Hourly restaurant employees have a turnover rate of 114%. The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers reports that replacing an hourly restaurant employee costs $2,225. It’s vital that restaurant owners, employers, and managers hire the right employees. Here’s how.

Hire Engaged Employees

Working in a restaurant can be one of the hardest jobs in the world. It’s busy, laborious, and you’re constantly having to think on your feet. Your staff needs to be comprised of social, hard-working, and team-oriented individuals. Serving is not an easy job, so avoid candidates who are lazy. Teamwork is important in the restaurant business, which is why you need to recruit people with social skills.

Find someone who is actually interested in food service. It decreases the chance of a quick turnover and boosts staff morale. Employees naturally will work harder when they see co-workers who work hard, care about what they do, and enjoy their job. The opposite effect is true as well—employees won’t feel motivated to put effort into their work if they see their co-workers doing the bare minimum and not facing repercussions.

So remember, the hourly employee you hire makes a huge impact on staff morale.

Don’t Hire Unethical Employees

Unfortunately, restaurants can attract some seedy employees. Nearly every restaurant owner has a story of a former employee who stole, missed worked, harassed others, etc. It can be difficult to tell if the person you’re hiring will be as nice during work as they were in the interview. That’s why it’s important for hiring managers to screen potential employees using a pre-hire assessment. It’s been proven that these assessments decrease turnover for areas of employee misconduct by 40%.

Screen for certain personality traits that indicate bad behavior before you even interview candidates.

Recruiting Software

One of the best ways you can fight turnover is by using powerful recruiting software like Refered. Refered provides your employees incentives for referring hourly employees that get hired. Request a demo today.