Restaurant Employees Report Career Opportunity
Restaurant employee career opportunities are examined in National Restaurant Association research on satisfaction, skills, and advancement.
The National Restaurant Association has released research finding that 89% of restaurant employees in their primary industry job see opportunities for career advancement and 96% are satisfied with their work experience. Its Made in Restaurants: Industry Careers in America report draws on surveys of current and former restaurant workers, as well as adults who have never worked in the industry. Eighty-six percent of current employees said they are likely to remain in restaurant and foodservice work until retirement, while 91% would recommend a restaurant job to a friend or family member. The study also found a clear difference between the perceptions of people with restaurant experience and those without it.
Employee Experience And Retention
The research presents restaurant work as a sector where employees report satisfaction, career potential, and long-term interest. Among current employees whose primary job is in the industry, 86% said they are likely to continue working in restaurant and foodservice until retirement.
Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO at the National Restaurant Association, said:
“The people who know our industry best demonstrate the foundational career experience that restaurants deliver. As an industry where skills and training are mastered one shift at a time, restaurants build leaders and foster entrepreneurship to provide limitless opportunity. This report reflects the real-world value of restaurant jobs for the for the 15.7 million people who work in in our industry and for the communities they serve nationwide.”
Perceptions Differ By Experience
Current employees were more positive than respondents who had never worked in restaurants about the availability of long-term career opportunities. Eighty-six percent of current employees said the industry provides good long-term career opportunities, compared with 54% of adults without restaurant experience. Ninety percent of current employees described restaurant work as a good job, compared with 65% of those without industry experience.
Adults who had never worked in restaurants were also more likely to identify schedules, compensation, and respectful treatment as workplace challenges. Fifty-three percent cited schedules, compared with 29% of current employees, while 50% cited compensation, compared with 28% of current employees.
Career Perceptions Quote.
Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist at the National Restaurant Association, said:
“This perception gap has clear implications for one of the biggest challenges facing the industry: employee recruitment. As the report shows, those who have worked in the industry see restaurants as places where they gain transferable skills and can build a career. If those pathways are not widely recognized, fewer people may take advantage of industry opportunities that can contribute to their upward mobility and the growth of overall economy.”
Advancement And Skills
Among employees who see career advancement opportunities in restaurants, 48% see them with their current employer, 10% see them with another industry employer, and 42% see opportunity with both. Forty-two percent of current employees working their primary job in a restaurant said they would like to own or operate a restaurant someday.
What Employees Think.
The survey also found that 82% of current employees believe restaurant jobs prepare people for success in whatever jobs or careers they pursue. Respondents identified teamwork, work ethic, customer service, time management, adaptability, communication, leadership, and problem-solving as skills developed through restaurant work.
Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO at the National Restaurant Association, said:
“The restaurant industry is one of America's most accessible and practical workforce development engines. Every day, restaurants give people the chance to develop the real-world skills employers value - while creating a path to management, leadership and, for many, ownership. These findings reinforce why investing in restaurant employees is an investment in the future of communities and the broader economy.”
What The Survey Covers
The association surveyed 1,251 current restaurant employees working either a primary or secondary industry job, 251 former employees who had worked in the industry within the past five years, and 972 adults who had never worked in restaurant and foodservice. The report is supported by JazzHR and is available through the National Restaurant Association.
