How to Build a Restaurant Team That Stays
Restaurant employee turnover costs far more than the time it takes to post another job opening. Every departure means more recruiting, more interviews, more training, and more pressure on the people who remain.
The question is not only how to hire restaurant employees. It is how to build a stable restaurant workforce that wants to stay, grow, and contribute.
In Episode 502 of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I speak with Tom Kilby of Vanteo about practical restaurant staffing solutions. We discuss recruiting, onboarding, mentorship, culture, leadership, and the international staffing programs that Tom works with.
Restaurant Employee Retention Begins With Leadership
Restaurant owners and managers often look for a single answer to turnover. Tom makes the point that there is no magic bullet. The better approach is to use the tools available and consistently work at employee engagement.
That starts with being present.
Your team watches how you show up. They notice whether you recognize effort, step in during a difficult shift, communicate clearly, and treat people as important contributors to the business.
Compensation must be competitive, but pay alone does not create loyalty. Employees are more likely to stay when they feel appreciated, supported, and part of something.
Recruit Beyond the Help Wanted Sign
If the same recruiting methods keep producing weak results, it is time to look for different ways to reach people.
During our conversation, I share an idea used by a Southern California restaurant chain. The company gave gift cards to customers who referred an employee who remained for 60 days.
The guest received something valuable, while the restaurant’s actual cost was based on its food cost rather than the full face value of the card.
More importantly, the strategy turned loyal customers into recruiters. A guest might immediately think of a relative, neighbor, or friend who needs a job.
That is the difference between simply advertising an opening and actively recruiting.
Make Restaurant Onboarding Clear and Personal
A strong first day should do more than explain tasks. It should set clear expectations and show the employee how they can succeed.
Tom recommends communicating what the restaurant needs, making sure the employee understands it, and then coaching from there. A mentor who already knows the role can help the new employee become comfortable and productive.
Mentorship also creates an opportunity to ask a crucial question: Where does this person want to go?
A dishwasher may want to become a chef. A crew member may have the potential to become a shift leader or manager.
The restaurant may already have a path for that growth, but the employee will not always volunteer the goal. A leader has to take the time to ask.
Help Employees Understand the Guest Experience
Workplace expectations are more effective when employees understand the reason behind them.
Tom gives a useful example for discussing cell phones. Imagine an interviewer looking at a phone and texting throughout a job interview. The candidate would probably feel unseen and unwelcome.
That is exactly how a guest may feel when an employee is focused on a phone rather than the customer.
Instead of stating a rule without context, connect the rule to hospitality: We are here to create a great experience, and every team member must participate in that.
Build Culture Around Recognition, Purpose, and Growth
Employees want to feel connected to the people and places where they work. Recognition, flexibility, advancement, and shared purpose can all strengthen that connection.
Tom suggests learning which charitable causes matter to employees and finding ways for the restaurant to support them.
The specific approach can vary, but the larger point is powerful. People are more likely to buy into a business when they see a connection between their values and the company’s actions.
Promoting from within can have a similar effect.
Tom describes his experience running a food-grade packaging manufacturing plant, where members of upper management had started on the floor. They understood the work, respected each role, and were able to mentor others because they had followed the same path.
Restaurants can create that same kind of development ladder.
Difficult Shifts Can Build Team Spirit
Every restaurant has days when nothing goes according to plan. Equipment fails, people call out, the dining room fills unexpectedly, or the team simply has to do more with less.
Leaders should be honest that those days will happen. Then they should create an all-hands-on-deck culture where people solve the problem together.
There is real pride in overcoming a difficult service side by side.
When employees feel that they contributed to the solution, the hard day becomes part of the team’s shared story rather than another reason to leave.
Understanding H-2B and EB-3 Restaurant Staffing
Tom also explains two international staffing paths that may be relevant to restaurant operators.
H-2B is discussed as a seasonal workforce option. It may fit a restaurant or hospitality business that can document a temporary peak need during a busy season.
EB-3 is different.
Tom describes it as an employment-based immigrant visa program that can ultimately lead to permanent residency for the foreign national.
The people entering through this path want the opportunity to live and work in the United States, creating a different source of motivation.
Tom emphasizes that EB-3 is not an immediate solution. He tells operators to think of it as a multi-year plan before the first worker arrives.
That makes it more appropriate for established restaurateurs who expect to be operating and growing several years from now.
According to Tom, employers treat these individuals as W-2 employees and are not required through the program he describes to provide housing or transportation.
He also explains that workers can progress naturally from entry-level roles into leadership positions.
Because immigration rules, requirements, and timelines can change, any operator considering one of these programs should verify current information with qualified immigration and employment professionals.
Stable Staffing Supports Better Hospitality
At the center of this conversation is hospitality.
Guests remember how a restaurant made them feel. A great meal matters, but so do the people who welcome them, serve them, and create the experience.
When a restaurant is fully staffed with motivated people, its leaders can focus on coaching, quality, consistency, and the guest.
When employees feel seen and supported, they are better prepared to make guests feel the same way.
There is no single answer to the restaurant labor challenge.
But operators can make progress by recruiting creatively, onboarding clearly, mentoring intentionally, recognizing effort, developing future leaders, and planning farther ahead.
▶️ Watch Episode 502 with Tom Kilby of Vanteo:
