RestaurantOwner.com released the results of their 2017 Independent Restaurant Recruiting Survey. The report summarizes input gathered from over 400 independent restaurant owners and operators regarding their proven recruiting practices.
A copy of the report is available at: https://www.restaurantowner.com/Recruiting2017/.
Survey Results:
The days of the Help Wanted sign are numbered. Only a third (34%) of independent restaurant owners reported using signs placed in their restaurant to announce job openings. Instead, resourceful restauranteurs are turning to technology in their search for new talent, with 57% indicating that they use internet classifieds, 56% social networks, and 44% internet job sites in their search for new talent.
Despite technology-based solutions, word-of-mouth is still the best recruiting tool. An overwhelming majority (86%) of independent restaurant operators rely on employee referrals to find new team members. And when asked where they found the best employees, 48% responded with employee referrals.
Surprisingly, only 26% of respondents had a formal referral program. For independent restaurants that rewarded successful candidate referrals, employees typically earned $100 per referral once a referred candidate was employed for 90 days.
A positive restaurant culture (48%) was the most cited response to, “What’s the #1 reason people want to work in your restaurant?” Culture was more important than a desirable schedule (8%), the need for a job (10%), and even good pay/benefits (22%). Despite this, only 39% of respondents included information about their restaurant culture in job postings.
The two most cited hurdles currently faced by independent restaurant operators are a lack of qualified applicants (78%) and competition for employees (44%). Savvy restaurateurs shared that they overcame these hurdles with continuous recruiting, employee referrals, and by actively recruiting the employed.
Additional insights, graphs, figures, and statistics are included in the report.
