How Restaurants Can Cut Time-to-Hire in Half with Hourly Hiring Software?

If you’ve ever worked a Friday night shift in a kitchen where three people called out, you know that "understaffed" isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a physical sensation. It’s the sound of a printer that won’t stop spitting out tickets and the sight of a dining room full of hungry people starting to look at their watches.

The reality of restaurant hiring today is, quite frankly, brutal. According to the National Restaurant Association, a staggering 62% of operators say their business does not have enough employees to support customer demand. We aren't just looking for "the right fit" anymore; we’re looking for someone - anyone - who will actually show up. With turnover rates often hovering above 120%, the revolving door isn't just annoying; it's expensive.

How Slow Hiring Is Hurting Your Business More Than You Realize

Every day a role stays vacant, it’s costing you more than just a headache. It’s lost revenue. When you’re short-staffed, table turnover slows down, online orders get turned off because the kitchen can’t keep up, and your best employees - the ones who actually showed up - start to burn out.

If your "process" involves a paper application and a "we'll call you" promise, you’re basically handing your talent to the competitor down the street. In the world of hourly work, the best candidates are off the market in a matter of days.

If you're waiting 5 to 7 days to respond, you're not just slow; you're invisible.

A Faster Way to Hire for High-Volume Hourly Roles

To compete in today’s hourly labor market, restaurants need to rethink how they hire. Speed isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s the advantage.

Here’s what high-performing restaurant operators are doing differently:

1. Make Applications Mobile-First

Most hourly candidates apply from their phones. A long, desktop-style form creates friction and drop-off. Leading restaurants simplify applications so they can be completed in just a few minutes - no resumes required.

2. Pre-Screen Before the Manager Gets Involved

Instead of manually reviewing every applicant, smart operators use automated pre-screening questions to filter for availability, location, and shift compatibility. This ensures managers only spend time on qualified candidates.

3. Automate Interview Scheduling

Phone tag is a momentum killer. By allowing candidates to self-schedule an interview based on their real-time availability, the process will be accelerated.

4. Cut No-Shows with Automated Reminders

Text reminders 24 hours and 1 hour prior to an interview will help boost attendance rates, especially in hourly positions where no-shows are a problem.

5. Automate Onboarding

Paperwork delays cost days. Digital onboarding allows new hires to complete tax forms, policy acknowledgments, and compliance steps before their first shift - not during it.

Real Life: The 72-Hour Hire : A HigherMe Case-study

Theory is helpful. Results are better!

One multi-location restaurant operator put this faster hiring approach into practice - and the impact was immediate.

Heath Martin, Director of Operations for a Domino’s franchise group with 36 locations and over 500 employees, knew that speed was his only competitive advantage. In the pizza business, every hour a role stays unfilled is a delivery that doesn’t happen.

By implementing HigherMe, Heath’s team transformed their hiring process:

• 15-Minute Review: Applications are screened and reviewed almost instantly.
• Next-Day Interviews: Using auto-scheduling, they often meet candidates within 24 hours.
• The 72-Hour Result: They went from a weeks-long struggle to hiring and onboarding new employees in just 72 hours.

As Heath puts it, the goal is "first click to first shift" in record time. They aren't just hiring faster; they're hiring better because they’re catching the best talent before anyone else even sees the application.

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The Bottom Line

The old way of hiring is dead. In the fast-paced world of food service, you can’t afford to be the last one to call a candidate back. You need to be the first.

HigherMe was built to automate the boring stuff so you can get back to running your restaurant. Don't let your next great hire walk into the shop next door just because they moved faster than you.

Ready to cut your time-to-hire in half? Book a demo with HigherMe today and let’s get your kitchen fully staffed by the weekend.