Indeed, OpenTable Team Up to Promote Job Opportunities in Restaurant Industry
According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry is 1 million jobs below where it should be.
That’s why job site Indeed and OpenTable teamed up to launch of Interview Days: Restaurant Jobs. This month-long U.S. hiring initiative, which begins on October 1, aims to accelerate the recovery of the food and beverage industry by providing free hiring tools to help businesses and restaurateurs source, screen and host interviews. A new dedicated portal will also empower job seekers to discover open positions and access resources to help them succeed in their job search in the restaurant industry.
Indeed and OpenTable partnered with Indianapolis restaurateur Martha Hoover on this hiring initiative. “If you think that restaurants are merely places to grab meals, I want to challenge that idea. Restaurants are much more than that. Restaurants create change in neighborhoods; they create change in cities. They are where world-changing ideas happen," said Hoover, Founder & President, Patachou Inc. “They are also places of opportunity for those who work in them. We need employees now - that’s why I was happy to team up with OpenTable and Indeed to bring awareness to the industry’s ongoing labor shortage and help bring staff back to restaurants.” For more information on Martha Hoover’s perspective on this labor issue and hiring in the restaurant industry, visit the OpenTable blog.
Diners are Eager to Return to Restaurants
The restaurant and food service industry, which has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, continues to struggle as the Delta variant stalls its recovery. Yet, diners are eager to dine out, OpenTable’s State of the Industry dashboard shows diner volume as high as 30% above 2019 levels in September, and along with it, so has the urgency to staff up to help with diner demand. Data from Indeed shows job postings for food preparation and service roles have increased by 39.9% in the U.S. since February 2020.
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Help Wanted Everywhere
As restaurants reopen and more people want to return to in-person dining, local restaurants and food service employers are struggling to hire enough qualified workers to meet the consumer demand.
Restaurants are increasingly leaning on tech tools -- to find, recruit and retain employees. Tech tools can help to increase job satisfaction for a more positive workplace culture, which is highly correlated to retention. Pacific Bells is among the restaurants adding daily pay as a benefit. Gusto Restaurants added a cashless tip tech for employee payouts.
Indeed has also partnered with its strategic partner, Goodwill and other non-profits, to ensure job seekers in their communities are aware of the initiative.
Participating employers gain access to Indeed's free suite of hiring tools to manage the end-to-end hiring process, from job postings through interviews all on Indeed, with no additional software. This enables them to accelerate hiring, since those who conduct interviews on Indeed are able to hire 20% faster than in-person interviews or virtual interviews on third party apps. To further help restaurants staff up, OpenTable created a robust guide with tips, checklists and job posting templates that offer guidance on how to hire and retain talent. Additionally, OpenTable is offering free training and certification for all hosts and managers to quickly onboard in their new role.
Employers can participate by posting food and beverage jobs to Indeed until October 22, 2021. Eligible employers who successfully hire during the initiative will also receive a $200 Sponsored Jobs credit from Indeed.