As we mentioned in our last article, there are many ways for restaurant owners to creatively handle the labor crisis. However, when it comes down to it, the focus has to be on employees. There are three main elements to consider:
- Attracting Workers: Generating interest in working for your restaurant and increasing the pool of quality applicants.
- Hiring Workers: Reviewing applicants to select those that fit the position and your business.
- Retaining Workers: Hanging on to your best workers and reducing employee turnover.
When you add these elements up, you get a three-pronged approach for protecting your pizzeria or restaurant from the labor crisis AND filling your business with the right employees to help you get to the next level.
Each of these elements is distinct and requires its own plan of attack. We start today by sharing strategies for attracting workers.
7 Tips for Attracting Workers
When we talk about attracting workers, we mean increasing the pool of quality applicants you have to choose from when making hiring decisions. It is accomplished by doing specific things that generate interest in potential applicants to make them want to apply and work for you. This list has our best tips for attracting workers to your restaurant or pizzeria, so dive in below!
1. Offer a Competitive Wage
As we mentioned in our last article, one of the main strategies restaurants use to attract more workers is to increase the hourly wage. Research what other restaurants are offering in your area for similar positions, then decide what you will offer. The reality is that you have to start with a competitive wage, or else job seekers will not consider your job.
And don’t keep the wages secret either. Job seekers are looking for transparency in the job posting. A Glassdoor Survey found that the top thing job seekers are looking for in a job description is salary information (followed by information about benefits). If you withhold hourly wage information until the interview, you’ll waste time with people who do not accept the wages. By including salary information in your job listing, you have reason to believe those who apply will accept the hourly wage and benefits.
2. Offer Creative Incentives
In a previous article, we also discussed that wage is not everything. After all, restaurants across the country are increasing wages, but there is still a labor shortage. While your pay must be competitive across similar positions, this indicates that employees are looking for more.
This is an opportunity for you to get creative to think of what incentives may drive more interest in your job postings. Here are some ideas:
- Sign-on bonuses
- Health benefits
- Flexible schedule/make your own schedule
- Weekends off (or weekends off X times per month)
- Paid time off
- Educational opportunities (the chance to take an online class, go to a conference, etc.)
- Free childcare
- Free gym membership
- Free meals on shift
- Reimbursement of cost for commute
- Company-wide trips and retreats
This list should jumpstart your thinking so you can put together a package of creative incentives that will encourage people to apply to your jobs.
3. Post Job Listings in Multiple Places
Now that you’ve considered the compensation package (wages and benefits), it’s time to get the word out about your job openings.
- Start by what you can do immediately in your business. Post the announcement on your outdoor billboard, place signs on the door or in the yard, share flyers, add it to your email newsletter, and post about it on social media.
- Create a Jobs/Careers page on your website if you don’t have one. You can keep the page up year-round, even when you’re not hiring, to tell people about the opportunities and benefits of working for your restaurant.
- Next, expand locally. Place an ad in the local paper, post a flyer on a community bulletin board, attend hiring events at schools or colleges, and find local partners who can help you spread the word by hanging a hiring poster.
- You’ll also want to post your job openings on the popular job listing websites, including big names like Google for Jobs, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Monster.
- Did you know there are also restaurant-specific job posting sites? For a list of options, check out this page.
- Finally, you can also pay for an advertisement on Google, Facebook, or another social media platform.
Some of these options are free, and some are paid. Make sure to include a mix of both. Also, you’ll want to keep track of what works and doesn’t so you know your best options for next time.
4. Create an Employee Referral Program
Another way to get more job applicants is to create a formal employee referral program. Employees who like their job can tell others about it, and if you hire someone they refer, they get a bonus. It’s a win-win-win for everyone involved!
When designing your program, two main components to consider are (1) how will employees refer others? And (2) what is the reward? If you need more help, check out this guide from the Society for Human Resource Management.
5. Be Well Known in Your Community
There is a link between attracting workers and your visibility in the local community. When the community is connected to your business, you’ll get a good reputation, and people will help spread the word about your job openings.
To be clear, this isn’t something you can get immediate results on if you have so far been quiet in your community. However, the benefits of community involvement are well worth the effort, even if the rewards will come later. We covered community involvement extensively in a two-part series. Get community involvement ideas here, and discover ways to make your community involvement more strategic here.
6. Showcase Company Culture on Social Media
Another idea that takes time but has big payoffs is showcasing your company culture in social media posts. When attracting workers, nothing works better than getting first-hand knowledge about what it is like to work in that business. A good job candidate will research before applying or after being called in for an interview. What will they find when they visit your social media pages?
To showcase company culture on social media, start by clarifying your brand personality and voice, so every post you make is authentic and personal. Next, you can try posts like:
- Employee photos and shout outs
- Welcoming new team members
- ‘Day in the life’ videos spotlighting various positions
- Video clips from company events
- Employee photos or caption contests
- Testimonials from employees
- Behind-the-scenes content
If you’re not currently posting on social media, now is a great time to dive in! And you don’t have to overcomplicate it. Select a social media platform that your customers (and employees) use, fill your profile with the details about your business, and then plan to post once or twice a week (think quality over quantity). Also, set aside time each week to reply to comments and interact with your followers.
7. Highlight Growth Potential
Another idea for attracting workers is to focus on growth opportunities. Making it clear that there is a path for advancing in your business will attract job candidates who are serious about growth and want to stick around.
You can spotlight training programs, professional development, mentoring, and job shadowing to highlight growth opportunities in your restaurant or pizzeria. You may even create a specific path and timeline for how people at each position can advance. You could also spotlight employees who have progressed in your business, telling their stories and how advancement like this is available to other hard workers too.
Career advancement opportunities can be stated in the job posting, discussed on your social media page or blog, and can be the central point of your Jobs/Careers page.
Attracting Workers Is the First Step
The strategies listed above are all aimed at attracting workers to your business and your job postings. By focusing on company culture and growth potential, you can also increase the quality of applicants you get—people who are serious about wanting a job at your specific business (versus just wanting a job, period). With a bigger pool of applicants, you’ll want to consider what you can do to select and hire the best candidates. In our next article, we’ll tackle the important topic of hiring the right employees.
