It can be tough to find good entry-level employees, especially in the restaurant industry. If you’re a quick-service restaurant (QSR), you are probably understaffed and struggling to keep up with demand.
Like most QSR operators, you’re always looking for ways to improve your staffing levels. After all, efficient staffing is critical to ensuring that customer experiences are positive and that orders are fulfilled accurately and quickly. However, finding the right balance of employees can be difficult, especially if you’re dealing with high turnover or sudden spikes in customer demand.
In this blog post, we will provide some QSR hiring tips so that you can find hourly workers to help your business thrive.
Analyze Your Store’s Traffic and Sales Trends
Before contacting QSR hiring platforms to find qualified applicants, closely monitor your store’s traffic and sales trends. This will give you a good idea of when you need the most help and where you can cut back during slower periods. Additionally, it’s essential to consider any seasonal variations in customer demand when making your staffing plans. By analyzing your store’s traffic and sales trends, you can ensure that you’re always adequately staffed — even during your busiest times.
Train Your Current Employees on New Tasks
As any QSR hiring manager knows, it can be difficult to maintain high-quality service when a QSR is understaffed. In such cases, creativity in using your existing staff is essential.
One way to do this is to train your current employees on new tasks that they will be taking on. For example, if you are short on cashiers, you can train your cooks to also handle transactions. This will help to keep the line moving and minimize the impact on customer satisfaction.
Similarly, if you are short on servers, you can train your host/hostess to also take orders and deliver food.
By being flexible in how you use your staff, you can help to ensure that your QSR runs smoothly even when it is understaffed.
Reach Out to Local Colleges and Universities
One of the most effective QSR hiring tips for finding quality part-time workers is to reach out to local colleges and universities and ask them to advertise your job posting. Many students are looking for part-time work that fits their schedule and can offer them valuable work experience.
In addition, most college students are already familiar with the fast pace of the QSR industry and are eager to learn new skills.
By establishing a relationship with a local college or university, you’ll have an ongoing pipeline of talented and motivated employees.
Consider Hiring Temporary Workers
Temporary workers can provide much-needed assistance during busy periods and help cover for employees who are out on vacation or sick leave.
When hiring temporary workers, write accurate job descriptions and discuss your expectations upfront.
Additionally, it is crucial to provide temporary workers with adequate training so that they can hit the ground running.
While hiring temporary workers may not be a long-term solution, it can help you get through periods of high demand without compromising service quality.
Reduce Employee Turnover
Employee turnover can be costly. It takes time and money to interview and train new employees, and high turnover rates can also negatively impact morale and customer satisfaction. However, businesses in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry often face even higher rates of turnover due to the nature of the work.
To reduce employee turnover, QSRs should focus on hiring individuals who are a good fit for the job and providing adequate training and support.
When it comes to the QSR hiring process, consider what kind of personality and skill set will be a good fit for the fast-paced, customer-facing environment of a QSR.
For some positions, such as cashiers or food prep workers, prior experience may not be necessary. Instead, during the interview process, look for applicants who are outgoing, reliable, and able to learn new tasks quickly.
It is also essential to provide adequate training for all new employees. A thorough orientation can help employees feel confident in their roles and better equipped to handle the job’s demands.
Finally, support your team by creating a positive work environment and providing opportunities for advancement. When employees feel valued and supported, they are more likely to stick around.
Collaborate With HourWork
QSR hiring is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be done alone. At HourWork, we specialize in assisting QSRs to find fit candidates for customers in the QSR industry.
Our software platform makes it easy to reach out to the people most likely to be interested in your open positions — past applicants and former employees.
We also help you reach out to new hires and other employees to find out how they’re doing and what you can do to support them. An employee can answer with a simple text message on their mobile app, and you can see the results in real-time.
Get in touch to discuss your QSR hiring and retention needs.