Due to economic and demographic factors, restaurants and hospitality businesses find themselves working a doozy of a double. Restaurant hiring software can help get ahead of these challenges.
Two challenges solved by restaurant hiring software
First, restaurant hiring software can battle declining growth. Restaurant market intelligence company GuestXM notes that August same-store sales are down 1.3% compared to July. Traffic growth dipped 2.9%. Oh, and average August check growth was the lowest since January 2021 during the Covid pandemic.
Second, hospitality organizations are struggling with Gen Z. GuestXM data says Gen Z workers make up 57% to 71% of hourly roles. Yet guest feedback reveals that “brands with an older front-of-house staff score higher in experience, attentiveness, and friendliness.”
Lesser service from some Gen Z staff hurts in multiple ways:
- Upselling to boost average check gets that much harder,
- Dissatisfied guests are less likely to come back, and
- Gen Z guests are more likely to write a (negative) review.
That last point has significant implications for your brand’s online reputation management (ORM). Gen Z is the generation most likely to write a negative review and least likely to write a positive one. Tough crowd.
So, how can hospitality brands improve performance despite these economic and demographic challenges? By following these tips to use restaurant hiring software to get ahead of slowed growth.
COGS got you down? Cut hiring costs to help
Rampant inflation continues to drive up cost of goods sold. Hospitality brands are looking to reduce spend elsewhere. One way your organization can improve profitability is to implement restaurant hiring software. By improving screening efficiency, you reduce hiring costs – and speed up time to hire.
For instance, Harver assessments helped a global QSR reduce screening time by 90%. Applicants took a fast and engaging behavioral assessment. Then recruiters used that objective data to prioritize candidates based on recommendation score and overall candidate ranking.
Cutting screening time by 90% for a high volume of candidates? Yes, we’d like fries with that.
Speed up time to hire with video interviewing
Your store or general managers need time back. Any given moment for them can feel more stressful than watching an episode of The Bear. But your brand still needs to hire quality staff faster than a short order cook at brunch.
Time to order up a deliciously convenient restaurant hiring solution: One-way video interviewing. Applicants can record answers to pre-defined questions, and hiring managers can watch on-demand during slower periods.
We’ve seen video interviewing cut time to hire by 40% or more for Harver customers. Plus, candidates can record their interview at their convenience. In addition to boosting candidate experience, this flexibility can also broaden your pool of applicants.
Not sure where to start? Check out our video interviewing guide for hiring at scale.
Use restaurant hiring software to identify customer service traits
Remember how guests tend to score Gen Z front of house staff lower regarding attentiveness and friendliness? You can use restaurant hiring software to quickly identify top candidates, Gen Z or otherwise.
How? By serving up hot and fresh behavioral assessments. In as few as 7 minutes, your recruiters or store managers can identify candidates who have the important qualities of customer service. To help you implement assessments and hire confidently, Harver even has 1,000+ job profiles ready to go.
Reply (strategically) to negative Gen Z reviews
You need good reviews to help your online reputation management (ORM), especially with Gen Z so steeped in digital life. Their word of mouth can make or break traffic to your storefronts.
Your GMs can turn things around by professionally responding on review sites. Here are a few ORM power tips, including from my time at a top travel-related review site:
- Thank the reviewer – show they’re being heard, to diffuse negativity,
- Acknowledge negative feedback – and how it will be addressed,
- Remember your reply will be seen by all, not just the reviewer,
- Respond quickly, to help get ahead of the situation, and
- Train GMs on ChatGPT basics, to streamline writing responses.
Ordering up restaurant success
Yes, slowed sales and traffic growth and tricky Gen Z hiring are challenges right now. Yet, your restaurant brand can still keep performance – and profits – up.
- Reliable and fast predictive hiring enables stronger front and back of house performance.
- It also reduces hiring costs and frees up valuable GM time.
- Hiring for key traits supports better customer service and upselling.
- Use strategy and tech to turn negative reviews into positive momentum.
Hungry for more to support your restaurant brand’s growth? Explore Harver’s extensive menu of hospitality hiring solutions.
