Human resource issues are a constant problem in the restaurant industry, especially in American Chinese food, where labor challenges have been insurmountable.
Now, the outbreak of the pandemic has brought even more new problems and challenges.
In addition to the common problems of frequent staff changes, labor turnover, and the continuous increase of salary and salary demands, what new changes and trends will restaurants face after the pandemic?
The future of restaurateurs is bound to be younger
The 2020 NRA statistics show that the average age of all restaurateurs across the U.S. is decreasing year by year, with an overall trend toward youthfulness. After the pandemic, the restaurant industry is transitioning to technology and lightness at a high rate in order to survive, and this change has also led to an increase in the proportion of technology in the skills of restaurant personnel.
Therefore, the post-pandemic restaurant workers' competence mainly revolves around two aspects: technology and communication.
“I think the restaurant job of the future will really exist at sort of the connection point between incredible people skills and the ability to leverage technology,” SkeansChief Operating Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer of Yum! said at the CREATE Digital Dive Keynote.
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Quick understanding and ability to master technology
After the outbreak of pandemic, the radiation capacity of dine-in restaurants became weaker, so restaurant chains tend to spread more lightweight dining spots to adapt to the changes of quick dining and less dine-in after the outbreak.
As a result, restaurant staff will need to deal with a complex variety of vending methods - roadside pickups, mobile food trucks, etc. (refer to "How do North American restaurants 'live with' the New Hall virus?") In addition, restaurant staff also need to be proficient in operating cell phones and various APPs and SAAS tools during the service process.
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Ability to communicate and build relationships with people
Restaurant workers not only need to master technology tools themselves, but also need to have strong and effective communication skills to guide their colleagues to get started with technology and be able to communicate quickly with customers - for example, how to use new ways of using ordering tools and so on.
As you can see from the above trends, the demands on the restaurant workforce are gradually increasing, and the problems of labor shortages and rising treatment requirements will become more acute.
Due to staffing shortages, 68 percent of operators said restaurants have reduced their hours of operation, 46 percent have reduced menu items and 45 percent have closed their restaurants on days they are normally open. For the first time this summer, the average hourly wage for restaurant workers exceeded $15 and continues to grow, but job growth remains stagnant, according to the latest employment data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Many operators are looking at ways to attract and retain employees beyond wages, including PTO, health insurance and transportation benefits. At the same time, we need more creative and humanistic approaches to address restaurants' workforce woes.
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Allow student employees to do their homework during work hours
Nothing attracts potential student employees more than educational benefits.
The Arkansas-based Xplore Restaurant Group, in an effort to address the problem of student employees having difficulty working shifts and reducing hours due to academic pressures, allows student employees to have one hour of homework time during their shifts and the restaurant will pay them the same amount of money.
In addition, the restaurant will reward the student employee with $100 for an "A" and $20 for a "B."
The policy went into effect three weeks ago, and CEO Greg Jones said the new policy is already starting to pay off.
"Obviously, it adds to our labor costs," Jones told National Restaurant News, "however, it also allows us to attract some great employees who may be interested in a culinary career. By providing good jobs, school support and teaching kids a good work ethic, it's another way for us to give to the community."
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Encourage staff to work on the front line
For large chain-type restaurants, established teams will have many non-front-line staff in the middle and back of the house. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers team has close to half of its employees volunteering to start work on the front lines as fryers, cashiers, and servers, thus helping the company weather the workforce challenges after the pandemic outbreak, National Restaurant News reported Oct. 8.
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More time off
The Atlanta-based, 39-unit Ted Turner restaurant chain has announced that for the first time it will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve to give its employees a well-deserved break, as Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving are the busiest times of the year.
George McKerrow, Ted's CEO and co-founder, said he wanted to express his gratitude to his team. "We are so grateful for our team members who come back to work with a positive attitude and the genuine enthusiasm that our guests expect. Our team makes our guests smile and, more importantly, feel at home. Now, they deserve to spend quality time with their own families this holiday season."
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[1] Ron Ruggless, Sep 10, 2021, National Restaurant News,
https://www.nrn.com/technology/restaurant-worker-future-needs-heightened-digital-and-people-skills-expert-says
[2] Joanna Fantozzi, Oct 20, 2021, National Restaurant News,
https://www.nrn.com/workforce/here-s-how-4-restaurants-are-addressing-labor-crisis-creative-ways
[3] Oct 21, 2021, National Restaurant News,
https://www.nrn.com/operations/foodservice-operators-expect-labor-and-product-shortages-continue
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