6 Ways to Hire and Retain Restaurant Staff During a Staffing Crisis

The restaurant industry currently faces a chronic labor shortage. With more and more Americans opting out of the workforce, this crisis is only getting worse. How can restaurants get by?

Many segments of the restaurant industry are booming, but things feel more challenging than ever thanks to the staffing shortage many restaurants are experiencing. Addressing this crisis requires big changes in how restaurants hire, staff up, and retain employees. If you're experiencing a shortage of staff and don't want to close or reduce business hours, try one or all of these solutions:

-Offer competitive wages and benefits, such as health insurance

This should be a given but it's not practiced as such. Restaurants will need to offer competitive wages and benefits to attract good talent. Some of the benefits that companies can offer are health insurance, retirement savings plans, and paid time off. What additions can your restaurant offer that it isn't currently?

-Offer flexible schedules

A flexible work schedule is simply an arrangement in which the employee can select their own start and end times. A flexible work schedule can be used to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities, caregivers, or parents.

Flexible schedules allow greater staff control over when and where work is done. This may lead to increased job satisfaction and improved motivation, both of which are key factors for an employee’s performance. When employees feel they have control over their work hours, they are more likely to want to come in on shifts when they otherwise may not.

One advantage of a flexible schedule is that it can benefit both employers and employees. Employers can create a schedule around their needs by employing part-time staff that will only work during the hours where there is an increased need for staff, or by hiring a temporary worker to cover a temporary lull in business. This gives them the ability to adjust staffing levels according to the company's needs at any given time.?

-Offer shift meals, such as free meals

Offering free or discounted shift meals to your restaurant staff is a way of increasing the appeal of the job. It makes it more attractive for talented individuals to work at your company.

It also helps retain employees because those who are working doubles or the dreaded clopen (close/open) will be more apt to do so if they're not starving themselves in the process.

-Offer shift perks such as free parking, shift credits, shift bonuses

Offering shift perks can be a great way to incentivize workers to come in and show that management cares about them. The best perk is one that ties into the individual’s interests or lifestyles, such as a free parking spot or a nice dinner.

There are multiple ways of offering shift perks. One option is to provide a different type of incentive each day of the week, such as free breakfast on Sunday or pizza on Friday. Another option is to offer shifts credits which can be used for anything from buying lunch, bringing in treats from home, or getting discounts at retail stores. The third option is to give shift bonuses which can be used for anything from increasing their paycheck, paying off student loans, or investing in their retirement account.

-Offer shift productivity incentives

There are many advantages of providing shift productivity incentives. One is that it gives employees more control over their work schedules, which can lead to better quality and quantity of work. Another advantage is that it increases the company's productivity as well as its profit margins because employees will be less likely to take time off during peak hours or take time off during times when there is a high demand for the company's products and services.

-Offer shift bonuses based on sales

Offering shift bonuses based on sales is a strategy that can work well for companies that want to increase sales and productivity. (And what restaurant manager doesn't want that?)

Employees who receive a bonus based on their sales performance are more likely to be engaged in their job and perform better. However, this kind of incentive system needs to be implemented properly. Restaurants should use it as an encouragement rather than a punishment. This is a carrot, not a stick.

Offering incentives such as bonuses or other rewards is not only good for the restaurant but also for the employees because it gives them an opportunity to earn something extra for their hard work.

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Brian Bruce, an author of multiple articles published online and in several industry trade publications, has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Executive Restaurant Recruiting. He’s an Executive Restaurant Recruiter with HHB Restaurant Recruiting and recruits nationally. He can be reached at 405-361-7582 and by email at [email protected].