How to Toss the Help Wanted Sign

Finding good restaurant employees has always been a challenge; however, as the economy heats up it could become even more daunting.

"It is becoming harder to find high-quality employees," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Chicago-based research and consulting firm Technomic Inc. "As the job market improves, the labor pool gets thinner." With employment rates expected to slowly continue to improve, the labor market will continue to be tight, he says.

That's a real problem, says Julie Deane, president of JDeaneJobs in Kansas City. Deane says employers are "plagued with the repercussions of bad hiring decisions and the inability to find top talent. There are staggering costs associated with those bad decisions. And although most operators know that skipping hiring steps is a bad practice, very few know how to create and implement a user-friendly and affordable hiring solution."

Is there a secret to finding, hiring and keeping outstanding employees? "No," Deane says. "Sourcing and retaining great hires happens when you learn and implement standard, consistent and simple hiring steps."

Finding quality employees isn't the hardest part, she says. "It's finding employees that encompass not just quality, but have the right availability mixed with the right experience and the right attitude." As recruiting tools become more sophisticated, Deane says, applicant flow will improve. "Now, this won't be easier for an owner that doesn't utilize them. Mobile, online job boards will just keep evolving."