The Top 3 Labor Concerns of QSRs -- And How You Can Address Them
Labor is a crucial but also consuming area for QSRs. One only needs to look at the latest Oracle survey which reveals that most QSR operators give a high priority to hiring the right candidate, equipping new hires with proper skills, and ensuring staff do not quit.
Training, recruitment, and retention were cited as the most pressing labor concerns for 70%, 68% and 66% of QSRs, respectively, according to the survey of more than 200 independent operators and chains.
“Training, recruitment and retention — enterprise and independent operators wholeheartedly agree that these are their top priorities when it comes to labor, ahead of other concerns such as productivity and government regulations,” says Christopher Adams, Vice President of Sales, Food and Beverage APAC at Oracle Hospitality.
First-rate staff
QSR operators spend a lot of resources on labor concerns to meet customers’ heightened level of service standards. The modern diner requires more care and assistance than ever before.
“In an era of individualization, when customers covet personalized attention and service, it is critical for restaurants to hire first-rate staff and train them to meet, if not surpass, marketplace expectations,” says Adams.
While tackling labor concerns are indeed critical to attract customers and keep them loyal, QSRs must also keep labor costs in check. Some operators are turning to new systems, including cloud platforms, to lower the resources spent to accomplish labor tasks.
“To carve out appropriate time to address priorities, management needs to simplify and efficiently handle ‘processing tasks,’ including new employee onboarding and training delivery,” says Adams.
Cloud platforms are particularly effective in providing operators with stronger cost control mechanisms. Oracle points out how its Hospitality Simphony Cloud platform can enable operators to centrally onboard staff, which can become a costly activity when done in a dispersed manner. It can empower staff through smoother scheduling processes.
The cloud platform becomes even more beneficial for QSRs when it is used to address not only labor concerns, but also POS, kitchen management, and loss prevention. Owners and managers can make better decisions through the extensive reporting features in the cloud platform, and make necessary changes in their training, recruitment and retention initiatives based on gathered insights.
Download the full Oracle report: Cost Control in Food & Beverage
