As the restaurant labor shortage wages on, managers and business owners are trying a range of different tactics to get more applicants in the door—and away from the competition. While there are plenty of ways to recruit more talent, sprucing up your job descriptions for new hires is a good place to start. After all, you’re not just looking to schedule interviews, but to sell the job to potential applicants. With more competition than ever to choose from, how will you make your restaurant’s job description stand out? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Brag about your benefits
Everyone expects a solid starting wage these days, but it’s your total benefits package that also entices someone to apply—especially with today’s workforce craving more from employer-sponsored benefits. Health, vision, and dental insurance are all obvious draws, as is a generous PTO package. Also include any financial wellness offerings like same day payments, earned wage access, financial coaching, or 401(k) plans. Other financial incentives—like signing bonuses, stipends, or even the ability to start paying people on Day 1—can all be exciting differentiators that draw in more talent.
Pro tip: Think outside the box when it comes to benefits; revisit your employee benefits each year to ensure you’re offering helpful perks. (An employee benefit survey can do the trick.)
2. Be clear about culture
Ask anyone what has made them stay at a job the longest and you’ll likely hear some combination of a positive work culture and the people who work there. Does your restaurant pride itself on being a fun, fast-paced environment where lively personalities thrive? Do you offer a flexible schedule that allows people to pick and choose shifts easily based on their other obligations? These are all things to highlight so that applicants get an idea of what working for you is really like.
Pro tip: Feeling like your culture could use a tune-up? Check out these tips on how to build a positive work culture.
3. Describe tip payout style
One of the biggest draws for working in the hospitality field is the promise of taking home tips each day. However, many restaurants are stuck in the past—either placing tips on each paycheck or having to tip out workers in cash, something that often creates unnecessary hurdles. If you utilize cashless tipping and can pay people out at the end of each shift digitally, this is something to highlight. With more competition in the hospitality industry than ever before, the pace of pay is crucial, and job applicants want to know how quickly they’ll see their hard-earned money.
(As CJ Dimino, Director of Restaurant Operations for Hop City Craft Beer & Wine pointed out in a recent case study, “you miss tips for one day and all hell breaks loose…any employee could go two doors down and get another job instantly if they wanted!”)
Pro tip: Want to find the best tip payout method for your business? We’ve got you covered with this comprehensive guide.
4. Accurately reflect job duties
Crucial to retaining talent is being upfront about what a role is really like. Be transparent and include both specific details of the job and overall responsibilities. For example, if you’re hiring for a host, you’d want to include taking reservations and seating guests as daily tasks but also list that you’re looking for someone with strong communication skills (to ensure guests are aware of wait times) and strong interpersonal skills (to keep them happy and confident that they’re taken care of.) Pulling a bait and switch will only increase the chance that talent will leave sooner.
Pro tip: The more honest you can be about what the job is really like, the more you’ll attract the right people who stick around.
5. Highlight opportunities for growth
An overlooked need that much of the Gen Z talent pool has these days is a clear path for promotions and growth. One study even cited that 76% of Gen Z workers expect to be promoted within a year. They want to know that when they join your company, they’re joining a team that’s invested in their professional growth—not just entering a dead-end job. Call out how promotions and growth opportunities are presented in your job listing; are they evaluated on a yearly basis? Do you need to meet certain requirements or pass certain training? It’s never too early to outline what growth looks like at your company. Plus, promoting from within not only saves you time and resources, but can also help retain talent for longer.
Pro tip: Re-skilling and upskilling at your restaurant will be crucial to boost retention in the years to come.
6. Don’t forget your core values
Pay, benefits, and descriptions of daily tasks are all necessary, but don’t forget to connect your core values and overall mission to your post, too. According to a Glassdoor survey, company values are among the top five attributes job seekers look for when evaluating where to work. Outline your key values (they can be single words or a few sentences) to give someone an idea of what you prioritize. Any charitable organizations you work with or ways you give back to the community should be highlighted as well. This will help you attract hosts, servers, chefs, and managers that align with the culture you want to promote. After all–it’s not just about getting any applicant in the door, but about bringing in the right people for your restaurant who will stick around.
Pro tip: Need help defining your company values? Start here.
Winning the war on talent in today’s labor market isn’t easy, but if you start by adding more transparency, authenticity, and value-based language to your job postings, you’ll be able to recruit and retain the right kind of staff for your restaurant.
