Why restaurant employees quit
	What keeps them motivated
	How to engage your team

BY THE NUMBERS

REALLY BIG INSIGHT #1

46%	of employees who quit say it’s due to difficult managers

Employees don’t leave restaurants. They leave managers.

The restaurant industry is known for high turnover, proven by 66% of respondents indicating they’ve quit a restaurant job. A quarter of them have quit more than once.

One of the main culprits? Nearly half of all employees who told us they’ve left a restaurant job before said they did so due to difficult management. It’s as common as low pay—which takes the top spot at 50%.

When employees leave, they often go on to work in another job within the restaurant industry. In fact, 58% of employees who have left their jobs do so to work in another restaurant job. These employees leave for jobs with potentially higher pay, better managers, and more opportunities within the industry.

💡 Actionable: Be clear about the competencies you look for in managers and give your team opportunities to build these skills.

💡 Actionable: Keep communication lines wide open between team members and leaders with regular meetings and individual conversations.

SPOTLIGHT

REALLY BIG INSIGHT #2

60%	of employees list coworkers as the top motivator in their daily work

Camaraderie is as essential as getting paid when it comes to what drives restaurant workers.

More than half of those surveyed listed “Financial incentives”—aka getting paid—among their top motivators. However, coworkers and the team just edged out financial incentives, putting team dynamic on par with getting paid.

Cofounder of Mei Mei and winner of the 2022 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award, Irene Li said, “I think operators could do more to foster camaraderie, whether through activities, team training, or icebreakers. At Mei Mei, we have a wall with everyone’s picture, their birthday, and their favorite book, and, you know, it’s kind of like a kindergarten class.”

💡 Actionable: ​​Use pre-shift meetings or lineups to foster meaningful connection among staff.

💡 Actionable: ​​Consider icebreakers, games, or activities to make it easier for staff to get to know each other.

7FEATURES

🔎 Key report finding: You can’t give employees too much recognition
Use Shout-outs to publicly show appreciation for your team’s hard work.

🔎 Key report finding: Many employees see hospitality as a career
Use your Engage Dashboard to track performance and identity top employees ready for promotion. Then use Performance Log to drive impactful conversations during your next 1-on-1.

🔎 Key report finding: Flexibility remains an advantage for hospitality
Use Shift Pool so staff can offer up full or partial shifts when staff can’t make it to work.

REALLY BIG INSIGHT #3

“But how can I get my staff to care about working here?”

You’re not the first to ask. To understand what managers and operators can do to engage their staff, survey respondents rated how much various practices would affect their workplace engagement.

🌱 Opportunities for growth

Restaurant work is often dismissed as a stepping stone to other things. For many though, it’s a career—and operators can use this to their advantage, building up their top talent to succeed long-term.

💰 Same-day pay/tip payouts

When you can order nearly anything imaginable with same-day and next-day delivery—why wait two weeks to get what you already worked for? Sometimes referred to as Earned Wage Access, future-thinking restaurants are offering employees the ability to receive their checks or tips at the end of their shifts. It can be a boost for employee financial wellness, helping them stay away from predatory payday loans. While it may not be right for every restaurant, one thing’s for sure—employees are all for it.

🌟 More recognition from management

Even the most self-motivated among us enjoy recognition for hard work, and restaurant employees are no exception.

As Danny Meyer puts it: “Every restaurant has a culture, whether they work at it or not. The question is, is it an uplifting, intentional culture?

Over many years, I’ve learned that if you want to have an intentional culture, you must start by naming the behaviors you want to see more of. You’ve got to champion and celebrate those behaviors when you see them and apply constant and gentle pressure when you don’t.”

💡 Actionable: Don’t be afraid to ask your staff what matters to them.