How To Find Restaurant Employees: The Ultimate Handbook

Hiring restaurant employees is a challenge for many restaurant owners. The restaurant industry is known for its high turnover rate, and finding qualified and reliable employees can take time and effort. In this blog, I will share the best tips on how to find restaurant employees. I will also cover important and relevant topics such as the top qualities of a good restaurant employee, the necessary team members for a successful restaurant operation, and the required number of team members a restaurant owners need to hire. This blog is like the ultimate handbook that will help you find the best employees for your restaurant.

Top Qualities of a Good Restaurant Employee

Restaurant employees are the face of a restaurant. Before knowing how to find restaurant employees, you should know the key characteristics of an ideal restaurant employee. There are many qualities you can think of while finding restaurant staff. But here, I have mentioned the top qualities of a good restaurant employee you should look for to build a successful restaurant business.

• Customer service skills: A good restaurant employee can provide excellent customer service. They are friendly, polite, and helpful. They listen to customers and show manners according to cultural awareness. They can handle difficult customers calmly and professionally.
• Organisational skills: A good restaurant team member should be able to multitask and stay organised. They should be able to keep track of orders, payments, and inventory. They do not worry about work pressure.
• Time management skills: Time management is one of the top skills an ideal restaurant staff should have. A good staff can prioritise tasks and meet deadlines effectively. They work quickly and efficiently when needed.
• Teamwork skills: A good restaurant employee is a team person. They communicate effectively with their co-workers and cooperate to achieve common goals.

• Flexibility: An ideal restaurant employee is flexible in their work schedules. They can work long hours, including nights and weekends. Restaurant businesses may need to change plans. They can adapt to new situations.
• Positive attitude: It is one of the great qualities an ideal restaurant employee should have. They work enthusiastically and enjoy interacting with customers. They believe in teamwork and are very positive towards tough situations.
• Professionalism: Restaurant employees should always maintain professional behaviour. They should dress appropriately and act respectfully. They should also be punctual and reliable.

If you find these qualities in the candidates, they would be a great addition to your restaurant team.

Essential Team Members for a Successful Restaurant Operation

Restaurant owners or managers should hire key staff members to ensure smooth operations and excellent customer service. You need to know all the necessary roles to find the restaurant employees you need.

Here are the key staff members a restaurant owner should find - 

Chef/Cook: They are responsible for food preparation. They plan the menu and maintain food quality and consistency.

Assistant Chef: A head chef assistant who helps manage the kitchen, supervise staff, and ensure smooth kitchen operations.

Station Chef: They follow the chef's instructions. They will be responsible for cooking and assembling dishes according to the menu. So, finding a cook and his/her assistant is a crucial task for restaurant owners.

Server: Also known as a waiter. They interact directly with customers, take orders, serve food and drinks, and provide customer service.

Host/Hostess: They greet customers while entering your restaurant. They manage reservations and coordinate seating to ensure efficient table turnover.

Bartender: They can prepare and serve beverages. If you have a bar corner, you can hire one.

Server Assistants: They support the waiter by clearing tables, refilling water glasses, and assisting in maintaining a clean dining area.

Cashier: If you want to run a big restaurant, you may need a cashier to handle payment transactions. They provide receipts and manage the cash register.

Restaurant Manager: If you own a restaurant and want to run a restaurant by others, you should hire a restaurant manager to oversee overall operations. A restaurant manager does all management tasks like staff management, customer service, inventory control, and financial management.

Assistant Manager: For a big restaurant, it is often necessary to have an assistant manager. They can assist the restaurant manager with various tasks. They can also take on managerial responsibilities in the restaurant manager's absence.

Kitchen Manager: A kitchen manager manages kitchen operations. They are capable of using a kitchen management system to ease their work. They look after inventory and staff scheduling and meet food safety and hygiene standards.

Dishwasher: One of the key staff of any restaurant is Dishwasher. They are responsible for cleaning dishes, utensils, and kitchen equipment. They help to maintain a clean and organised kitchen.

Procurement Manager: A procurement manager is often necessary for a big restaurant. The procurement or purchase manager manages inventory, orders supplies, and maintains relationships with vendors and suppliers.

Marketing Manager: Marketing is necessary for any size restaurant. They develop marketing strategies, manage social media presence, and promote the restaurant to attract customers.

Janitorial Staff: Every type of restaurant has appointed someone for maintenance. The janitor ensures the restaurant premises are clean and safe for any visitors.

Delivery Drivers: If you offer delivery food service, you should hire delivery drivers. They will be responsible for delivering food to customers on time.

Pastry Chef: If you want to offer baked goods, pastries or desserts in your restaurant, you should find a pastry chef.

Event Coordinator: Consider finding an event coordinator to offer event hosting in your restaurants. They will plan and manage events, such as private parties, birthday parties, anniversary events or special dinners.

Training Manager: For a big restaurant, it is necessary to have regular training and development programs. If you plan a big restaurant, hire a training manager for your new and existing staff members.

How Many Staffs Are Required for a Restaurant?

The roles you must hire will depend on your restaurant's concept, size, and target audience. Other factors include the hours of operation, rush hour, the level of service offered, etc.

Here is an estimation of the required staff for a small restaurant with 50 seats and operating 12 hours per day:

• 1-2 manager/assistant manager
• 2-4 chef/assistant chef
• 4-6 waiters
• 1-2 dishwashers
• 1-2 cleaners

You should carefully consider potential staff members' skills, experience, and personalities. Always find someone who shares your restaurant's goals and values.

"People are the core of every business. Businesses are based on relationships, and relationships are based on people. I would go to an average restaurant run by amazing people over an outstanding restaurant run by awful people."

- Marcus Anthony Lemonis, CEO of the Camping World

How to Find Restaurant Employees (Top 10 Best Ways)

For new restaurant owners or managers, it is necessary to know how to find restaurant employees effectively. Even some old restaurant owners and managers need help finding the right staff. You can find motivated employees for your new or running restaurant in several ways. There are many places to find restaurant employees. The proven strategies and techniques for finding great restaurant employees will help you to find the required ones to ensure your business growth.

Below are the top 10 best ways to find restaurant employees - 

1. Ask Friends and Family

Friends and family are the best options if you are thinking about how to find restaurant employees. They can be your greatest allies and the fastest way to find restaurant staff when starting a new restaurant business. You can ask your close friends and family members if they want to join your new venture. If you already have a restaurant, you can approach them for help. You can offer them a job directly if you are confident in their skills and honesty. They can also help you find new employees if they cannot work for you.

2. Local Newspaper Advertisement

Running newspaper advertisements for recruiting restaurant staff is one of the most cost-effective ways. Choose the relevant page for your restaurant job posting. You have to pay for page size and colour according to their given pricing. You can also do advertisements by using local newspaper distributors' help. The idea is to insert a leaflet for your restaurant vacancy post in the newspaper before distribution in your area.

3. Use Social Media 

Social media is a great tool for finding restaurant workers. Nowadays, there are hardly any people who do not use social media. People use social media for what they are interested in. You can use your own restaurant Facebook page or group or the relevant restaurant groups to make job posts and attract people who are really interested in restaurant jobs. The chance of getting interested people on social media like Facebook, Instagram or Youtube is so high. So, you can find the restaurant stuff successfully if you can utilise these social media.

4. Use Job Sites to Hire Staff

Using Job posting sites is one of the easiest ways to find restaurant employees. Most of them have free job posting opportunities, and premium service is relatively inexpensive. You have to create a Business owner/HR/Employer account and then input the Job Position, Number of Vacancies, Job Responsibilities, Employment Status, Workplace, Educational Requirements, Experience Requirements, Additional Requirements, Job Location, Salary and any other relevant information to find the perfect restaurant workers.

Here are the best job posting sites for restaurants - 

• Indeed
• Monster
• LinkedIn
• Glassdoor
• Craigslist
• ZipRecruiter
• Poached Jobs
• CareerBuilder
• Good Food Jobs
• Culinary Agents

You can also check the local job advertising sites where you are running or want to start your restaurant business, like Bdjobs in Bangladesh, Naukri in India and Eluta for job searching in Canada.

5. Create Online Ads

Online advertisement is the popular paid strategy for finding restaurant staff. If you are overthinking how to find restaurant employees, you should use this paid strategy to relieve your pressure. You can advertise your job vacancy requirement on popular online platforms such as Google, LinkedIn and Facebook. The problem is you may get too many responses. You have to filter them and find the perfect candidates for your restaurant.

6. Communicate With Other Organisations

Finding a good restaurant staff becomes easy if you can communicate with others. You can communicate with various institutions or organisations where you have membership and which are reliable. You can talk to your school or college alumni. You can contact the local culinary schools and programs. You can even talk with your community group. This known place helps to find trusted restaurant employees, which ultimately helps to increase your restaurant revenue.

7. Communicate With Present Restaurant Staff

Every present employee is like a family member of a restaurant business. For the existing restaurant business, getting candidate recommendations from the existing restaurant staff is a very good option. Moreover, they know better which type of employee they need to build their perfect team. This will help you to create a successful restaurant business.

8. Communicate With Your Restaurateur Friends

If you have restaurateur friends, take the chance to get advice and help. They are experienced in finding new restaurant employees because they have struggled with the hiring situation and are now experienced in finding a good employee. Talk with them, and keep them connected while starting the hiring process. You can also ask for their recommendation.

9. Contact a Specialised Recruitment Advisor

If you are confused about how to find restaurant employees and feel less confident about hiring, you can get help from a specialist recruiter. You can contact a restaurant recruitment advisor to find the best employees for your restaurant. They have the expertise to develop a successful restaurant team. The advisor always ensures talented acquisition and recruitment. They can also help you to make a perfect restaurant HR operating model.

10. Look Within Your Restaurant

Hiring from your own restaurant is a great way to find a suitable, trusted employee. It helps to reduce employee turnover. Arrange the necessary training and development program to get the required level of employees from the entry-level jobs in your restaurant. As the staff is already familiar with your restaurant's working environment, they can work more effectively than any outsiders.

Other Easy and Tricky Ways to Find Restaurant Employee

If you are still curious about how to find restaurant employees, there are other easy and tricky ways.

Here are some easy and tricky ways to find restaurant employees -

• You may not always find the right employee you want for your restaurant business. So, you can hire someone with skills, experience, and a great work ethic, even when you do not need them immediately. You can create a position or hire them for your future growth plan.
• You can hire from your customers who actually need a job. You can offer referral rewards to your loyal customers for helping in finding new restaurant employees.
• You can use digital posters to find restaurant employees. You can use your restaurant's digital poster or pay for digital advertisement places.
• You can host an open house or job fair. This will also help in restaurant brand exposure.
• Another unpopular technique for finding restaurant employees is poaching employees from other restaurants, which is not recommended.
• You can use local TV networks to find restaurant employees. It is the cheapest way to reach many people for your staff finding.
• You can also use the career page of your restaurant website. This technique may not be effective for a new restaurant as the web visitor is low. But it is very effective for established restaurant business as the web visitor is already high.

Conclusion

The success of a restaurant depends on finding the right employees. But finding the right staff for a restaurant is a critical task. In this ultimate handbook, we have made it easy by exploring all the effective ways to find the right restaurant employees to avoid high employee turnover. Now you do not have to worry about how to find restaurant employees. As you know all the best strategies to find the top restaurant industry talent, you are one step ahead to establishing a successful restaurant business.

Happy restaurant employee finding!