It’s no secret that the fast food industry has a high turnover rate. This constant turnover can be expensive and time-consuming for employers, who have to constantly train new staff. It can also be frustrating for customers, who may have to deal with inexperienced employees delivering orders and providing service.

So how can you find your next crew member? In this blog post, we will discuss eight recruiting ideas for hourly employees so that you can make the hiring process easier and find the best part-time and full-time workers for your restaurant.

Use Talent Acquisition Software

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One of the best recruiting ideas for hourly employees is to use talent acquisition software.

This software can help you post your job openings on multiple job boards with just a few clicks, saving you time and money. 

Talent acquisition software can also:

  • Identify search terms that candidates are using to find jobs like yours
  • Help streamline the recruiting process by providing a central place for job postings and candidate applications
  • Help you find the best candidates for open positions with screening and assessment tools
  • Automate interview scheduling

By using talent acquisition software, fast food companies can improve their hiring practices and increase their chances of finding the best candidates for their open positions.

Use Artificial Intelligence

Recruiter using AI to hiring for fast food

When you’re thinking about recruiting ideas for hourly employees, don’t overlook the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Recent advancements in AI have created new opportunities for fast food companies to streamline their hiring process.

By using AI-powered tools, such as chatbots and e-learning platforms, fast food companies can speed up the hiring process while still ensuring that they are recruiting the best talent.

For example, AI can assess an applicant’s resume and work history to identify critical skills and qualifications. AI can also help to identify potential red flags, such as employment gaps or criminal history.

In addition, hiring managers can use AI-based assessment tools to evaluate a candidate’s skills and personality, providing valuable insights that can help to improve the quality of the hiring decision.

As the use of AI in hiring becomes more widespread, fast food companies that embrace this technology will be well-positioned to stay ahead of the competition.

Nurture Promising Candidates

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Another one of the best hourly employee recruiting ideas is to nurture promising candidates. Instead of just hiring whoever walks in the door, take the time to find candidates with the potential to be long-term employees. Get to know each candidate before making a hiring decision.

This means going beyond the resume and conducting interviews that explore each person’s motivations, goals, and skills. Then, provide them with on-the-job training and mentorship to grow into their positions.

By investing in your employees, you’ll not only reduce turnover, but you’ll also save money in the long run.

Automate Employee Referrals

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Many franchises consider employee referrals one of the top recruiting ideas for hourly employees. However, managing ad hoc employee referrals can be challenging.

A more effective approach is to automate the employee referral process.

By using an automated system, you can ensure that all referrals are appropriately vetted and that only the most qualified candidates are considered.

Automated referrals can also help to speed up the hiring process, as candidates can be automatically scheduled for interviews as soon as they are referred.

Additionally, an automated system can help track referrers, making it easy to identify and reward employees who make successful referrals.

Use an Online Application Process

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The reality of trying to hire hourly employees is that many potential applicants simply don’t follow through on the application process. However, by switching to an online application process, fast food restaurants can make hiring easier for both themselves and potential employees.

This allows potential employees to fill out the necessary paperwork from the comfort of their own homes.

It also saves the restaurant time and money by eliminating the need to print and post paper applications. In addition, online applications can be quickly sorted and browsed, making it easier for the restaurant to find qualified candidates.

Make Your Hiring Process Clear and Easy to Understand

Another of the top hourly employee recruiting ideas is to make sure that your hiring process is straightforward and easy to understand.

Clarify what the job entails, for example, cash handling and preparing food, and what the hours will be. Most importantly, be upfront about the compensation. 

By outlining the requirements and expectations for each position, you will make it easier for candidates to determine if they are a good fit for the job.

In addition, clearly explaining the hiring process steps will help ensure that candidates are not caught off guard or surprised by any of the requirements.

Stay in Touch With Former Applicants and Employees

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The next level of recruiting ideas for hourly employees is to stay in touch with people who express interest in or have worked for your quick-service fast food restaurant.

By maintaining a relationship with former applicants and employees, you’ll have a ready pool of qualified candidates to choose from when you need to fill a position. Plus, they’ll already be familiar with your business, saving you time and energy in the hiring process. 

This can be done through automated emails or text messages to check in with former applicants and employees and see if they’re interested in open positions.

Additionally, staying in touch can help to build goodwill with potential employees, making them more likely to consider working at the restaurant in the future.

Check In With New Hires

No matter how successful you are at hiring team members, there’s always the risk that some new hires won’t work out and will need to be replaced.

That’s why improving employee retention is such an important goal for any business. When employees are happy in their jobs, they’re less likely to leave, so you won’t need to hire as often.

One way to improve employee retention is to check in with new hires soon after they start their jobs.

Checking in with new hires during their first 90 days on the job can help them feel welcome and appreciated. It can also give you a chance to answer any questions or address any concerns they may have. Also, you can better understand what factors are causing them to leave and take steps to address those issues.

By taking the time to connect with new employees, you can help encourage them to stick around for the long haul.

Recruit Fast. Stop Turnover.

HourWork

Hiring hourly workers for your franchise can be a pain. It’s hard to find good people and even harder to keep them around. 

HourWork makes hiring and retaining hourly workers simple and easy. We help you recruit by sending texts and emails to the people you already know: past applicants and former employees.

We also automate check-ins with new employees so that you can find out if they’re having any problems getting shifts, communicating with their general manager, or getting their first paycheck.

If you’re looking for hourly employee recruiting ideas, look no further than HourWork. We can help you find and keep the best hourly workers for your franchise.

Get in touch to discuss your hiring and retention needs.