October 22, 2025
Did you know that around 67,119 restaurants across Canada are competing for the same workers right now? You post job openings and get a few applicants. The candidates who show up lack experience or don't show up at all.
You hire someone, spend weeks training them, and they quit after two months. Sounds familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone in this challenge. The constant cycle of hiring, training, and replacing staff drains your time, money, and energy.
But the good news is that there are effective ways you can attract better candidates and keep your best employees working with you for the long term. In this guide, we break down the 12 effective strategies for hiring restaurant employees. By the end, you'll have a clear plan to hire smarter and retain longer. Let’s get into it.
Restaurant workers today want different things than they did a few years ago. Pay still matters, but it's not everything. You need to know what drives people to stay or leave.
Alt text:What Restaurant Employees Actually Want?
Here's what employees actually look for when choosing where to work:
Give employees these things, and they'll stay. Ignore them, and you'll keep cycling through new hires every few months.
The labor shortage hit restaurants harder than most industries. You're competing with every other restaurant in your area for the same candidates.
Fast-food chains offer signing bonuses. Casual dining spots advertise flexible schedules. Fine dining restaurants promise career growth. You need to stand out.
Here's why retention should be your top priority:
Focusing on retention solves multiple problems at once. You spend less on recruiting, deliver better service, and build a stronger reputation that attracts quality candidates easily.
Good hiring starts before you post the job. You need to know exactly what you're looking for and where to find it.
Alt text:How to Hire Better Restaurant Employees?
Write down the qualities that matter most for each role. For instance, for servers, you might prioritize friendliness, multitasking ability, and staying calm under pressure. For cooks, focus on attention to detail, speed, and willingness to learn.
Attitude beats experience in most cases. You can teach someone how to use your POS system or memorize the menu. But you can't teach them to care about customers or work well with teammates.
So, look for people who ask good questions during interviews, show up on time, and demonstrate genuine interest in the role.
Long applications with multiple steps lose candidates. Keep it short. Ask for basic contact information, relevant experience, and availability. Let people apply through their phone in under five minutes.
Post openings on Indeed, Craigslist, and local job boards. Use Instagram and Facebook to share job posts with photos of your team and restaurant. Tag employees and ask them to share with their networks. Personal connections bring better candidates than generic job listings.
Most restaurant job posts read the same. They list duties and requirements without explaining why someone would want to work there. Your description should answer:
For example, instead of "Looking for experienced servers," try "Join a team that promotes from within. We're hiring servers who want to learn the business and grow into management roles. Flexible scheduling, meal discounts, and health insurance after 90 days."
Mention specific benefits like flexible schedules, employee meals, tip pooling policies, or training programs. Be honest about the challenges too. If weekend availability is required, say so upfront.
Rushing interviews leads to bad hires. Take time to assess whether candidates fit your culture. Ask behavioral questions: "Tell me about a time you handled a difficult customer" or "How do you prioritize tasks during a busy shift?"
Do working interviews when possible. Pay candidates for a few hours of work so you can see how they interact with your team, handle pressure, and follow instructions. You'll learn more in three hours on the floor than in three rounds of traditional interviews.
Call previous employers. Ask specific questions about attendance, attitude, and whether they'd rehire the person. If something feels off during the interview, don't ignore it. Hiring the wrong person costs more than waiting for the right one.
Getting the right people through your door is just the start. Keeping them engaged and happy requires a different set of strategies.
You found good people and brought them on board. Now you need to give them reasons to stay and work with you for the long term. Here's how you can do it:
Alt text:How to Retain Restaurant Employees Once You Hire Them?
Research what other restaurants in your area pay for similar roles. Match or exceed those wages. If you can't offer the highest hourly rate, add value through other benefits.
Health insurance matters to many employees, especially those with families. Even basic coverage helps. Offer meal discounts or free shift meals. These benefits cost less than constantly replacing employees.
First impressions matter when you’re hiring and retaining employees. New hires who feel confused or unsupported leave quickly. Create a structured onboarding process that covers your menu, systems, policies, and culture during the first week.
Assign a mentor or buddy to each new employee. This person answers questions, provides feedback, and helps them feel welcome. Check in regularly during the first 30, 60, and 90 days. Ask what's going well and what they need help with.
Document your training process. Create checklists for each role so new hires know what they need to learn and when they'll be ready to work independently. Consistency in training reduces mistakes and builds confidence.
Employees stay longer when they see a future with your restaurant. Talk about advancement opportunities during the interview and regularly after hiring. Promote from within whenever possible.
Create progression maps for each role. For instance, a server can become a head server, then shift lead, then assistant manager. Share these paths with your team. When you promote someone, announce it and explain why they earned the opportunity.
Wondering how to spend less time on operations and more time developing your team? iOrders handles your online ordering, payments, and delivery so you can focus on guiding employees and building a stronger restaurant. Book a free demo to see how it works.
Rigid schedules drive employees away. People have families, classes, second jobs, and personal commitments. Give them control over their schedules when possible.
Use scheduling software that lets employees request time off, swap shifts, and see their schedule weeks in advance. Respect their availability. If someone says they can't work Tuesdays, don't schedule them on Tuesdays and get frustrated when they can't come in.
Culture is how people treat each other every day. Set clear expectations about respect, communication, and teamwork. Enforce a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
Organize team activities outside of work. Go bowling, host a staff meal, or plan a volunteer day. These events build relationships and make work feel less transactional.
Encourage open communication. Create ways for employees to share concerns, ideas, or feedback without fear. Regular team meetings where everyone can speak up help catch problems early.
People leave jobs where they feel invisible. Recognize employees who show up on time, go the extra mile, or help teammates. Recognition doesn't have to cost money.
Thank people publicly. Even small acknowledgments can easily help you build loyalty. For bigger recognition, consider employee of the month programs, gift cards, extra paid time off, or features on your social media. Mix formal and informal recognition so appreciation feels genuine, not scripted.
Ask employees what would make their jobs better. Send anonymous surveys or hold one-on-one conversations. Listen to their ideas about scheduling, training, equipment, or policies.
When you can implement suggestions, do it. When you can't, explain why. Employees stay at restaurants where they feel heard, even when the answer is no.
Ready to reduce the operational chaos and increase the efficiency of your team? iOrders gives you one system for online orders, payments, and delivery coordination. Book a free demo.
All these retention strategies work better when your team isn't drowning in operational chaos from outdated systems.
Your team juggles too many systems. They take phone orders, manage third-party apps, handle in-house POS, and coordinate delivery drivers. Each system works differently. When things get busy, mistakes happen.
Alt text:How Technology Reduces Staff Stress and Turnover?
Technology should make their jobs easier, not harder. The right tools reduce stress, prevent errors, and give your staff more time to focus on customers.
For instance, when online orders come through a single system instead of three different tablets, servers spend less time managing devices and more time serving guests.
When payment processing happens automatically, there's no confusion about which orders are paid or unpaid. When delivery coordination is handled for you, staff don't need to track down drivers or manage logistics during dinner rush. With the right technology, all of the regular restaurant management processes become much easier.
Staffing problems don't exist alone. When your operations are chaotic, employees get frustrated and leave. When orders come through different channels and nothing connects, your team spends more time fixing the technology than serving customers.
iOrders helps you build the stable operations your team needs to succeed. You get one system for all online orders, whether they come from your website, mobile app, or QR codes. Your staff sees every order in one place.
Here's how iOrders supports better retention:
When operations run smoothly, your team has more time to deliver great service. That reduces stress, improves job satisfaction, and keeps good employees from looking elsewhere.
Hiring and retaining restaurant employees takes work, but it's not impossible. Start with clear hiring criteria, make applications easy, and look for candidates who fit your culture. Once you hire them, invest in their success through training, recognition, and career development.
The restaurants that handle staffing well aren't the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones that treat employees well, communicate clearly, and create environments people want to work in. Flexible schedules, fair pay, and a positive culture cost less than constantly replacing staff.
Stop losing good employees to operational chaos. iOrders gives you the tools to run smoother operations so your team can focus on what they do best. Schedule a free demo and see how it can help your restaurant grow.
Focus on what chains can't offer: personal relationships, flexible decision-making, and real career growth. Emphasize your family-like culture, faster promotion paths, and the ability for employees to make an impact. Many workers prefer smaller restaurants where they're not just a number.
Flexible scheduling ranks highest, followed by competitive wages, meal discounts, and health insurance. Younger workers value work-life balance and growth opportunities. Employees with families prioritize health benefits and consistent hours. Ask your team what matters to them.
Use scheduling software that lets employees submit requests digitally, swap shifts with manager approval, and see their schedule in advance. Set clear policies about request deadlines and blackout dates. Respect their availability as much as possible.
Recognize good work immediately when you see it. Weekly team meetings provide opportunities for public praise. Monthly or quarterly formal recognition programs work for bigger achievements. Mix frequent informal thanks with structured recognition systems.
Signing bonuses can attract candidates, but don't ensure retention. Consider performance-based bonuses instead, which reward employees who stay and perform well.
