How to find reliable staff for a food business
Finding dependable restaurant workers is hindered by endless ghosting, no-call no-shows, and unqualified applicants from job boards. This constant hiring friction leaves owners working 15-hour days, missing every weekend, and facing severe physical and mental burnout.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Working long consecutive hours (e.g., 15-hour days)
- 2Spending months training new employees
- 3Operating without days off or weekends
- 4networking with other industry management
- 5putting out a physical sandwich board sign out front
- 6relying on word-of-mouth referrals from friends in the industry, former managers, and solid employees
- 7posting flyers with a QR code in local community spots like gyms and car dealerships
- 8using alternative platforms like Workstream or Facebook hospitality networks
- 9Refining hiring processes and persisting through recruitment efforts
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“over the past three years I’ve spent thousands of real dollars and at least a couple hundred hours interviewing candidates from indeed. Only to get ghosted or called out sick on first day.”source ↗
“The few that actually showed up for their trial shift, are so inept or lazy that I haven’t kept even one of them on.”source ↗
“As someone who opened a pizza spot 3 months ago after 3 years of pop ups the worst part by far is staffing. Good people are hard to find. Good reliable people are really hard to find. Ive had so many no call no shows. Worked 15 hour days for a month and a half straight before I had a staff competent enough to leave on their own.”source ↗
“Staffing is a major issue. This kind of business requires people to work unsociable hours which has its own issues. I’m 8 years in and grateful to have a profitable business but I haven’t had a weekend off since opening and work pretty much every day.”source ↗
“Indeed sucks. In my experience, half of the applications were completely off from the posted requirements for the position. Only about 20% of applicants were worth reaching out to for an interview, probably 30% don't respond, and below 25% of scheduled interviews show”source ↗
“Hard time hiring 6-7 guys per month, in an industry where barely anyone is experienced.”source ↗
Where this came up
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