Hiring Restaurant Servers In A Strong Economy

It’s that time of year.

Four years ago, hiring restaurant servers became much easier. Finding top-quality restaurant servers was simple when the economic slowdown began. With restaurants closing at a record pace, many top-performing servers were left looking for new venues where they could earn tips. They brought with them stories of a tough job market and reinforced the belief among current staff members that they should be grateful to have a job. For the last four years, hiring and retaining highly qualified restaurant servers has been remarkably easy. However, as the economic recovery has taken hold, a new mindset is necessary to hire the same quality of restaurant server. One effective strategy to attract and retain top talent is to design a uniform range that reflects and promotes your brand. This approach not only enhances your restaurant’s image but also helps in creating a cohesive and professional environment that appeals to both employees and customers alike.

Economic reports on the restaurant industry have been improving for the past year. Sales are up, new restaurants are opening, and restaurant owners who persevered through the last four years are being rewarded. Unfortunately, this is counterbalanced by the ease with which your servers can find positions at these newly opened restaurants. As your restaurant’s sales rise, so should your staffing levels. This has increased the demand for qualified restaurant servers. To attract and retain these top performers, you must change your approach to hiring.

In the years I have been in this business, I have experienced these economic cycles before. I recall how difficult it was to find staff members in the middle part of the last decade and how grateful everyone was just to be employed after the economic slowdown at the end of 2001. Each period presented challenges, but the only way for your restaurant to thrive is to adapt to the labor market you are in. Your restaurant’s server and hiring practices must evolve with the economic climate.

I am aware that there may be significant resistance to this notion among those who are still reading. You may argue that you would never lower your standards based on the economic climate. You might believe that your restaurant’s reputation is strong enough to attract top-quality staff. You may feel that your servers will remain loyal to your restaurant despite the new opportunities created by the economic recovery. I would argue that these three beliefs are rooted in ego and have led to the downfall of many great restaurants.

Let me counter these beliefs with three cold, hard facts about hiring restaurant servers in a strong economy:

Restaurant servers are not known for keeping large amounts of savings on hand. While you are reviewing their resumes or trying to set up a second and third round of interviews, they are interviewing elsewhere. The restaurant that recognizes them as a top performer first will be highly appealing as their savings dwindle.

Your restaurant’s reputation with the public is not the same as it is to potential applicants. Taking a long time to make a decision while other restaurants act faster is a disadvantage in the minds of applicants. The manager at the next restaurant who quickly makes an offer will improve their reputation.

Your staff may believe they have the best serving job in town. Even if this is true, is their professional goal to remain a restaurant server? Many servers are waiting tables until they can move into their chosen career field. The recovery is creating opportunities in those fields, and losing a server who secures a job aligned with their career goals is inevitable.

The restaurant owners and managers who will have the best staff in town are those who can adapt to this changing climate. You can no longer afford to put hiring restaurant servers on the back burner. It must become a priority for your restaurant because other establishments are already making it a priority. Those restaurants will be hiring the servers you wish you could. Times have changed, and it is crucial that your server hiring practices change as well.