Industry Insights:
Quick Service Restaurants

Industry Insights | December 28, 2021 | 3 minutes read

Welcome to our resource page for Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Hiring!

We built this page with you in mind – use it as a learning tool, reference page, and more!

This page is set up to give you the latest information on what’s happening in the hiring market right now, as well as the trends restaurants, are facing when it comes to hiring. We have compiled the latest stats, arming you with all the data you need to make informed decisions when looking at your hiring plan.

Customers have surged back to Quick Service Restaurants, but are seeing more closed doors, “help wanted” signs, and employee strikes than ever before. Employees deemed “essential” at the height of the pandemic have grown tired of poor treatment and have joined “The Great Reassessment” in mass. With the QSR industry already battling turnover rates of up to 150%, now is the perfect time for employers to provide better benefits and more flexibility to potential and current employees. This not only increases hiring efforts, but also creates a healthier, stronger, and more engaged workforce in 2022 and beyond.

Fast food and faster turnover.

Our eBook serves up the secrets to keeping QSR employees and hiring more in 2022.

The QSR Facts

QSR turnover rates routinely reach as high as 150% and climbed even higher in 2021
In an average year, the QSR industry is home to nearly 5 million employees
40% of restaurants claim they’re “severely understaffed”
The mean hourly wage for QSR employees is $11.80, with the mean annual salary coming to $24,540

U.S. fast food segments by market share

No matter where you live, you can expect to see a fast food restaurant in the general vicinity of your location. When people think of fast food, hamburgers are the first thing that usually come to mind. On any given day in America, it’s estimated that 36.6% or 84.4 million adults consume some kind of fast food. Here’s how the segments break down:

Source: Zippia

Beat the rush

COVID-19 has changed the world’s landscape, and unfortunately, most industries are still trying to adjust to survive. The restaurant industry has seen a dramatic impact with the introduction of social distancing, mask-wearing, and restrictions across the states.

12%

increase in weeknight online pickup and delivery orders

18%

increase in weekday online lunch orders

11%

decrease in late-night orders, but dinner orders are up 3%

Source: Zippia

Here are a few things that restaurant owners can start doing right now to attract applicants:

Focus on retention of current employees. It should be a high priority from executive leadership to general managers. We’re seeing this across the board with major fast-food brands raising wages for general managers.
Make your team your recruiting engine. Workers who are recruited from referral produce 25 percent more profit for their companies than new hires who are recruited the old-fashioned way. Offer current employees a referral bonus if they bring in a great candidate.
Look for transferable skills. Many great candidates have what it takes to be a great employee but not the exact background you’re looking for. Get creative and think outside the box with the applicants you do have.

“The spirit of what we’ve learned in COVID is we’ve gotten far with our team by doing as best as we can and treating folks right...”

HIRING TIP

83% of Americans want access to their paychecks on-demand

The big picture

Restaurants can offer a range of employee benefits to stay competitive—flexible hours and scheduling, increased pay, vaccination incentives, employee discounts and training, to name a few.

Offer a healthy mix of perks, like flexible hours, incentives and competitive, on-demand pay.
With so many workers shifting to alternative careers, it’s imperative to keep up with trends in both pay and benefits in the restaurant industry as well.
Focus on retention of current employees.

Offer employment opportunities to younger people who don’t have prior experience. Look beyond their lack of experience and invest in skills and development training that will help them in the position and beyond.
Embrace a more agile workforce powered by the gig economy and become less reliant on the traditional hiring route.

Industry Insights: Quick Service Restaurants