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Recruitment Challenges for Quick Service Restaurants

Gary Chambers on May 31, 2023

What are some of the biggest recruitment challenges for quick service restaurants, and what can you do about them? That’s exactly what we explore here.

Hiring for QSRs

Recruitment challenges can vary across different industries, and the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry is no exception. Here are some of the common recruitment challenges faced by quick service restaurants:

High turnover rates: Quick service restaurants often experience high turnover rates due to factors such as low wages, demanding work environments, and limited career advancement opportunities. This constant need for new hires puts additional strain on the recruitment process.

Attracting and retaining talent: With a competitive labor market, attracting and retaining skilled and motivated employees can be a challenge for quick service restaurants. Many job seekers may perceive QSR positions as temporary or low-skilled, making it difficult for these establishments to stand out and attract top talent.

Limited availability of suitable candidates: Finding candidates with the necessary skills, experience, and availability can be a challenge. Quick service restaurants typically require employees who can work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. This can narrow the pool of available candidates, making recruitment more challenging.

Negative perception of the industry: The quick service restaurant industry sometimes faces negative stereotypes and perceptions regarding working conditions, low wages, and lack of career growth opportunities. Overcoming these perceptions and showcasing the positive aspects of working in a QSR can be crucial to attracting qualified candidates.

Limited resources for recruitment: Many quick service restaurants have limited resources for recruitment, such as budget constraints and lack of dedicated HR staff. This can make it challenging to invest in effective recruitment strategies, including advertising job openings, conducting thorough interviews, and implementing training programs.

Skills gap and training requirements: Quick service restaurants often require employees to possess specific skills, such as food preparation, customer service, and cash handling. However, finding candidates with the necessary skills and training can be difficult, especially for specialized positions like cooks or managers. This skills gap may require additional training and development programs to bridge the gap.

Seasonal fluctuations in demand: Quick service restaurants often experience seasonal fluctuations in demand, such as increased business during holidays or summer months. Meeting these temporary staffing needs can be a challenge, as it requires recruiting and training new employees quickly, only to potentially reduce staff once the demand subsides.

To overcome these recruitment challenges, quick service restaurants can consider implementing strategies such as offering competitive wages and benefits, creating a positive work environment, providing opportunities for career growth and advancement, leveraging technology for efficient recruitment processes, partnering with local schools or training programs, and improving employee retention through recognition and development programs.

Can technology fix the worker shortage at quick service restaurants?

Technology can play a role in addressing the worker shortage at quick service restaurants, but it is not a standalone solution. While technology can help streamline operations and improve efficiency, it cannot completely replace the need for human workers in the restaurant industry. Here are a few ways in which technology can contribute:

Automation: Technology can automate certain tasks in quick service restaurants, such as self-ordering kiosks, automated food preparation systems, or robotic systems for cleaning and maintenance. Automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks can free up employees to focus on more complex and customer-centric activities.

Online recruitment platforms: Technology can simplify the recruitment process by providing online platforms and tools to advertise job openings, manage applications, and conduct initial screening. These platforms like Premier Virtual, can help quick service restaurants reach a broader pool of candidates and streamline the hiring process.

Mobile scheduling and communication tools: Quick service restaurants can utilize mobile scheduling and communication tools to efficiently manage employee schedules, shift swaps, and instant communication. These tools can enhance communication between employees and management, leading to better coordination and reducing scheduling conflicts.

Training and e-learning platforms: Technology can facilitate training programs for new hires and existing employees through e-learning platforms. These platforms can provide interactive and engaging training modules, making it easier to onboard new employees and upskill existing staff members.

Data analytics for workforce management: Technology can help quick service restaurants analyze data related to workforce management, such as employee performance, productivity, and scheduling patterns. This data-driven approach can enable better decision-making, optimize staffing levels, and identify areas for improvement.

While technology can alleviate some of the challenges in the worker shortage, it is essential to remember that human interaction and customer service are still vital in the quick service restaurant industry. Building a positive and engaging work environment, offering competitive wages and benefits, and investing in employee development and retention strategies are equally important for attracting and retaining workers. Technology should be seen as a tool to complement and enhance the workforce, rather than a complete replacement.

For more tips on how to integrate a virtual platform to help you hire, contact us at www.PremierVirtual.com for a free demo today.

Healthcare Hiring Trends in 2023

Gary Chambers on February 8, 2023

The entire labor market is tight, and demand is high among employers across the board. The strain left behind from the great resignation, and the ongoing ‘quiet quitting’ combined with overall low unemployment rates, are make hiring more challenging than we’ve seen before.

There are several segments of the economy that face an even bigger struggle due to several additional factors. Skilled trades, Tech and Healthcare are among the top career fields that are predicted to remain in critical condition and will need to think ‘outside the job board’ to fill staffing needs.

Here are some of the top trends innovative employers in the healthcare industry are implementing to meet their staffing goals and stay ahead of the ongoing shortage in qualified workers.

Remote Interviewing and Onboarding Process – The shift to virtual hiring was speared on by the pandemic, but it is clearly here to stay. Being able to offer remote access to job candidates makes the interview process much more efficient and broadens your candidate pool. Clients of Premier Virtual that host virtual interview days on a consistent basis, are hiring hard-to-fill positions that they were unable to fill using traditional job boards or in person hiring events.

Branding your Company to the Healthcare Workforce – A recent study in Healthcare Recruiter’s International (HRI) reported that 90% of healthcare workforce want to work for an employer they can relate to and recognize.

Being top of mind means sharing benefits that a candidate can enjoy if they join and sharing how your organization is different from the competition. Workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, relocation benefits, bonuses, etc., all should be part of the messaging you share every day through social media posts, videos, and press releases. Be sure to convey how your organization values a healthy work/life balance, and what you offer to help with childcare, mental health and other concerns that are outside the workplace.

Attracting the Passive Job Candidate – Many times, your next best employee is already employed. If you are trying to lure them to your company, see if there are ‘feeder’ markets that are outside of your typical recruiting zone and create a campaign that makes applying for your company a great opportunity. These candidates need to learn about relocation benefits, and the tactics we covered in the previous paragraph. Your staff also needs to be onboard with your referral program as well, so they can help you reach this passive candidate pool. Hosting a virtual ‘meet and greet’ to give access to passive candidates who want to explore opportunities further, is a great strategy to get them in the door. For more on reaching the passive job candidate click here.

Training and Tuition Reimbursement – A healthcare employer that is willing to help with employee medical school or trade school tuition will be difficult to compete with. This may be an option only a few employers can afford, but working with local grants, and helping students receive the money that is already allocated to them would be a tremendous service and build a great deal of loyalty. A forward-thinking healthcare employer should work with local trade schools, and high schools and offer this assistance as part of an outreach program that will result in more qualified applicants as part of a long-term staffing strategy.

Virtual Job Fairs – Going beyond a weekly virtual interview day, hosting a monthly virtual job fair is a great way to attract candidates and gain exposure for your company. A great strategy is to invite other employers in similar capacity to yours to make the event even more attractive to attend. You can partner with a medical billing company, a nursing home, a health insurance company and so on, to make it a well-rounded event and bring more applicants into the fold. Each person that learns about your company can be a potential employee down the road or refer someone to you.

As you can see, virtual and technology will play a big role to increase access, exposure, and efficiency in your hiring strategy. The sooner you implement it, the better positions you will be and greater competitive advantage you will have.

There’s a lot more to virtual than hosting events. Platforms such as premier Virtual are extremely flexible and offer an all-in-one virtual recruitment suite. Everything from scheduling interviews, to pre-recorded video interview question that qualify candidates, as well as robust reports and automated follow up tools that reduce your cost per hire and your time to hire by up to 70% in most cases.

Schedule your free demo today by visiting www.PremierVirtual.com and see what your own virtual hiring event platform can do for you.

Hire The Right Employees With a Virtual Hiring Platform

Sergio on September 17, 2021

Today’s job market is an ever-changing, evolving, and rather difficult to navigate place for both employers and job seekers. Employers struggle to find reliable, qualified candidates, and for employees, finding an employer that is going to support them the right way is also a challenge. Creating that perfect match of a perfect employer and ideal employee is a challenge that has been at the forefront of the motivation that drives the team behind Virtual Premier. CEO Steven Edwards has worked in the job and career fair and event industry for over a decade, connecting companies with candidates, both in person and in the virtual space.

Edwards successfully embarked on the path of entrepreneurship and business ownership himself over a decade ago and knows firsthand how vital having the right team is. Employees can make or break a business, as they are representatives of both the brand and the owner. These are trusted individuals who are there not only to better their own lives, but to help your company run efficiently, and thrive. Recruiting, hiring, and retaining the right employees, keeping them motivated to continue to work for your brand and organization, and moving the business forward starts with how accessible the job is, and how many qualified candidates one can reach. This means not simply throwing an ad up on online job boards. Career fairs have long been the best place to find a large pool of candidates and going online with that concept has only broadened the range of people an employer can connect with.

A good hire can increase productivity, build a positive company culture, inspire innovation, and connect with the team that already exists. It is more than a process of simply looking over a resume or checking an online profile. Social skills, personality, and long-term goals and aspirations all play a part in who an employee is and how well they will serve your company. Happy employees drive revenue and can reduce operating costs, and are the lifeblood of driving your brand, reputation, and customer loyalty. On the opposite foot, the wrong candidate, or simply settling for the first person who seems like a fit can lead to a catastrophe down the line.

There are some things that employers can do when looking for a new hire that can streamline the process and yield a higher number of well-rounded potential candidates. The first part of that is crafting a candidate-centered job description. This is not a one-sided process, and any prospective employee wants to know that they are a good fit as well and are getting involved with an organization that is aligned with their values, goals, and long-term career trajectory.

Relying on free, local, and mass job sites is not going to yield the best candidates, so investigate hosting your own career fair or job event. With platforms like Premier Virtual, employers can create a customized event, with assessments, tasks, and pre-event vetting processes, ensuring that they find and meet with candidates that have true potential and fit what the company needs. Every candidate will have unique strengths they can contribute and get to know them properly during the hiring process fosters a better connection, and a happier workplace in the long term.

Premier Virtual is the number one workforce development site in every state, dedicated to building the strongest connections between employers and top job candidates. As a veteran Edwards has long been dedicated to helping others and continues to do so through his company, “Our platform is opening up opportunities for people, those that might not have been able to apply for these jobs, people from all over the world, connecting companies with top-level talent. This is bettering people’s lives, every day.”

Connect on the company website, https://premiervirtual.com to learn more about how Premier Virtual leads the way in employee recruitment and hiring for companies large and small worldwide.

Virtual Career Fairs Have Changed The Staffing Industry

Sergio on August 3, 2021

It is sage and common advice for job seekers, new graduates, professionals, and the like to be encouraged to go to a job or career fair. Attending these kinds of events connects employers with a large number of prospective employees, and vice versa. Job seekers can interact with peers, and connect with potential employers, companies get their brand out there and are more recognizable to the workforce, networking happens, many good things come out of these events on both sides. That being said, the job recruitment and seeking landscape has changed significantly in recent years, and companies are taking many of these kinds of career fair events online.

No one knows more about the way the staffing industry and job recruitment environment have evolved than the team at Premier Virtual. After almost a decade of managing in-person events, co-founder and CEO Steven Edwards jumped into offering virtual events in 2018, as he saw the demand and market change. In early 2020 Premier developed their own innovative software platform for companies to host events, quickly becoming one of the top-used planforms in the nation when the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to go virtual. Premier Virtual is the number one virtual career fair platform in the workforce development industry.

Edwards explains that he started to see the shortcomings in the in-person job fair market, employers were missing out on connecting with qualified candidates due to long lines, and candidates walking away. Candidates were finding themselves frustrated as well. Edwards describes it as a process of walking into a crowded room, then waiting in line to hand over a resume and saying “Hire me?”, and then walking away always dissatisfied and doing it all again. The process was not efficient, so Edwards set out to create a space for both employers and job seekers to have a better experience.

The Benefits Are Clear

Cost-effective
Far-reaching, not limited by the geography of the size of the venue
More efficient, save time to travel and set-up
Fantastic lead generators
Increase brand recognition
Easily accessible for everyone
Make instant connections with targeted, highly qualified candidates
Reduce Time to Hire from 30 Days to an average of 7 days
Increase the quality of your bench
Attract candidates from all levels of experience, not just entry-level

Traditional job fairs tend to offer introductory and lower-level jobs, whereas on the online platform companies can hold executive-level career and hiring events, recruiting the top qualified candidates from all over the world. The system that Premier Virtual created goes far above and beyond, offering companies the ability to create a custom career recruitment system, as well as employing a one-of-a-kind flat licensing rate system allowing companies to hold multiple cost-effective events. Premier Virtual supported thousands of companies connecting with and employing individuals, even in the hardest of hit places and times over the last two years. The platform has powered 2,500 events to date, connecting 25,000 employers to 250,000 job seekers, and has earned industry-leading ratings on review sites like Capterra and G2. Edwards prides himself on the dedication of his team, and how they have truly impacted and changed lives across the world.

Born and raised in small-town Wisconsin, Edwards is a veteran, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, as well as in the Florida National Guard. Edwards is always working to think outside of the box to see how he can make the industry better, and help people daily in a way that benefits their lives. He, along with business partner Gary Edwards lead a diverse, innovative team, motivated to drive advancements in the industry. “We are a ‘Future-Focused’ company, and we are every day innovating and making improvements. Our goal is to create a stand-alone platform that can provide all the solutions human resource executives need, in one place.”

Connect with Edwards and the Premier Virtual team on social media and through the company website, https://premiervirtual.com.

In-Person or Virtual Hiring Events? Get Both with Hybrid!

Sergio on February 24, 2021

Here we are, basically a year into the Covid-19 pandemic and we are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Several vaccines have been rolled out, and the monumental effort of getting America vaccinated is underway.

As I write this in Spring of 2021, we have begun to see slight declines in the infection rate, and hospitalizations are coming down. Best of all the death rate is also coming down, although we recently surpassed the morbid milestone of 500,000 deaths in America. However, there are reports of 20 states experiencing increases and the talks of a possible fourth spike in cases.

One thing is certain, Covid-19 was a virtual technology accelerant. From one day to the next the American workforce was forced to work from home, and turning to virtual is what made it possible. Without a pandemic like COVID-19, corporate America would likely have continued to do business the same old way, and just inch along the technology curve.

Now, we have giant corporations such as Google and Twitter telling their workforce, they never have to return to the office. I’ve seen many of my colleagues do the same, and now the ‘new normal is that when it comes to office work, most of us are just as capable to be as productive or even more so, working from home or remotely.

The same has happened in the career fair space. What was once an in-person-only event, has migrated to virtual events and the results have been more than impressive.

A recent statewide virtual job fair in Virginia had 350 employers who were able to fill critical open positions from over 15,000 registered job-seekers! Not only is this an amazing accomplishment, but it’s something that could have never happened in person. Think about it, in a state like Virginia would it be possible to choose one central location, and have 350 companies set up booths to meet and greet over 15,000 job seekers. Not to mention the weather was cold with terrible travel conditions!

So now what? If we return to a new-normal post-COVID-19, are we going back to an in-person career fair and abandoning the virtual career fair model?
The answer is yes and no! We believe a hybrid model that offers both is the best strategy moving forward. Just ask anyone that has hosted or participated in a virtual career fair, as an employer or a candidate. They will tell you that the virtual event was amazing, easy to navigate, and most of all, extremely efficient and effective. Here is some of the feedback we are hearing from job-seekers:

• “This was a great experience! I was able to search for openings, have my resume viewed, and communicate just with the employers I was interested in, all without leaving my desk. The idea of a virtual career fair takes the pressure off of the job seeker and employer.”

• “The career fair was super easy to navigate. I quickly saw a few employers and job opportunities that I liked and was able to apply for. The recruiter was right in the room with me and after chatting a bit, we did a quick video interview, before I knew it, I had an offer to intern.”

• “Our generation has been chatting, texting, anything of that nature for our entire lives. Being part of a virtual job fair is a natural extension of the way we are used to communicating and doing things. I liked it, and I had a few recruiters contact me right away, and one made me a job offer!”

We know that hiring managers, workforce development boards, chambers of commerce, the military, tech organizations, and large corporations all over America have also had success well beyond their expectations, and they all agree that remote hiring will remain a vital part of their recruitment strategy going forward.
So, the numbers prove remote allows for unlimited participants on both the company side and job-seeker side, resulting in more quality hires. We also know that many people still want to offer the physical ‘meet-and-greet’ if and when it becomes viable.

With a virtual hiring platform like Premier Virtual, you don’t have to choose between the two. We make it easy to add a virtual option to your in-person event so that you can offer both options, and your organization can benefit from offering a hybrid event.

We are certain that the organizations that do, will have a competitive advantage over those who don’t. These organizations will be the beneficiaries of attracting top talent, by offering a hybrid option that will not limit their events to the local population, or to those who can physically attend the day of the in-person event.
To learn how you can create hybrid events, please visit www.PremierVirtual.com

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Planning for Successful Virtual Events in 2021

Sergio on December 29, 2020

There’s no doubt that Covid-19 accelerated the growth of virtual events by as much as 3 years. This is a rare phenomenon that happens when something outside of our control has such a drastic impact on events, the choice is to change (and change quickly) or go obsolete.

While we were growing steadily in 2020, after the lockdown in March our business increased 10-fold! Many schools, organizations, and corporations were forced to look for a virtual option for hiring events in order to meet their staffing demands and remain competitive in the marketplace.

A funny thing happened through all the chaos and uncertainty, something not many people would have predicted…we started to like it. First of all, even the most die-hard fans of in-person events and networking found virtual events to be quite enjoyable. The learning curve was not the ordeal many thought it would be, and the engagement and outcomes were for the most part, favorable.

As the year went on, virtual events went from being a necessary evil to a welcoming option and effective tool to get business and hiring done. In fact, it started to prove that in many ways it was better than in-person events.

Advantage number one is obviously productivity. No one has to leave their desk or home office, which means no travel time or travel-related expenses. These benefits also make virtual extremely efficient, as platforms offer many features that allow recruiters and job-seekers alike to find the exact information they’re looking for and act on it. All of this while keeping everyone safe from Covid-19.

Beyond the benefits of productivity and efficiency, virtual events have the ability to scale to any size and do not have the limitations that physical in-person events have. Participants can attend from anywhere in the world, and no one gets turned away due to over-crowded lobbies or sold out events.

As we near the end of the year, many companies have embraced virtual events and remote working to the point where it will remain the primary option going into 2021. In fact, many are planning accordingly to support and improve their virtual strategy, exploring how to create ‘hybrid’ events that offer both in-person and virtual in order to get the most out of each event.

Below are 6 steps from Yesler, which serve as a handy checklist as you plan for 2021.

1. Strategy: Analyze your market, current plans, and KPIs from past events. After that’s complete, look at the most beneficial activities and begin to think of how you might replicate them virtually. This could take time with your team to brainstorm or do some research to see how others are doing this. Keep your focus on the kinds of activities that have provided the most benefit and that align with your overall goals and integrated marketing approach. Resist activities that would be just for fun or that you can’t measure.

2. Infrastructure: Assess your ‘martech’ infrastructure and digital event management tools. The right martech infrastructure will help you run a successful virtual event from beginning to end and beyond to nurture, so you can get long-term value from your content. This means assessing not only your marketing automation and online meeting and classroom software, but the tools you will use to analyze the event when it’s over. And of course, it also means making sure you have the right-skilled staff to run it.

3. Operations: Consult with your marketing operations and automation teams early so they’re prepared to execute each event, deliver promotions seamlessly, and capture engagement data.

4. Promotion: Develop a targeted promotional plan for every virtual event, just as you would for any other event.

5. Digital experience: Create thoughtfully designed content and digital experiences to fully engage audiences. You can also use these assets to nurture prospects as part of an ongoing campaign.

6. Analytics: Make sure you have the right tools to manage the data you’ve captured and track leads after the event. As mentioned above, analytics tools need to be in place beforehand and set to measure your KPIs. They are a critical part of your overall strategy and pre-event setup. Use this data to measure your success and inform your strategy for future events.

Virtual events are not a fad or something that will go away when ‘things get back to normal’. Virtual is the modern way of hosting events, increasing productivity, and efficiency that will give your company a competitive advantage when executed properly. The companies that are future-focused and embrace this innovation will be far ahead of the curve in 2021 and best positioned to succeed in what has become the new normal.

Marketing Department – Premier Virtual, December 2020

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Recruitment Challenges for Quick Service Restaurants

Healthcare Hiring Trends in 2023

Hire The Right Employees With a Virtual Hiring Platform

Virtual Career Fairs Have Changed The Staffing Industry

In-Person or Virtual Hiring Events? Get Both with Hybrid!

Planning for Successful Virtual Events in 2021

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