3. Possible Lower Retention Temporary staff might not stay long. If you need career employees who grow with your brand, direct hiring is generally better. When You Might Not Use a Staffing Company
Practical Tips for Restaurant Hiring If You Use Staffing Agencies 🔹 Set expectations with the agency on: experience level required uniform and grooming standards roles and responsibilities hours and scheduling 🔹 Ask for trial periods before commitment 🔹 Get clear pricing, markups, and replacement policies If You Hire Directly 🔹 Offer referral bonuses to current staff 🔹 Post openings on hospitality-specific sites 🔹 Conduct working interviews to test skills live 🔹 Sell your restaurant culture and growth opportunities Questions to Help You Decide (Quick) Do you need staff immediately? → Staffing agency: yes Is cost a major constraint? → Direct hiring: better Are you building a stable crew long-term? → Direct focus Is your business seasonal? → Agency + direct hybrid
You have a strong direct recruiting pipeline You want to build a long-term, loyal team You prefer full control over interviewing and selection Labor costs are already tight
Hybrid Strategy (Often Best) You don’t have to choose one or the other — many successful restaurants leverage both: ✅ Use staffing agencies for peak shifts, quick fill-ins, short-term needs AND ✅ Run direct hiring for core positions, with: social media recruiting local job boards (Indeed, Culinary Agents, Poached Jobs) referrals and employee incentives This keeps operations covered while building a committed team.
HOSPITALITY NEWS JAN | Page 27
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