Every restaurant is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how many employees a restaurant needs. The number of restaurant workers a restaurant need depends on several factors, including the size of the restaurant, the type of cuisine served, and the hours of operation. However, there are certain general statistics that can give you a basic picture when hiring restaurant employees.
Strategies by type of restaurant
Self-service restaurant
Since customers serve themselves, self-service restaurants require fewer fast food workers overall. For example, a busy shift might have one server for every 12 tables and four kitchen staff for every 50 customers.
Casual dining restaurant
Customers demand more customer service if they are not assisting themselves, so you'll need additional personnel for each client to ensure that orders and clearing are kept up. A mix of one server for 5 - 6 tables per shift and 4 back-of-house employees per 50 tables is a good balance.
Fine dining restaurants
If you're offering a luxurious dining experience, then you need more servers out front and additional help in the kitchen. A good rule of thumb is one server for every 3-4 tables per shift, and 6-7 back-of-house staff members for every 50 customers.
It's important to remember that in addition to house staff, you may also need cleaners, a wine expert, a head waiter, and various types of chefs depending on the type of establishment. The fancier the restaurant, the more people you need working behind-the-scenes to make sure the customer has an effortless and enjoyable dining experience.
Restaurant Industry Statistics: Choosing between Quality vs Quantity
A high turnover rate is a big issue for any industry. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employee turnover rate in the hospitality industry rose from 78.9 percent in 2019 to a remarkable 130.7 percent in 2020. That's why many restaurant owners find it difficult when existing employees leave or there aren't enough qualified individuals to fill positions.
Quality is not only a subjective matter; it can also be quantified. Nowadays, many local businesses are now turning to data in order to improve their hiring processes and reduce employee turnover - which can be a very costly problem.
According to a WyckWyre poll of 750 respondents, hiring managers in the food and hospitality industry value quality over quantity when screening and hiring candidates. The outcome suggests that 94.9% of those hiring managers surveyed said they would prefer to filter through fewer applications who were more qualified than more applicants who might all be less qualified. The analysis was made in order to reduce the high turnover rate in the sector and save time during the recruiting process.
A crucial element to having a thriving restaurant is the ability to find and bring on excellent restaurant employees. No matter how great of a restaurant owner you are, it won't make up for bad staff members. If customers keep getting served by a rude or inefficient employee, your establishment will continue to get negative reviews online.
When you hire restaurant employees, keep in mind that you need to balance the correct staffing and management combination in order to satisfy your customers' demands while increasing sales. You require highly qualified individuals with industry experts who are legal and comply with all regulations and standards.
How to hire restaurant employees
Key strategies for an effective hiring process
The restaurant industry is grappling with a labor shortage, forcing the operators to reconsider their long-standing operational methods. According to the Association's tracking survey, 75% of restaurant owners say finding new employees is their most difficult problem.
To help you bring some of the best candidates available to your organization, we've outlined a step-by-step guide to the most effective recruitment strategies for restaurant hiring. Of course, you should tailor your strategy to your company's specific requirements, but adopting these standards will go a long way toward laying the groundwork.
Be specific in your job description
To increase the chance of obtaining great candidates moving through the pipeline, each position in your restaurant must be accurate to reality. Make sure you're clear with writing your restaurant job descriptions and providing real-world examples of what they'd be doing on a daily basis in your establishment
The better the job descriptions, the more likely hiring executives and applicants will agree on it, which may reduce the chance of a job offer being rejected or an employee quitting after starting.
For example, in your job posting, you may specify the actual restaurant job descriptions of house staff and write the following to any job boards to attract job seekers.
- Include how many tables can expect to wait on at once in a given shift.
- Is there any side work necessary in this role?
- Be specific on which day/shift availability is needed
- Qualifications and experience (if necessary)
- competitive salary
To make your restaurant appealing to job seekers, including topics such as:
- the establishment's origin story,
- what kind of service style it is, any recognition or awards it has received, and the benefits (or perks) of the position.
- emphasize the opportunity's worth
Keep your job description updated so you don't miss out on changes in requirements.
Find your core values
Consider your company's core values when you are hiring restaurant employees. What type of culture do you want to establish for your new employees? Which qualities matter most to you when determining if a team member is a good fit? Spending time to clearly outline your organization's values helps you bring on employees who will uphold those same beliefs. In doing so, you attract quality candidates that are a better match for your company.
Be specific about your company's values when hiring restaurant employees to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This way, you'll end up with restaurant workers who reflect those values and share diverse perspectives, which leads to more creativity overall in your workplace.
Know the role you are recruiting for
During the recruitment process, finding high-quality candidates for a position is all the more simple when you have a clear image of what you want. Establish modest expectations for yourself and others who may join your team (i.e as executive chef at your restaurant). It might be intimidating if the hire fails to meet your expectations after misunderstanding their task.
Promote your job openings
Local businesses may use a number of methods to market job openings. A job board is an internet platform that employers frequently utilize to advertise open jobs and attract candidates. The majority of job seekers use job boards to discover new employment opportunities or job postings in their field.
Aside from job boards, you may post jobs on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as well as LinkedIn or other professional networks. Search engines are another great channel to advertise any job openings.
Traditional job boards are still an excellent way to reach a big audience, and you can use newspaper advertisements or magazine partnerships to publicize your vacancies and job ad. You may also need to put up posters for your job posting within the vicinity of your organization to attract applicants when your restaurant is hiring.
If you’ve been doing this but have not had much success, try advertising at community colleges or other schools. There are always students looking for employment before graduation.
Scheduling and Conducting interviews
The interviewing process is key when onboarding new hires, but it's essential to remember that not every job applicant is the same. Posting on job boards and reviewing resumes are often the first step in finding quality applicants. So set some time apart in your schedule to interview each qualified candidate thoroughly and be flexible with scheduling them depending on each applicant's availability or needs.
During the interview process, evaluate their abilities while also keeping in mind incentives that can help you retain reliable staff members.
Best practices when scheduling and interviewing qualified candidates
- Find a time that works well with both parties, but also try not to set it too far out from when you want their employment start date as this can lead to job offers being accepted by another employer - something that is not uncommon in the restaurant industry.
- Be sure not to over-schedule interviews, as it will decrease your chances of hiring someone on time. It is better to conduct one or two interviews at any given time and avoid interviewees from seeing each other or waiting next to each other.
- Be on time for the interview and try to have a list of questions ready in hand or by memory.
- Be sure to be available and answer questions during the interview process. Sometimes people will feel more comfortable speaking with you if they have some time alone in your office before moving on to the next step of the hiring process - such as conducting an interview for another restaurant staff member.
- You can introduce some people from your restaurant to the interviewee to see if they would work well together. So, be mindful of timing when scheduling interviews for other staff members, as it may lead to a conflict with their work schedule or personal obligations.
- Offer your interviewee a glass of water or a coffee - they will be more comfortable and you will have time to evaluate their demeanor.
Have at least two managers interview every candidate
It is imperative to have more than one person interview qualified candidates during the recruitment process in order to guarantee that the decision-making process is both fair and objective. This also allows for choosing the candidate who is best suited for the job.
When hiring restaurant employees, having a variety of managers interview prospects also allows for a wider range of views, as various managers will have diverse goals and areas of expertise. It also gives managers the chance to get to know the candidates better and see how they perform in groups.
Use Interview role play and situational questions
When conducting an interview for the job candidates, make sure you are asking not only yes or no questions, but interview questions that have the candidates elaborate more.
In the hospitality industry, it's critical to be able to assess a candidate's capacity to deal effectively with customers and their capacity to adapt to varied situations. While past employment history and references can offer you an indication of someone's professional background, role-playing and situational questions during an interview can help you gain a better understanding of how they would react in various scenarios.
A few examples of possible questions you might include when hiring restaurant employees are: a role-play scenario, where a customer is unhappy with their food, how does the applicant handle the situation? Are they able to remain calm and resolve the issue? Alternatively, if they were suddenly understaffed and had a group of customers waiting, what would they do? Can they think on their feet and come up with an effective plan quickly?
Additionally, be sure to ask about any experience in the same industry or a related field when hiring employees. Other important questions include what they expect from the job and if they're willing to commit to long hours, including working nights and weekends. School, family obligations, and extracurricular activities may conflict with work schedule expectations; thus, it's crucial you assess whether an applicant is truly prepared for this type of position before hiring them.
Of course, you want to hire restaurant workers who are passionate and hardworking — so make sure you ask the proper questions before you make any job offer.
Some quick interview tips:
1) Introduce yourself, give some background on your role, and be sure to provide an overview of the company.
2) Keep interviews to short durations - allow 15-30 minutes for an interview.
3) Ask questions that will evaluate the individual's fit for the position.
4) Remember to exchange your contact information if you haven't already.
5) Do not rush the interview and allow the interviewee some time before answering the questions you ask them.
6) Give them a tour of your restaurant and show them where they will focus on working and who they can potentially be working with.
7) Give them a copy of your menu (or make them take a picture of it) at the end of the interview. Once they are hired, they can have the chance to know your menu before their training begins and have a smoother transition when starting to work.
Examples of open-ended interview questions
- What is your experience with this type of job?
- How does it make you feel to wear a uniform or follow a dress code in our restaurant?
- In what ways will you help provide great service for customers?
- How do you learn from the job posting?
- What are some of your tips or tricks when working in the restaurant industry?
- What are some challenges you may face on the job?
- Why did you find this job interesting?
- What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
- How do you take care of yourself and stay energized on the job?
- What would you like to try on the menu?
- What are your main responsibilities that may interfere with work?
- How long would it take you to travel from your home to work?
- What is your ideal work environment?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Do you have any health problems we should know about?
- How do you think you can enhance our team?
- How do you deal with conflict?
You can get a better idea of whether or not an applicant would be a good fit for your restaurant by asking these sorts of questions.
Hiring the Right Applicants
Finding qualified applicants for restaurant jobs may be difficult in today's competitive job market. Many corporate headquarters are having difficulties filling open positions due to the current labor shortage. This is especially true in the restaurant industry, where limited numbers of competent shift manager candidates are available.
While skills and experience are undeniably critical when hiring for a restaurant, one cannot understate the importance of finding a restaurant employee whose personality is a good match for the position. In other words, somebody with lots of experience in the restaurant industry might not be a good fit for a tiny family-owned eatery.
On the flip side, someone with not much experience could be great for a fast food place that's looking to hire people for entry-level positions. The secret is to look at each job seeker carefully and choose whoever best meets the needs of your restaurant.
Conduct a background check and verify credentials
When new hire employee joins a restaurant, they're coming into an environment with thousands of dollars on the line. The new dishwasher could easily drop and break a bottle of expensive wine. The new busboy could wander into the walk-in cooler and help himself to a steak. To prevent these costly accidents, most restaurants choose to conduct background checks on new employees.
A background check is a process of looking up someone's criminal history, credit history, and other public records.
Line cooks and shift managers are responsible for the safety and quality of the food served, so it is essential to verify that they have the appropriate training and experience. Furthermore, a new hire who will be handling money or access to sensitive areas such as the kitchen needs to be screened for theft or other criminal activity.
While background checks can be time-consuming and expensive, they're often worth the investment for restaurants, especially those that employ high-value positions like the executive chef. In fact, most restaurants require background checks for all new employees, regardless of position. So if you're looking to join the food industry, expect to undergo a background check as part of the hiring process.
Types of hires
Hiring restaurant staff can be difficult for owners when unemployment is at an all-time high. The restaurant industry has seen a high turnover rate of around 73%.
With hiring employees, it becomes important to promote the job vacancy and find referrals who may know qualified candidates.
To hire qualified restaurant candidates, it's important to promote the job vacancy on the job boards and find referrals who may know candidates that are interested in your company.
By promoting your job postings you're more likely to get an increased response rate from applicants! The key is finding out what the applicant is looking for in a restaurant.
Temporary staff for restaurant
Most restaurant simply hires temporary staff during busier times and this is one of many strategies for hiring new restaurant workers for them. It is important that temporary staff are given scenarios and solutions to them early on in the training process.
Temporary restaurant staff can help prevent turnover rates by hiring the best candidates and filling vacant positions while the restaurant is hiring. Over the long-term, these temporary workers may replace your staff permanently.
If a restaurant hires unqualified temporary staff, it may face negative consequences in the future. Furthermore, these workers may not be available during prime times – such as lunch hour – when hiring extra help is often most needed. Additionally, their schedules might not be as flexible as those of employees who have been hired for permanent positions.
Referrals
Referrals are not only less likely to quit, but they also tend to be more qualified and understand the culture of your restaurant. Referrals can help establish a family-like atmosphere among the restaurant staff.
Once you find a referral, offer your staff members who made the referral a bonus if their friends get hired - so that word will spread and you can increase your pool of applicants.
When looking for referrals ask the following staff in your restaurant:
1. Managers
2. Co-workers
3. Chefs
4. Bartenders
5. Bussers
7. Concierge staff
Nonetheless, confide in restaurant staff who are themselves reliable and hard-working, or have qualities that you think keep your restaurant afloat.
If hiring by referral doesn't work out for the best, then you still have other options in place such as interviewing them or giving incentives.
Choosing from a pool of applicants
When it comes to choosing from a pool of applicants, the process can be daunting. There are a few steps you can do to make the best choice for restaurant jobs. Start by reviewing all the applications and narrowing them down to those with experience in your specific field of expertise.
An applicant can stand out by sending in an application that is personalized to the hiring restaurant's needs, such as using up-to-date language like "Skills: Customer Service." Check resumes for accuracy as this will be an indicator that they are either reliable or unreliable employees that pay little attention to detail in their work.
Be sure to look at those who have been with you for a long time. These are proven restaurant employees and show they can make a commitment. It also shows that your business environment is attractive enough for them to stay.
It's important to have a variety of restaurant employees so that you don't get tired of working with the same people. Make sure to understand what their preferred position is, but always fill open positions with the most qualified applicants.
Here are a few of the responsibilities of restaurant workers.
Shift managers' job descriptions:
- Assign tasks to restaurant staff.
- Supervise restaurant staff throughout the shift.
- Keep track of how much inventory you have on hand.
- Restock inventory as needed.
- Ensure that adequate staff members are on duty for the shift.
- Balance the cash register every shift.
- Keep track of bookings.
- Deal with employee conflicts.
Skilled chefs' job descriptions:
- Food preparation and its ingredients.
- Are able to control the quality of their work.
- Need to understand the relationship between quality, quantity, and cost of ingredients.
- They also should communicate with staff in a way that motivates them and helps them improve their skills.
- It's important for chefs to be experienced, have an understanding of customer service, and know how to implement new technology into their kitchen.
- How to reduce food waste and equally portion out each dish on the menu.
Skilled waiters' job descriptions:
- Know when to take the customer's order (before or after appetizers)
- Can remember a table's food preferences by name so that they can accurately serve their dish without having to ask questions.
- Can cite the menu by heart and remember the specials if applicable
- Can recommend food and drink pairings
- Know their way around charming customers
- Regularly checks up on the customer
- Makes sure allergies are known and communicated with other food handling staff
Skilled bartenders' job descriptions:
- How to mix drinks
- Have customer service skills
- Know the drink menu by heart and can suggest food pairings
- Keep track of inventory and place orders if needed
- Follow laws pertaining to age restrictions
- Prepare food for drinks (lemon / lime / orange slices)
- Efficiently use bartender tools
Skilled bussers job descriptions:
- How to clean tables
- Know which dishes go on which table
- Can bus their own section and work as a team with other bussers
- Know the restaurant's layout by heart
- Are fast and respectful to customers when handling food and drinks
- Properly balance heavy trays and avoid spillage
- Replace the bar ice when possible
- Can lift chairs and tables to rearrange them / clean them
- Have low chances of breaking cutlery, dishware, etc.
- Mop and vacuum when needed
Skilled delivery drivers know:
- How to navigate the delivery routes
- Know which restaurant's dishes they are delivering
- Can efficiently load and unload their vehicle
- Can drive a manual or automatic car with ease (if applicable)
- Are able to maneuver in tight spaces for parking deliveries (garages)
- Will be familiar with various traffic regulations
- Follow safety precautions if necessary
- Accept the money from customers before giving out the food
Skilled concierge staff knows:
- How to greet customers
- Can handle a variety of phone calls, such as reservations and cancellations
- Know the restaurant's menu inside out (their own section)
- Know their designated tasks in the hiring restaurant so that they can be efficient with time, avoiding slowdowns.
- Are able to serve food items at tables by request or following pre-set tables
- Can handle difficult customers with tact and diplomacy
- Know the hiring restaurant's business hours, policies, etc. so that they can answer questions confidently
- It will be helpful if concierge staff also know the hiring restaurant's layout in order to serve food items more efficiently at customer requests.
Skilled dishwashers know:
- How to remove dishware and cutlery from the restaurant's dishes racks
- Can load dirty dishes into a washing machine or sink without breaking them.
- Are respectful in handling food items
- Can keep track of how many times they've washed a dish or its quantity of dirty dishes
- Know when to restock washing materials
- Use gloves
- Organize dishes and cutlery by category
- Soak items to disinfect them before washing
- Shine utensils if needed
- Remove tough stains on glassware (lipstick stains, food streaks, etc.)
Skilled managers know:
- How to manage staff
- Can recognize the hiring restaurant's strengths and weaknesses
- Know how to coach staff on their skills, as well as identify what may need improvement
- Are able to delegate tasks efficiently so that each person can get them done in time for customer service.
- Understand legal issues
- Are familiar with restaurant staffing laws
'Tis the season
Holiday hiring is a popular choice for hiring restaurant workers. When Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve are around the corner, many restaurants will be hiring more workers to deal with increased customer demand.
In some cases, hiring seasonal help might be your best option as it can save money on benefits yet still satisfy customers' needs.
Some employees may want to work on New Year's Eve. Let's say, in this case, they should be paid double-time. For those with cultural holidays, make sure they still receive the same treatment - paid holidays, as any other holiday would apply.
Make a Competitive Offer
If you're in the restaurant business, you know that finding and keeping good restaurant employees can always be difficult. This is especially true if you're trying to attract new hires in a tight labor market.
One way to make your restaurant more attractive to potential hiring candidates is to offer a competitive benefits package. This could include things like health insurance packages, paid vacation days, and competitive pay. In the long run, this will help to improve your bottom line.
Types of incentives
What keeps restaurant employees is determined by many factors, some of which may be personal, while some may be financial.
When providing incentives, it's important not to promise too much in the beginning because you want your employees working out of loyalty and not just for the money or perks they have been given at first sight.
Most restaurant staff will often stay at their employment if they are satisfied with the salary and hours they are given. Another reason is that if they enjoy their job or working with co-workers then this is also an incentive to keep them at your establishment longer.
A smart way to prevent employee attrition is to pay workers fairly wages, provide higher compensation, or offer additional hours. Also, giving them flexibility with holidays, offering paid sick days, allowing them to edit their schedule to fit around personal, health, and educational responsibilities and being accepting of value differences are effective approaches you may implement to keep your workers.
Onboarding and training for new hires
Cross-Train Employees
Successful service restaurant businesses have a few things in common when hiring restaurant employees, and one of those is having a strong onboarding and training program for a new employee.
Make sure to invest in time and effort to properly onboard and train new restaurant employees to set them up for success in their role and help to ensure that they will be able to provide outstanding service to your guests.
Create a clear plan and concise documentation. The newly employed staff should be given a thorough overview of your restaurant's operations, as well as an introduction to the various stations. This includes showing them the dining room where all of the equipment is located and how it should be used with each station requiring its own set of skills and knowledge. They should then be shadowed by a more experienced restaurant employee to get a feel for the flow of service. It is also important to cross-train staff so that they are able to assist in multiple areas of the restaurant.
Finally, they should be put through a trial service shift to ensure that they are able to handle the pace and demands of the job. On the other hand, offering continuous training on customer service skills is critical to guarantee good customer interaction.
Providing dress code
Be open-minded and be flexible with what your restaurant employees can wear as a uniform. Provide a uniform or a set color code that is accessible for everyone to wear. This may be as simple as offering logo t-shirts or letting them showcase their style while still following restaurant guidelines. Dress codes help in the identification of staff and provide a more cohesive atmosphere. It will also show that your restaurant is diverse and willing to change as your staff develops over time. Sometimes, certain items of clothing, such as dresses, may not be comfortable for everyone to wear while working.
Finding which qualities are important
Focus on Attitude and Character
When finding the right staff for your restaurant, their qualities outside of their duties should be considered.
Make sure that they can work well with the existing employees, are a good cultural fit for your restaurant, and have an attitude of service excellence.
By assessing which qualities you want in employees before hiring them, it will allow limited turnover rates to take place where everyone is content at their job.
You can find some of the following qualities of good employees.
- Communicates well with current employees
- Suits the company culture
- Patient with staff and customers
- Respectful
- Tech-savvy
- Keeps the premises presentable (organized)
- Has a flexible schedule and is ready to work when needed
- Arrives early or on time (punctual)
- Has restaurant knowledge and experience
- Follows duties and rules
- Takes on tasks to help other staff
- Gives feedback on how to improve the restaurant
- Finds tasks to do throughout their shift
- Stays calm under stress (busy shifts)
- Can take account of their own mistakes (honesty)
- Efficiently multitasks
- Has good memory
- Is open to learning from staff or training staff
- Displays helpful and friendly behaviors
Costs of hiring staff
Restaurants have been experiencing higher unemployment rates ever since the pandemic has restricted their services. The industry has a long way to go to recover, with employment down by 2.8 million, or 16.8%, since February 2020.
Hiring restaurant employees can be costly, so it is best that owners are prepared beforehand and know what all needs to be done before hiring staff.
Restaurants hiring staff will have to pay for all hiring-related costs such as training, payroll, and taxes. Restaurants hiring staff will also have to pay for the benefits of hiring a new staff such as health care and retirement contributions.
It costs on average $2,000 to hire new staff. This hiring cost is the same whether a restaurant hires for dishwasher or a chef.
A large number of restaurants in your area will be competing with you to hire restaurant employees, so make sure they know what’s available at your establishment.
You also have to consider hiring benefits including health insurance and salary because this can range widely between establishments. Take note that, the hiring cost of a new restaurant employee is the same whether hiring for dishwasher or chef.
Therefore, there really is no way to answer this question without knowing what restaurant location is hiring for and the wage offered. However, we advise not hiring anyone for less than $20/$hour.
Focusing on Staff Retention: Valuing your staff
If you're one of the bar or restaurant owners, it is essential that you offer all your restaurant employees room for growth within their position and offer them a living wage and job security. This will help you keep your restaurant workers, as they won't need to look for other opportunities because their income or benefits are unsatisfactory. It's critical that you are aware of this kind of situation ahead of time so you don't get caught off guard later on by unexpected expenses!
You can take a number of measures to accomplish this in your restaurant. You may provide training for your employees so that they are aware of new restaurant standards and spend time with them if they do not understand something or haven't mastered the skill yet. It is your responsibility to maintain an open communication line with your restaurant's staff so that they may keep up to date on what's going on and offer suggestions to improve things.
You can also provide constructive feedback on well-executed skills and customer service, as well as give them opportunities to grow. Provide incentives for the best employees such as time off or extra gratuities for excellent performance or even a raise for doing an exceptional job.
Additionally, when the shift is more than four hours long, make sure your team has time to relax. Some restaurants may provide discounted meals so that employees don't have to bring their lunch or supper every day of the week.
Ultimately, finding competent and best employees has never been simpler, thanks to job opportunities becoming available. To have an effective management style, it is important that you are open to new ideas and people with diverse skill sets when hiring. You may never know what they'll contribute to the workplace, and you'll need everyone on board for the busy season when hiring restaurant staff.
By hiring top-tier restaurant staff, you'll see your ROI in customer satisfaction and repeat business. Keep in mind that the more you appreciate your restaurant workers, the less likely they are to go!
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