Challenges of Keeping a Restaurant Fully Staffed

The Struggle of Keeping a Restaurant Fully Staffed

The challenges of keeping a restaurant fully staffed are familiar to most operators. Just when you've filled the last open position, someone gives notice, another employee changes their availability, or business picks up, and you realize you need more help.

The problem isn't always a shortage of applicants. Sometimes it's finding people whose experience, availability, and expectations actually fit the positions you're trying to fill.

After more than 20 years of restaurant recruiting, I've learned that having applicants and having the right applicants are two very different things.

The Challenges of Keeping a Restaurant Fully Staffed Keep Changing

Restaurant staffing needs rarely stay the same for long.

A restaurant might need additional servers for patio season, more kitchen support during the holidays, or another manager when business expands. Even established teams experience changes in availability, unexpected departures, and shifts in customer demand.

For independent restaurants, these changes can be particularly difficult. A large hospitality group may have employees who can move between locations. A single-location restaurant doesn't always have that flexibility.

When one experienced employee leaves, the impact can be felt throughout the operation.

These challenges aren't new. NPR's 2021 reporting on restaurant labor shortages documented the difficulty restaurants faced maintaining staffing during the industry's recovery from pandemic disruptions. Although circumstances have changed since then, matching staffing needs with available workers remains an important consideration.

Finding Applicants Isn't the Same as Finding a Fit

One of the most frustrating parts of restaurant recruiting is receiving applications from people who aren't aligned with the position.

A candidate might have impressive experience but need a schedule the restaurant can't accommodate. Someone else may have the right availability but lack the experience needed for the pace or service style.

Compensation can also create a disconnect. If the restaurant's budget and the candidate's expectations are too far apart, a successful hire becomes unlikely regardless of how well the interview goes.

These aren't necessarily bad candidates or unreasonable employers. Sometimes the fit simply isn't there.

Being specific about compensation, schedules, responsibilities, and experience requirements helps everyone make better decisions before scheduling an interview.

The Cost of Hiring Under Pressure

When a restaurant is short-staffed, the pressure to hire quickly is understandable.

The kitchen needs another cook. Servers are picking up extra tables. Managers are covering shifts while trying to handle their regular responsibilities.

But urgency can make a candidate look like a better fit than they actually are.

An operator might overlook limited availability, assume someone can handle responsibilities they haven't demonstrated, or rush through an interview because the next schedule needs to be filled.

Sometimes those decisions work out. Other times, the restaurant is back in the same position a few weeks later.

A consistent hiring process helps operators make decisions without allowing the immediate staffing shortage to determine every choice.

For practical ways to improve that process, see our article on streamlining the restaurant hiring process.

Keeping Candidates Interested During the Hiring Process

Restaurants aren't the only ones making decisions.

Candidates are evaluating compensation, commute, schedules, management, and the overall opportunity. Many are also speaking with other employers.

A promising applicant can lose interest when several days pass without communication or when an interview is repeatedly rescheduled.

That doesn't mean restaurants need to hire immediately. It means communication should remain consistent, even when a decision takes longer than expected.

Let candidates know what the next step involves and when they can expect to hear from you. If circumstances change, tell them.

A little consideration goes a long way, particularly when you're competing for experienced restaurant employees.

A Hire Doesn't Always Solve Staffing Problems

Filling a position is one accomplishment. Keeping the employee is another.

A new hire may discover that the actual schedule differs from what was discussed. Training may be inconsistent, or responsibilities may change depending on who's managing the shift.

When that happens repeatedly, it's worth examining the position and the working environment rather than assuming the restaurant simply needs better applicants.

Our article on best practices for onboarding restaurant employees explores what restaurants can do after someone accepts an offer.

Staffing stability depends on both sides of the hiring decision.

A Final Thought

Staffing challenges won't disappear entirely. Restaurant operations change, employees move on, and unexpected vacancies are part of the business.

But there's a difference between responding to normal staffing changes and constantly starting over.

The goal isn't simply to fill the next position. It's to make a hire that works for the restaurant and the person accepting the job.