USA | 7shifts, the all-in-one team management app for restaurant operators, released its annual State of the Restaurant Industry report.
Entitled "What Restaurant Employees Want," the 2024 research reveals what matters most to those in the service industry, the biggest challenges and how employers can ensure they have provided excellent experiences to their teams.
As hiring and retention remain an ongoing challenge for restaurants, the key findings from the 2024 report include the importance of flexible hours and work/life balance, the fact that team members care just as much about camaraderie as they do about financial incentives and that when employees leave a restaurant, it's often because of their relationship with their manager.
"This report from 7shifts outlines the key areas to focus on if you want to craft an exceptional experience for your restaurant team," said Danny Meyer, founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group.
"They have curated insights that will take the guesswork out of building a great team so you can hit the ground running in developing your own intentional culture. I encourage you to read through and consider how you might take action to improve your team's experience."
In addition to the findings above, 7shifts' report also uncovered the following insights:
- Restaurant employees crave recognition and feedback.
- Team members are seeking more of the benefits typically associated with '9 to 5' jobs, like health insurance, paid sick days, vacation and retirement accounts.
- Service professionals prefer shorter, more condensed training so that they can start the job more quickly.
- Employees in hospitality aren't just stopping by; many are looking for long-term careers with growth opportunities.
"This report answers a lot of the questions that restaurant owners and managers have about why their workforce might be dissatisfied and why they may be experiencing unhealthy rates of turnover," said Jordan Boesch, CEO at 7shifts.
"But it doesn't just focus on problems. Instead, it uncovers what restaurant employees need and want today, and specific action steps that management can take to improve their team member experience. By tapping into these opportunities, restaurants can better attract and retain the kind of talent that will make their companies thrive."
To read more global news, click here.
