The quick-service and fast-food industry is a rapidly growing and highly competitive field. According to the National Restaurant Association, 47% of restaurant owners expected competition to be more intense in 2023 than in 2022, and the majority of consumers (84%) desire more meals out of the house. With the rise of fast-casual dining and the increasing popularity of quick and affordable food options, more restaurants are popping up all over the country. This growth has put a significant strain on quick-service and fast-food restaurant owners and managers when it comes to finding and retaining quality employees.
There are several challenges that come with hiring in the quick-service and fast-food industry:
High turnover rates
One of the biggest challenges in the quick-service and fast-food industry is the high turnover rates. According to a report by Restaurant Dive, 54% of restaurant workers quit within 90 days of starting a job in 2022. This is due to a variety of factors, and as a result, quick-service and fast-food recruiting teams and restaurant managers struggle to maintain a consistent and reliable workforce.
Time-consuming hiring process
Another challenge is a time-consuming and often inefficient hiring process. With large amounts of applications and ATSes built for corporate hiring, it can be difficult for recruiting teams and restaurant managers to efficiently screen candidates and identify the best fit for their restaurant quickly.
Increased competition
Quick-service and fast food restaurants face stiff competition when it comes to hiring. Many hourly job seekers tend to accept the first job offer they receive. This makes it challenging for restaurants to attract and retain quality employees if they are not quick to extend an offer.
Want more? Read our e-book, “The Modern Hiring Guide for Fast-food and Quick-service Restaurants.”
How an ATS built for high volume hiring can help
To address these challenges, many quick-service and fast-food restaurant owners and managers are turning to high volume ATSes like Fountain. These platforms offer several benefits for the industry:
Streamlined hiring process
With an ATS built for high volume hiring, restaurants can streamline the hiring process and quickly identify the best candidates for the job. Fountain automatically screens applications, schedules interviews, and provides real-time feedback to candidates, saving time and resources. Mobile-first technology also allows applicants to do everything from their phone—from application to onboarding—simplifying the hiring process and getting candidates to work faster.
Increased applicant pool
High-volume ATSes also help to increase the applicant pool by reaching a wider audience of potential candidates. Fountain posts job openings on popular job boards and social media platforms so quick-service and fast-food restaurant owners and managers can attract a larger pool of applicants.
Seamless integrations
Fountain offers a variety of integrations to help streamline the hiring process. These integrations include popular job boards like Indeed and ZipRecruiter, as well as background check providers like Checkr and Sterling. By integrating with these services, quick-service and fast-food restaurant owners and managers can efficiently manage the hiring process from start to finish, all within the Fountain platform.
Final thoughts
The challenges of hiring in the quick-service and fast-food industry are significant, but a high volume ATS like Fountain helps address these challenges. By streamlining the process, increasing the applicant pool, and integrating with your current tech stack, high volume ATSes can help quick-service and fast-food restaurants thrive in an increasingly competitive industry.
