Building Your Talent Pipeline When 73% Increase Tech Investment

The Labor Market Reality

With 65% of operators describing the labor market as "tight" or "very tight" and the industry projecting to add 200,000 jobs in 2025 to reach 15.9 million total employment, building a talent pipeline isn't optional—it's survival.

The Technology Investment Surge

73% of operators increased technology investments in 2024, the highest adoption rate in industry history:

• Restaurant scheduling software market: $1.2 billion to $2.5 billion by 2033
• **95% of operators** now use some form of AI in operations
• **89% express positive sentiments** about AI integration
• ROI typically achieved within **4-7 months**

Creating Your Talent Pool

1. Technology-Enabled Recruiting

With 49% of restaurants using scheduling software, modern infrastructure enables:

• Always-on recruiting pipelines
• Automated candidate tracking
• AI-powered screening tools
• Dramatic time-to-fill reduction

2. Retention Through Better Management

Since 47% of employees quit due to poor management:

• Restaurants paying top-quartile GM salaries achieve **6% lower turnover**
• Automated scheduling saves managers **137 hours annually**
• Proper tip management increases retention by **20%**
• Quick-service workers are **5 times more likely to quit** due to management issues in first 90 days

3. Data-Driven Development

With 54% of QSR employees not surviving 90 days and average tenure at 110 days:

• Focus on early intervention programs
• Implement structured onboarding
• Create clear advancement paths
• Use performance-based progression