addressing common challenges in the industry.
Recruitment For Restaurant Staff
Before starting the recruitment process, it’s essential to define what “greatness” means in the context of restaurant staff. Great restaurant employees are not only skilled but also embody the right attitude. They can handle the stress of fast-paced environments, work efficiently, and offer warm, professional customer service. Great staff are adaptable, have strong communication skills, and maintain a positive attitude, even under pressure.
But beyond technical skills, one of the critical indicators of greatness is their ability to work as part of a cohesive team. Restaurants function like well-oiled machines when every team member plays their role effectively, whether they are at the front of the house or in the kitchen.
Difficulties Recruiting Restaurant Staff
Recruiting restaurant staff can be complicated because of several industry-specific challenges:
High Turnover: One of the most pressing issues in the restaurant industry is employee turnover. Restaurants experience some of the highest turnover rates across all sectors, often due to temporary positions and low pay.
Misaligned Candidate Expectations: Sometimes, candidates enter the restaurant industry with unrealistic expectations regarding work hours, pay, and job responsibilities, leading to dissatisfaction and resignations.
Declining Young Workforce: Fewer young people are entering the hospitality sector, making it harder to find enthusiastic staff to fill entry-level positions.
Local Hiring Competition: Depending on the location, local competition can make hiring difficult; the restaurant industry faces a challenge, with numerous eateries competing for a small number of skilled workers.
Hiring and Training Costs: Recruiting, hiring, and training new staff members can be costly in terms of time and resources.
Seasonal Hiring Needs: Some restaurants experience seasonal spikes in business, which means they need to hire temporary staff, which can add further complexity to the hiring process.
Lack of Recruiting Experience: Many restaurant owners or managers lack professional recruiting experience, making the process less efficient.
How To Make Sure Your Restaurant Staff Are Happy and Productive
How to Succeed in Hiring Restaurant Employees
Despite the challenges, there are proven strategies for successfully recruiting great restaurant staff. Here’s a detailed look at the best practices:
- Find Support for Restaurant Recruiting
Recruiting for a restaurant requires skill and experience. If you are new to it, seeking support from recruiting firms that specialise in the hospitality industry can be beneficial. These firms can help find the best talent more quickly and reduce the burden of managing the recruitment process alone.
- Determine Which Roles You Need to Fill
Before hiring, make sure you have a clear understanding of what positions need to be filled. Create a list of the critical roles, such as manager, chef, server, and dishwasher. Additionally, fine dining establishments may require specialised roles like bartenders or hosts. Clearly defining roles prevents overstaffing or understaffing, both of which can harm operations and profits.
- Conduct a Job Task Analysis
Performing a job task analysis ensures you know exactly what each role entails. Break down tasks for each position and use this information to create accurate job descriptions. Having this level of clarity will help you choose the most appropriate applicant and establish practical expectations for your employees.
- Identify the Skill Set Shared by Your Best Employees
Look at your top-performing employees and assess what makes them stand out. Is it their attitude? Speed? Attention to detail? Identifying these traits will help you target new hires who have similar attributes. For example, an outstanding server may exhibit excellence through its adeptness in customer interactions and the management of multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Post Specific and Informative Job Ads
One of the best ways to attract high-quality candidates is by crafting clear and specific job ads. Vague descriptions can lead to an influx of unqualified applicants. Ensure the ad includes the position, job duties, required experience, and expected work hours. Also, be transparent about compensation and benefits, as this can help align expectations from the start.
- Try New Recruitment Channels
Traditional hiring methods might not always yield the best candidates. In addition to posting on job boards, consider leveraging social media, restaurant staffing apps, and recruitment agencies. Digital platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram can be used to find motivated workers, particularly in the younger demographic, who may not respond to conventional ads.
- Speed Up the Candidate Selection Process
Restaurant hiring needs can be immediate, particularly when replacing staff on short notice. Speeding up the selection process helps to ensure you don’t lose good candidates to competitors. Start by narrowing down resumes efficiently, conducting initial phone interviews, and keeping the hiring timeline as short as possible.
- Provide a Realistic Job Preview
Many candidates leave restaurant jobs soon after they start because the role didn’t match their expectations. To avoid this, give candidates a realistic job preview during the interview process. Explain the challenges, such as busy peak hours or stressful customer interactions, alongside the benefits like teamwork and career growth opportunities.
- Start Seasonal Hiring Early
If your restaurant has peak seasons (such as summer for beachside cafes or winter holidays for city restaurants), begin your hiring process early. Seasonal hiring requires anticipating future staff shortages and training the new employees before the busy season hits.
If you are running a busy restaurant, don’t wait until November to start planning your Christmas rush. Start in July or August and complete the hiring process by the beginning of September, so your recruit has 4 to 8 weeks to complete their basic training and be ready for the rush.
Crafting an Effective Interview Process
The interview process is among the most critical steps in hiring great staff. Here’s how to make it efficient and effective:
- Develop a Core Set of Interview Questions
To ensure consistency, create a set of core questions to ask every candidate. These should include inquiries about their past experience, how they handle stress, their ability to multitask, and how they interact with customers. Standardised questions ensure that all candidates are evaluated on the same criteria.
- Make Interviews a Two-Way Street
Interviews should not just be about you assessing the candidate but also about the candidate evaluating whether they want to work for your restaurant. Encourage them to ask questions about the work environment, opportunities for growth, and job expectations to develop a sense of mutual respect, ensure positive and productive interactions, and show a genuine interest in the role.
- Have multiple interviews with Different Managers
It’s vital to ensure that at least two managers interview every candidate.
Having more than one person interview each candidate helps provide a balanced assessment. Different managers may notice different things, whether it’s a potential red flag or a trait perfect for the restaurant’s culture.
- Train Managers to Assess Physical Cues
Body language: During an interview, body language can convey a great deal about a candidate. Train your managers to pay attention to physical cues such as eye contact, posture, and overall demeanour. A candidate who maintains strong eye contact and has open, relaxed body language may be more confident and approachable—qualities that are essential for front-of-house roles. Similarly, slouching, fidgeting, or lack of engagement may be signs of disinterest or nervousness. This observation can complement the answers they give to questions, providing a fuller picture of the candidate.
- Take Notes During the Interview
It’s easy to forget details about candidates, especially if you’re interviewing multiple people for several positions. Encourage interviewers to take notes during or immediately after the interview. These notes should include both qualitative feedback (how the candidate answered questions) and quantitative measures (rating on a scale for skills such as teamwork, communication, etc.). Taking notes will allow you to compare candidates more objectively later on.
- Attitude is King
In the restaurant business, attitude often outweighs experience. You can train someone on how to use a point-of-sale system or memorise menu items, but it’s much harder to train someone to have a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. Candidates who display enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and an optimistic outlook should be prioritised. Even if they lack certain technical skills, a great attitude can make them more adaptable and easier to train.
- Check References Without Exception
Even when a candidate seems like a perfect fit, always check references. The work habits of the candidate can be well understood by seeking feedback from previous employers on work habits, reliability, and ability to function as part of a team. It’s essential to verify that what the candidate has told you aligns with their previous job performance. Skipping this step can result in costly hiring mistakes.
- Aim for Balance in Your Team
Every restaurant team should have a balance of different personalities and skill sets. While some employees may excel in customer interactions, others may be stronger in efficiency or organisation. A team that works well together by leveraging each other’s strengths and addressing weaknesses will establish a more harmonious working atmosphere. When interviewing, think about how each candidate would fit into the existing team dynamic.
Beyond Hiring: Training and Retaining Your Staff
Hiring great staff is just the beginning. Once you’ve found the right people, it’s crucial to invest in their training and retention. Proper onboarding and ongoing training ensure that new hires meet your expectations and exceed them. Here’s how to ensure your team stays motivated and committed:
- Provide Outstanding Training Programme
Every new hire, regardless of experience, should undergo thorough training, which should include introducing them to your restaurant’s unique culture, customer service standards, and operational procedures. For instance, if you have a specific way of plating dishes or handling customer complaints, make sure these are clearly communicated during training. The goal is to create a consistent experience for your customers, no matter which team members are working.
- Offer Growth Opportunities
Employees often depart from their jobs due to a shortage of chances for career growth. To retain your best staff, offer clear career pathways. Whether it’s the chance to move up from server to shift supervisor or kitchen assistant to sous chef, providing growth opportunities keeps employees motivated and invested in the restaurant’s success.
- Create a Positive Work Environment
The culture within a workplace is extremely important for maintaining a positive and productive environment and employee satisfaction. To cultivate a positive environment, it’s important to acknowledge and reward effort, promote open communication, and support teamwork. Celebrate small victories, whether it’s a particularly busy shift handled with finesse or a positive review that highlights the excellent service.
- Provide Competitive Compensation and Benefits
While attitude and work environment are important, compensation plays a significant role in employee retention. Ensure your pay is competitive within the local market, especially if there is high competition for skilled restaurant workers. If possible, offer additional benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, or even bonuses based on performance.
Staff-to-Guest Ratio
How Many Employees Does Your Restaurant Need?
A restaurant’s staffing level directly impacts customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Too few staff and your customers may experience long wait times or subpar service; too many and your labour costs eat into your profits. Determining the right staff-to-guest ratio depends on the type of restaurant you run:
Fast-casual restaurants: These establishments typically have a more streamlined service model. One employee, including the kitchen staff, can serve about 10 to 15 customers. During peak hours, you may need to bring in an extra staff member or two to handle the rush. Make sure you have at least one manager overseeing operations at all times.
Fine Dining Restaurant: Fine dining establishments require a higher staff-to-guest ratio due to the emphasis on personalised service. On average, one staff member should serve two to four tables. Additionally, you’ll need a more extensive kitchen team, including an executive chef, sous chef, and other specialised roles to maintain high culinary standards.
Family Restaurant: Family restaurants tend to have more relaxed service but still require attentive staff. A server can typically manage four to six tables, depending on the complexity of the menu and the volume of guests.
Related articles:
Restaurant Staff Are Happy And Productive
Restaurant Management Structure
Conclusion
The Key to Restaurant Success Lies in Great Staff: The question of how to recruit restaurant staff and generate a restaurant’s success hinges not only on its menu but also on its staff. Recruiting great employees takes time and effort, but it’s a crucial investment that pays off in the long run. By defining what “greatness” looks like in your team, using clear job descriptions, conducting efficient interviews, and checking references, you increase your chances of finding the right fit.
Once hired, continuous training and a positive work environment will keep your staff motivated and engaged. By carefully considering your staffing needs—both in terms of quantity and quality—you’ll create a team that ensures your restaurant delivers exceptional service, builds customer loyalty, and thrives in a competitive industry.
This guide should give you the tools needed to recruit and retain top talent for your restaurant. By applying these strategies, you can overcome the challenges of hiring in the restaurant industry and build a team that contributes to your business’s long-term success.
FAQ’s
How Do You Train Restaurant Staff Effectively?
Effective training for restaurant staff is crucial for ensuring service consistency and high standards. Here are some steps to ensure successful training:
Develop a Structured Training Program: Create a comprehensive
manual for training new staff, including all parts of the position, from customer service protocols to food safety standards, to ensure that all new hires receive the same foundational knowledge.
Use Hands-On Training: Let new hires shadow experienced staff during real shifts to allow them to observe and learn how to handle different situations, from serving customers to managing rush hours.
Focus on Customer Service: Train staff on how to interact with customers, resolve complaints, and provide a positive dining experience. Role-playing customer scenarios is a great way to prepare them for real-life situations.
Provide Continuous Training: Offer ongoing training sessions to keep staff updated on new menu items, procedures, or health regulations. Regular feedback and coaching also help employees refine their skills.
Incorporate Technology: Use online training platforms or apps to reinforce lessons and test staff on their knowledge, to allow them to learn at their own pace and ensure they understand key concepts.
How Do You Motivate Staff in a Restaurant?
Motivating restaurant staff is essential for maintaining high morale and productivity. Here are effective strategies to keep your team engaged:
Offer Growth Opportunities: Employees are more inclined to remain motivated when they perceive possibilities for advancement within the company. Create opportunities for promotions and internal growth, such as moving from server to supervisor.
Provide Recognition and Rewards: Publicly recognise employees for their hard work, whether it’s excellent customer service or handling a busy shift well. Offering rewards, such as bonuses or employee-of-the-month programs, can boost motivation.
Create a Positive Work Environment: Foster teamwork, encourage open communication and address conflicts swiftly. A supportive and respectful workplace encourages staff to stay motivated and work cohesively.
Provide Competitive Compensation: Ensure that wages are competitive and fair for the industry. Offering perks such as meal discounts or flexible scheduling can also improve motivation.
Engage Employees in Decision-Making: Allow staff to contribute ideas for improving service, menu items, or operations. Feeling valued and heard increases their sense of ownership in the business.
How Do You Recruit More Staff?
Recruiting restaurant staff, especially in competitive markets, requires a mix of traditional and innovative strategies:
Post Clear and Specific Job Ads: To attract the right candidates, ensure that your job postings include detailed descriptions of the role, required qualifications, and expected work environment.
Leverage Social Media and Online Platforms: Use job boards, restaurant staffing apps, and social media to reach a wider audience. Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook can be powerful tools for finding talent.
Ask for Employee Referrals: Encourage current employees to refer potential candidates. Offer incentives like bonuses for successful hires to motivate your staff to recommend people they know.
Partner with Hospitality Schools: Collaborate with local culinary or hospitality schools to recruit students looking for part-time work or internships. These students often bring enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.
Attend Job Fairs: Participate in local job fairs, especially those focused on the hospitality sector, to allow you to meet face-to-face potential candidates and quickly assess their suitability for the job.
Who Is the Most Important Staff in a Restaurant?
While every role in a restaurant is important for smooth operations, the restaurant general manager is often considered the most critical. The manager ensures the day-to-day running of the restaurant, overseeing staff, handling customer complaints, and managing finances. They are the backbone of the establishment, ensuring both the front and back of the house operate seamlessly.
However, each position plays a vital role in the restaurant’s success:
- Chefs and Kitchen Staff: They are responsible for preparing high-quality meals and maintaining food safety standards.
- Servers: These staff members are the face of the restaurant, interacting directly with customers and providing service that can make or break the dining experience.
- Hosts and Cashiers: They handle customer flow and payments, ensuring guests are seated promptly and that transactions run smoothly.
Ultimately, a restaurant’s success is the result of a team effort where every role contributes to creating a positive experience for customers.
How To Create Excellent Restaurant Management Meeting Agenda For Success