Are you a quick service restaurant (QSR) in desperate need of new employees? The search for quality, hardworking staff can be challenging, and it often feels like there is never enough to go around. With turnarounds affecting the workforce and customer demand ever-growing, staffing your restaurant effectively has become more important than ever.
Fortunately, with a few practical hiring ideas for restaurants , you can make sure your QSR remains properly staffed even during peak times. In this blog post, we will discuss how to find reliable workers quickly so that you can hire an effective team dedicated to providing your customers with top-notch service.
The Effects of Understaffed Restaurants on Your Business
The restaurant industry is currently facing a labor shortage. Recent restaurant labor shortage statistics indicate that over 60% of restaurants report staffing troubles. Why are restaurants understaffed right now? This increase is due to rising wages, the availability of more desirable jobs, an aging workforce, and changing employment preferences among younger generations. Working at an understaffed restaurant can lead to several problems:
- Longer wait times for customers
- Lower customer satisfaction
- High employee turnover rates
- Increase in food waste
- Decreased efficiency and productivity
- Higher labor costs
- Other restaurant staff problems due to burnout and frustration
The employee recruitment process in the food industry can be brutal. If you want to learn how to handle short staffing in a restaurant and how to hire fast food workers quickly, then it’s up to you to take the first step. Perhaps you can begin by upgrading your restaurant job descriptions—as well as your hiring tactics.
One of your primary restaurant responsibilities as a business owner or manager is to always ensure that your QSR remains properly staffed—not only for the sake of customer service but also for long-term success. How can you go about achieving this? Here are some tips to refine your restaurant hiring process.
5 Hiring Ideas for Understaffed Restaurants
Gone are the days of placing a “Now Hiring” sign in your window and hoping that someone applies for a job. It’s time to get proactive about filling the gaps in your restaurant staff. Here are five hiring strategies for food service industry jobs.
1. Utilize Local Job Boards
Do you want to learn how to hire fast food workers and other staff? Local listings on job boards will often attract potential employees who already live nearby and have an interest in working for QSRs like yours.
2. Tap Into Online Job Platforms
Consider creating a profile on major online recruitment websites and apps, such as Glassdoor and Indeed. Make sure the restaurant job descriptions include all relevant information about the positions you’re looking to fill. If you are looking to hire waiters for a restaurant (as opposed to fast food workers), be sure to make this clear.
3. Utilize Social Media
Social media can be an invaluable tool for finding new hires quickly. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow you to reach a larger pool of potential applicants and circulate restaurant hiring posts with ease. Be sure to post relevant content—such as restaurant job descriptions, photographs, or videos—that will attract the right kind of people to apply.
4. Leverage Existing Networks
Utilizing your restaurant’s existing networks is an effective way to fill positions at understaffed restaurants quickly. Ask employees for referrals and also reach out to former employees who may be interested in coming back on board.
5. Offer Incentives
Working at an understaffed restaurant can be tough. Offering incentives to employees can be a great way to attract and retain quality staff. Consider offering bonuses, paid vacation time, or other rewards for excellent performance.
While staffing your restaurant can be a challenge, it is certainly not an insurmountable one. By utilizing the above tips and hiring ideas for restaurants, you will ensure that your QSR remains properly staffed during peak times and continues to provide excellent customer service.
Why are Restaurants Understaffed Right Now?
It is no surprise that restaurant hiring has become increasingly difficult in recent years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there is a labor shortage in the food industry with more job openings than available workers.
This anomaly can be attributed to several factors —including baby boomers retiring from their positions, minimum wages increasing, and the rising competition for skilled and experienced staff from other industries. The good news is that there are some tried and true tactics for recruiting and retaining quality employees despite the current challenges.
Recruitment and Selection Process for Restaurants
Get creative with your restaurant hiring process. Recruiting via job boards is not the only way to find qualified candidates for your restaurant’s positions. Think outside of the box.
Consider partnering with local universities or community centers to gain access to more potential hires. Additionally, investigate virtual job fairs and career expos as a way to get your name out there and cost-effectively reach new applicants.
Technology can also make hiring more efficient by streamlining the recruitment process. It also helps you avoid manually selecting applications or going through tedious rounds of interviews for each candidate.
Also, consider using an applicant tracking system (ATS), automated scheduling tools, and other software for your restaurant hiring process. These tools will further help you manage your recruitment efforts. For more hiring ideas for restaurants and how to streamline the restaurant hiring process, contact KarmaCheck today.
Which Pre-Employment Drug Screening Test is Best?
What drug test do most employers use? The most common pre-employment drug test is urinalysis because it requires less preparation time for the applicant than other methods. It’s also usually faster and cheaper for the employer.
There are a few things to consider when conducting drug tests. First, there is no universal standard for performing the test. Second, each company employs a different set of rules for screening job applicants. Third, it is important to know what kind of drug test is appropriate for your unique organization.
Employees that are facing criminal charges should not apply for any job involving a risk assessment. They should also avoid taking part in any activities that involve high-risk work. Furthermore, employees who are pregnant must avoid taking part in drug tests. And finally, the applicant should seek legal advice if they have been accused of abusing drugs. A lawyer can help them understand the potential legal consequences of failing a drug test.
What Should a Drug Testing Policy Include?
Are you an employer looking to create a drug testing policy? Drug abuse in the workplace can be damaging and costly. It can decrease productivity, increase employer insurance rates, and jeopardize the health and welfare of your other employees. No matter the size of your staff, creating a safe environment with a comprehensive drug testing policy is important
Covering all bases is critical when creating your drug testing policy. Employers should include:
- The types of drugs for screening
- Who will be tested
- When and how frequently will employees and job applicants be tested
- How samples are collected and tested
- Potential consequences for failing tests
- Details about employee privacy
- Confidentiality rules
- And the availability of resources and educational materials for those affected by substance abuse
Drug testing policies can help prevent workplace accidents due to impairment by drugs, alcohol, or pharmaceuticals. With a well-defined plan in place, employers will ensure their business remains productive and respected within their community.
When creating and planning for future drug screening policies, Human Resource Departments may want to consider conducting these tests in accordance with their education verification protocols and the interviewing of past employers. Coordinating multiple aspects of the job hiring process saves time, money, and potential delays in proper staffing.
Conclusion
For many business sectors and industries today, pre-employment drug testing and professional healthcare background checks are becoming a critical part of the job applicant hiring process. Drug screening helps employers identify the best candidates and weed out those unfit for the job.
While the urine test is the most common type of drug test for employment applicants, there are specific advantages to the hair, saliva, and blood testing processes that a standard urinalysis may not be able to provide. Before an employer decides on which method to use, it is recommended that they speak with a medical professional with expertise in drug screening.
If you have any questions about typical drug screening for employment staffing, an expert will help answer questions about cost, testing accuracy, and even the approximate retrieval time of testing results. CEOs and Directors of Operations should also consult with their Human Resources Department before making final decisions. For more information about the most common drug tests for employment screening, contact KarmaCheck today.
