How to attract and keep restaurant staff

In the restaurant industry, there is often a high staff turnover. Many restaurant owners find it hard to recruit the right staff who are both competent and want to stay for a longer period of time. Many chefs and restaurant staff choose to change careers and retrain due to high workload and insecurity. But there are different things you as a restaurant manager can do to increase the chances of finding the right staff.

Here are our tips on how to attract the best staff to your restaurant and how to get them to stay.

Invest in employee development for your bartenders and restaurant staff

It’s no secret that many young people is drawn to the restaurant and hospitality industry during the summer holidays. But there are also many who are passionate about the restaurant industry and who plan to stay and build their career in this sector. Therefore, it’s important to offer your restaurant staff development opportunities. People are often looking for jobs where they can grow and develop. And if you can also offer stability and full-time employment, it will increase the chances that they will stay. Be responsive and listen to what your staff's goals and ambitions are. Is there any special area someone wants to develop in? Maybe you have a chef who is interested in finding new and exciting flavor combinations, or a waitress who has a great knowledge about wine and how to combine food and wine? Try to take advantage of these qualities and make them grow. In this way, your staff feel appreciated and noticed at the same time as your restaurant can benefit from the development. Why not write in the job description that you offer development?

If your restaurant employees don’t feel that they are developing or get the chance to take more responsibility over time, there is a great risk that they will move on to other restaurants, or simply choose to change industry. In addition, if summer workers or hourly staff see that there is an opportunity to develop and climb the ladder, you may be able to get someone to rethink and instead focus on a career in your restaurant.

Your reputation is crucial when hiring people to restaurant positions

People talk! As common as it is for restaurant owners to talk to each other it's just as common for restaurant workers to talk about how they feel at their workplace. If your staff is not happy or is being treated badly, they will spread the word to others in the industry. Then it doesn't matter how great the restaurant is or what benefits you can offer. Very few skilled and experienced people apply for jobs where it is common knowledge that the staffing isn´t being well treated. If you on the other hand have a reputation that the staff thrives and is treated in the best possible way, the chances are high that more people will apply to your restaurant.

Show that you care about your staff members

What can you offer that many other restaurants can’t? Today, it’s not very common for restaurants to offer their staff collective agreements, benefits, a full-time job instead of part-time job or a good minimum wage. Of course, not all restaurants have the opportunity to offer different benefits and grants but consider if there is something you can offer your staff, that other restaurants can’t. Try to stand out and show that you care! Today, it’s more important than ever to be able to offer a stable and safe workplace that takes care of the staff. If you can offer financial security, you have increased your chances of finding a real star.

Market yourself in the restaurant business

Make sure you are visible on social media, why not start a Linkedin account – and be sure to highlight your staff there. Most people who are looking for work have at some point checked the restaurant's social media accounts to get an idea of what it is like to work there. By highlighting how satisfied and happy your staff is in your social media and showing off a fun and exciting everyday life, you increase the chances of attracting people. However, be careful not to paint an excessively plastered and unreasonable facade – you can often see through that!

The restaurant industry is a complex business when it comes to staff turnover. It’s a demanding and tiring profession with irregular times and sometimes bad contracts and salaries. The fact that many people choose to retrain is pretty much inevitable and perhaps the current pandemic situation contributes to more people choosing to leave the industry. But by following our tips, you increase your chances of recruiting the right staff and attracting those who are still passionate about food and service. Once you have found them, you should hold on to these diamonds.

Scheduling and administration of staff

Get more time for your restaurant staff with the help of smart integrations to your POS-system. We have integrations to personnel systems that facilitate scheduling, salary payments, tip payments, etc. Which means that you do not have to put a lot of manual work around these tasks and easily have an overview when the staff has clocked in and out, personnel costs, if someone has worked too much and many other good features.

Read our checklist on how to open a restaurant!