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It’s no secret that hiring and employee retention are among the biggest challenges restaurateurs face today. el Restaurante readers have confirmed that in several studies we’ve done over the past few years.
So, what’s the secret to overcoming those challenges? The recently released What Restaurant Employees Want: 2024 Report from 7shifts offers insight from its survey of 1500+ active restaurant employees who answered questions about what they want from restaurant work, why they chose hospitality, what drives them to change jobs, and what benefits and training they desire.
Key findings include:
#1 Flexibility remains an advantage for hospitality. Flexible hours and work-life balance attract and retain hospitality workers.
#2 Camaraderie is as essential as getting paid. Coworkers and team are on par with financial incentives when it comes to what motivates restaurant workers.
#3 Employees don't leave restaurants — they leave managers. Nearly half of all employees who told us they've left a restaurant job before said they did so due to difficult management.
#4 You can't give too much recognition — or feedback. More than half of respondents rated “More recognition from management” as something that would increase their engagement at work. However, when we asked how often they currently receive feedback (either positive or constructive), a quarter of all employees said they rarely received any at all.
#5 Restaurant employees want the benefits of traditional 9-to-5. Restaurant work and benefits haven't historically gone hand in hand. However, as restaurants have become more demanding, the conventional 9-to-5 job benefits like health insurance, paid sick days, vacation, retirement accounts, and more are table stakes.
#6 Employees want in-person training — and quickly at that. 46.6 percent of respondents said the sweet spot for training is between 1 and 2 weeks. 38 percent would rather have a shorter training period of less than a week. While, 25 percent want to be thrown into the fire with no training.
#7 Many employees see hospitality as a long-term career. And they need opportunities to grow. A lack of opportunities also drives employees away — 24 percent of employees listed a “lack of opportunities” as a reason they've left a restaurant job. Around 75 percent of restaurant employees say that a clear career path and growth opportunities are either important or extremely important for job satisfaction.
What is your restaurant doing to provide at least some of the things workers say they want? Let us know and we’ll feature some of the responses in future issues!
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