Restaurateur: 20 tips for recruiting with marketing

In the restaurant business, attracting and retaining the best talent is as crucial as winning over customers. Passionate, dedicated staff are at the heart of an exceptional customer experience. So how can you use marketing to recruit employees to your restaurant, in addition to attracting customers?

As we all know, an effective marketing strategy helps attract new customers. But how can marketing be used to recruit new customers for your restaurant?

💫 Go further: discover our complete guide to recruiting foodservice staff.

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Recruiting qualified staff is crucial to the success of your restaurant. Yet recruiting in the restaurant business has become increasingly difficult.

Increased competition, changing candidate expectations... It is now essential to develop innovative strategies.

That's where marketing comes in!

By using effective marketing techniques, restaurateurs can not only attract the attention of qualified candidates, but also convince them to join their team.

Here are some practical tips on how to use marketing to recruit in your restaurant:

Define your job offers to recruit the right candidate for your restaurant

1) Know your candidates' profiles. Start by using online surveys and interviews with current staff to understand the expectations and preferences of future candidates. This helps you personalize your job offers and target your messages effectively.

2) Define a persona profile. Create detailed profiles of your ideal candidates, including their professional experience, motivations and aspirations. This strategy will refine your marketing communications and enable you to target potential candidates more precisely.

3) Offer attractive benefits. In addition to a competitive salary, consider offering additional benefits. Examples: free meals, flexible working hours, training and development opportunities, employee recognition programs.

4) Optimize the job offer: Make sure the application process is transparent, simple and professional. A positive experience from the very first interaction reinforces your employer brand image.

5) Develop a genuine employer brand. Highlight what makes your restaurant unique, such as your commitment to sustainability, your innovative cuisine, or a warm family atmosphere. Use videos to show what goes on behind the scenes at your restaurant, team events, and employee testimonials that make your workplace desirable.

Maximize the impact of social media to deploy your employer brand

6) Deploy your employer brand on social media. social media are powerful tools for showing off your restaurant's culture and daily life. To this end, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be used to share photos and stories featuring your team, creating an engaging presence.

7) Communicate the right message on the right platform. select the appropriate Platforms. Instagram : Ideal for showing off your restaurant's atmosphere, your team's passion and behind-the-scenes moments with attractive photos and videos. Facebook : Use it to post recruitment announcements, share recruitment events and employee testimonials. LinkedIn : Perfect for more formal recruitment announcements, sharing articles about your company's culture, and networking with industry professionals.

8) Create engaging content. Share employee success stories, professional development opportunities, and fun everyday moments at work to strengthen your employer brand. Behind-the-scenes videos: Show what makes your workplace unique through immersive videos. Employee testimonials: Share stories of employees talking about their work experience, which can attract candidates looking for similar corporate cultures. Interactive publications: Hold live Q&A sessions or polls to engage your audience.

9) Use hashtags strategically. Incorporating relevant hashtags can help extend the reach of your posts to potential candidates who don't yet follow your page.

10) Target ad reach. Use targeted advertising options on social media to reach potential candidates outside your current network, based on criteria such as interests, geographic location, and more. Launch ad campaigns on these platforms to reach potential candidates based on their location, interests, and professional experience.

Use the voice of your employees to help recruit in your restaurant

11) Involve your team in the recruitment process. Motivate your current staff to share your recruitment ads on their own social media. This can increase the reach of your messages and add a level of personal recommendation to your recruitment efforts.

12) Highlight employee testimonials. Video interviews and blogs: Use these formats to share authentic employee testimonials. This gives potential candidates a real insight into what it's like to work for your restaurant, highlighting the positive work environment and opportunities available. Involve your employees in marketing content: Encourage your employees to share their work experiences on their own social media. Authentic testimonials can have a significant impact on people seeking employment in your industry.

13) Offer attractive incentives. Offer tangible rewards for staff who successfully sponsor a new candidate, such as cash bonuses, extra days off, or unique experiences.

14) Communicate internally. Use internal newsletters, team meetings, and workplace postings to remind and promote the sponsorship program. Encourage positive word-of-mouth: Referrals from current employees can be a powerful recruitment tool. Foster a positive work environment that encourages your employees to refer potential candidates.

15) Highlight career advancement opportunities. Show how your restaurant offers opportunities for career advancement. Highlight success stories within your team to illustrate the potential for growth within your establishment.

Use dedicated platforms and spaces to recruit in your restaurant

16) Use online recruitment tools. Explore specialized online recruitment platforms, such as HospoJobs, to broaden your reach and reach candidates specifically interested in the restaurant industry.

17) Work on ad visibility. Use industry-specific keywords and clear job titles. This will improve the visibility of your ads on search engines and job platforms. Make sure your job ads are optimized for search engines to reach a wider audience. Use keywords relevant to the restaurant industry. Include attractive photos of your establishment and an introductory video to give candidates an idea of the working environment.

18) Participate in recruitment events or organize your own. Get involved in job fairs, industry events or organize your own open house. This can attract motivated candidates who share your passion for the restaurant business. Create networking evenings where current employees can invite acquaintances interested in restaurant opportunities.

19) Collaborate with culinary schools. Partner with local culinary schools to access a pool of qualified candidates. Offer internships or apprenticeship programs to develop long-term relationships.

20) Local initiatives. Get involved in the local community to reinforce your image as a committed employer, attracting candidates who share your values.

Conclusion

By implementing these marketing strategies, you can recruit the best talent to your restaurant. And build a strong, committed team. Don't forget that recruitment is an ongoing process, so keep innovating and adjusting your approach to meet the changing needs of your business. Recruiting in the restaurant industry can be a daunting challenge. By using the right marketing strategies, you can turn this process into an opportunity to attract top talent to your establishment.