Restaurants invest a lot in labor when they hire people. They train, sign employees up for food-safety certifications, and put money towards their health insurance. All this is a lot of work, but it is worth it to keep hiring throughout the year. In fact, you want to always be hiring. Why? Well, consider the following:

1. Fast Turnover

The hospitality industries have a high turn-over rate. Over half of all the people you hire will be gone before the end of their first year. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, the turnover rate for restaurant staff tends to be higher than other private-sector industries. This will leave you short-staffed often if you have only just enough to cover all the shifts. This is especially true at the start of the busy season, when you will likely have to scramble to replace people.

2. Capture New Talent

Restaurants are people-oriented. They rely on stellar personalities that can work tables. You want to always be on the look-out for such a person because you never know when that star will be asking you for an interview. That person’s energy and loyalty will brighten everyone’s attitude, bring in more customers, and bring new ideas to your business.

3. Being Prepared For A Change In Business

Your restaurant can be dead one month and super busy the next. It is tempting to let hiring slide in those slow months, but then you find yourself playing catch-up in the busy months. The smart move is to keep hiring throughout the year so that you always are well-staffed. You can always decrease the hours of several staff members during the off-season, and you can start new employees out with only a few hours. You just need backup for when you get an influx of customers.

It is tempting to let hiring slide in those slow months, but then you find yourself playing catch-up in the busy months.

4. Gives You Chance To Drop Sub-par Employees

Some folks just aren’t going to cut it in the fast-paced food business. They have a bad attitude, they are clumsy, or they are slow. They are students who are only doing this job until they finish school or get what they consider their ‘real’ job. Your restaurant deserves to have staff that shines. Having competent and energetic new recruits allows you to lay off under-performing employees, even during the busy season.

5. Lets You Promote Internally Whenever You Need To

Restaurant owners should be able to promote employees that show real promise to management positions. You know that one server that shows real leadership potential? Or the chef who is just itching to take the next step in his or her career? You can garner their loyalty and all the perks of having someone you personally know is qualified by promoting them, but then you wind up short-staffed where it counts. You have to scramble to find the chef or server to take the promotee’s place.

That is, you do unless you have backup servers and sous-chefs already lined up and ready to start work. Then you can promote whenever you feel like it and never miss a beat.

6. Lets You Be Flexible In Your Scheduling

One of the big draws for a restaurant employee is flexible scheduling. It means the world to many servers and chefs to be able to ask for time off or particular hours. Many employees will stay with you for just that reason. If you are always hiring, you can meet your employees scheduling needs without worrying about staffing shortages. You will have a pool of employees to ask to step in whenever someone needs some time off.

If you are always hiring, you can meet your employees scheduling needs without worrying about staffing shortages.

While it is tempting to stop hiring whenever you have enough employees for your current needs, your restaurant really benefits from a continual influx of new faces. From the chance to get a star worker on board, to the flexibility that extra staff provides, always hiring is the very best thing you can do for your restaurant.

You might also like…