How Injecting Empathy Into Your Shift Scheduling Can Help Attract and Retain Employees Through Worker Shortages

With dining restrictions lifting and restaurants’ busy season upon us, employers are ramping up hiring in order to meet the demand of the summer. Even with the recent uptick in employment, restaurants are facing a major worker shortage, and many are struggling to keep their doors fully open with limited staffing. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey in late May, an average of 50.2 percent of small businesses in accommodations and food service reported that their operating capacity was affected by the availability of employees. 

Many factors play into why restaurants are struggling to find workers right now. Some blame the federal stimulus payments and unemployment benefits for disincentivizing unemployed workers. Caring for children or other family members is also keeping potential workers at home. Some workers are still reluctant to work in-person due to COVID concerns, and others have left the restaurant business for better paying…