Report: Workforce technology amps up hiring, performance

For an industry built on hospitality, a restaurant’s workforce is its greatest asset and, potentially, one of its biggest challenges. Though the labor shortage of the last two or three years has eased, there are still more jobs available than there are employees to fill them. 

But new National Restaurant Association research finds that many operators are deploying new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, chatbots and analytics, to modernize the hiring process and improve employee efficiency. 

A new report, Workforce Technology: Transforming Restaurant Recruitment and Retention, highlights four key areas where technology is helping operators fill jobs and enhance their employees’ performance. 

1. Reshaping recruitment practices and improving efficiency. Adopting automation, AI-driven applicant tracking systems (ATS), and chatbots can reduce hiring times, streamline applicant management, and free up managers so they can focus more on operations and employees. Operators are finding that technology that simplifies the hiring process can also enhance the candidate’s experience as well as save time and money.
2. Prioritizing retention and proper training. Structured onboarding programs, employee-engagement programs, and leadership training are emerging as key strategies for improving long-term retention and fostering workplace stability. Additionally, positive employee experiences drive retention. Restaurant companies that emphasize workplace culture, set clear job expectations, and provide mentorship and growth opportunities help to make positive inroads. For example, Chipotle’s “Burrito Buddy,” which pairs new employees with experienced partners to help navigate a smoother transition in the first 90 days, is proving successful as an onboarding and retention tool.
3. Optimizing data-driven decision-making. Leveraging AI and data analytics to optimize scheduling, predict turnover risks, and identify high-potential managers can enhance efficiency while reducing labor costs and operational disruptions.
4. Evolving communications and engagement tools. Operators are implementing digital platforms, engagement surveys, and real-time feedback tools to enhance transparency, employee satisfaction, and workplace culture. An example of this, the Potbelly Pulse, implemented by fast-casual sandwich brand Potbelly, is used to assess employee feedback and sentiment, identify challenges, and highlight areas where the employee experience could be improved.

According to the 2025 State of the Restaurant Industry report, 77% of operators claim that recruitment and retention remains a significant challenge. With the industry expected to employ 15.9 million people this year and 17.4 million by 2035, getting the hiring piece right is major priority.

“Technology is influencing the way restaurants advertise job openings, screen and hire, and train employees to succeed on the job,” says Chad Moutray, the Association’s vice president of Research & Knowledge, who interviewed workforce experts at 16 restaurant companies for this report. “The use of applicant tracking systems, automated chatbots, and scheduling tools is impacting everything from allowing applicants to apply for jobs when it’s convenient for their schedules to giving managers more freedom to focus on operation- and service-enhancing duties instead of time-consuming administrative tasks. It’s clear that embracing more workforce technology is key to quick and efficient hiring, effective onboarding, and successful training.”

Several of those interviewed told Moutray that automating part, or all, of their recruitment and training practices are reducing the amount of money they spend to advertise job openings and are helping them retain between 60% to 70% of employees. But they also recognize that the human touch is still very much necessary.

“They see value in automating some of the process,” he says. “They know that data and automation are important, but human interaction is still critical in hiring and onboarding employees. Though technology will continue to reduce time constraints, managers understand that it’s equally important for job candidates and new hires to feel welcome and confident of success.”

Download the full workforce technology report here