I just came back from the National Restaurant Show and labor challenges / solutions are absolutely the top of mind for the industry right now. It came up in conversation after conversation.
My role is primarily restaurant marketing, so while I know labor is a huge issue, I don’t always see the day-to-day operational pain the same way operators and GMs do.”
I recently met Stephanie Florio who has way deeper expertise than me on this subject and asked her if she could help me shed some light on possible solutions by co-authoring something for my blog. She is co-founder of Swob, a hiring solution that removes a lot of the friction from the hiring process of hourly wage workers so she knows a lot about the subject!
Restaurants do not just have a hiring problem. They have a candidate experience problem.
Many candidates abandon applications because the process feels slow, outdated, and unnecessarily complicated. Long applications, poor mobile experiences, delayed communication, and missed calls are creating friction at a time when speed matters more than ever.
For an industry already dealing with high turnover and staffing pressure, every lost applicant matters.
Candidates today expect the hiring process to feel as simple and mobile-friendly as the rest of their daily lives. They want to apply quickly from their phone, communicate through text, and receive fast updates. However, many restaurant hiring processes still rely on lengthy applications, delayed follow ups, and systems that create friction before a candidate even speaks to a manager.
This disconnect is causing qualified candidates to drop off before they ever complete the process.
While the consumer experience has become faster and more mobile-first, many job application processes still feel outdated. Candidates are often forced to create accounts, upload resumes multiple times, answer repetitive questions, and spend 15 to 20 minutes completing applications that were never designed for how people apply for jobs today.
The result is one of the biggest hidden problems in modern hiring: candidate friction.
And the numbers behind it are significant. According to research from Internet Collaborative Information Management Systems (iCIMS), approximately 60–65% of candidates abandon job applications before completion when the process becomes too lengthy or complicated. That means restaurants are potentially losing more than half of interested applicants before a conversation even begins.
For an industry already battling labor shortages, high turnover, and operational pressure, that should be a major area of improvement.
Make It Easy To Apply
The reality is simple: The easier it is to apply, the more likely candidates are to complete the process.
Reducing friction does not mean lowering hiring standards. It means removing unnecessary barriers that prevent qualified people from engaging in the first place.
Here’s how what to look for in a hiring solution:
Mobile-first applications that allow candidates to apply in seconds
QR code recruiting that lets restaurants turn customers into employees
Text-based communication
Faster response times
AI-powered matching that connects candidates with more relevant opportunities based on their preferences and experience
Simple and streamlined application flows that remove unnecessary steps and reduce drop off
Real-time application updates
Faster interview coordination and scheduling that helps operators move qualified candidates through the pipeline quickly
A hiring experience designed around speed, simplicity, and accessibility for hourly workers
Less friction between initial interest and completed application, helping restaurants capture more qualified applicants before competitors do
(Swob does all of the above FYI!)
And in hospitality, speed-to-hire can make a massive operational difference.
A Better Solution
Traditional hiring systems have too much friction for modern candidates.
They want it easy which means brands need a platform designed around simplicity and speed so the application process feels natural and intuitive.
The goal is to create an experience candidates actually complete. The easier restaurants make it for candidates to connect, the stronger their hiring pipelines become.
Candidates expect convenience. They expect speed. They expect technology that feels modern and easy to use. The restaurants that recognize this shift early will have a significant advantage in attracting and retaining talent moving forward.
That’s what Swob does! Want to learn more?
.
Thanks Stephanie!
That makes so much sense to me. I know me, whenever anything gives me friction, including resetting my password in a fast food loyalty app, filling out an endless feedback survey or waiting for the really, really, really slow scanners at TSA in Terminal A at Newark airport, I get mad antsy!
If you have any questions, hit up Stephanie
–––
Need help building or speeding up your restaurant marketing system?
Send me an email at [email protected]
WHAT DOES REV DO?
✓ I help restaurants build guest marketing programs
✓ I help hospitality tech companies with lead generation and content marketing!
