QSR August 2022

SmartChain Kitchen Equipment

Hail to the Chef Here’s how automation can be a tool for staff retention.

WKHLU EXVLQHVVHV ە VD\V (YDQ 3ULVHO director of sales and marketing at Univex . “Finding employees is still D PDMRU FKDOOHQJH ULJKW QRZ ە ौH 1DWLRQDO 5HVWDXUDQW Association’s 2022 State of the 5HVWDXUDQW ,QGXVWU\ UHSRUW IRXQG 51 percent of quick-service res taurant operators expected recruiting and retaining employ ees would be their top challenge this year—and the tight labor PDUNHW GRHVQ ۑ W VHHP WR EH OHिLQJ up anytime soon. For the fore seeable future, the reality is that many operators must rely on an “Operators are being asked to do more with less labor and still provide a great guest experience.”

Panasonic

PANASONIC

I t would be an understatement to say the restaurant industry is experienc ing a labor shortage these days. One million hospitality workers quit their jobs in November 2021—7 percent of the total workforce and more than any previous month on record. As every brand com petes to attract the same shrinking pool of restaurant workers, recruiting and retaining employees has become signifi cantly more challenging. “With low unemployment and the increase of gig jobs, it is harder and harder WR VWDਬ IRRGVHUYLFH RSHUDWLRQV ە VD\V &KHI 0Dि 5LJQH\ RI Panasonic . In a recent sur vey of former pizza delivery drivers, for H[DPSOH %7,* 5HVHDUFK IRXQG ULGH VKDU

XQGHU VWDਬHG DQG XQGHU VNLOOHG ZRUNIRUFH “Operators are being asked to do more with less labor and still provide a great guest H[SHULHQFH ە VD\V 6HDQ +VX FR IRXQGHU DQG &(2 RI Botrista Technology, Inc . (YHQ D EUDQG ۑ V ORQJ WHUP HPSOR\ - ees may not have proper training for all they’re now being asked to do, and even tually, the consistency of the guest expe rience and food quality will almost cer WDLQO\ VXਬHU ۔:LWK IHZHU ZRUNHUV KLJKHU turnover, and less overall skill among employees, even the loyal frequently get rotated from function to function or loca WLRQ WR ORFDWLRQ ە VD\V (GZDUG 1XQQ EXVL ness development manager at Hatco . ौH RQJRLQJ ODERU GHਭFLW LV GRLQJ

ing platforms like Uber were able to lure WKHP DZD\ ZLWK PRUH ਮH[LEOH KRXUV DQG more control over mileage due to rising gas prices. 5HVWDXUDQW RSHUDWRUV DFURVV DOO VHJ PHQWV DUH WDFNOLQJ WKH VWDਯQJ VKRUWDJH with new training programs, empower PHQW PHDVXUHV DQG EHिHU EHQHਭWV OLNH LQFUHDVHG ZDJHV EHिHU KHDOWK LQVXUDQFH ਮH[LEOH SD\ VFKHGXOHV SDLG WLPH Rਬ DQG mental health support. Of course, the employees operators manage to retain must do the work of several people— which can undermine morale and, as a result, endanger retention. ۔&29,' ZDV D UHPLQGHU WR RSHUD tors that employees are the backbone of

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AUGUST 2022 | SPONSORED SECTION