By Heather Langley, Contributor
The hiring scene continues to embrace automation. As more of us introduce portal-based recruitment strategies, could the era of face-to-face hiring in restaurants soon be over?
The question we must ask ourselves is, does a tech-based hiring system enhance the candidate experience, or is it driving top talent away?
Some of the best restaurant employees are discovered during the interview process itself. If we rely too much on tick-box exercises to satisfy internal processes, studies show that we potentially eliminate 30% of the available market.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide to humanizing the restaurant hiring process in 2025. If you’re looking to build a relationship with top talent in the industry, it could be time to ditch the tech and go old school.
Focus on Building Relationships and Understanding Candidates
Each candidate’s background is complex and is easily lost when applications are filtered through AI-powered recruitment portals.
You must take time to understand each candidate’s motivations, career goals, and hiring history if you want to paint a full picture of a potential hire.
There are plenty of ways to build relationships with candidates during the hiring process. Some of the most popular strategies include:
Taking time to have a conversation with best-fit candidates
Highlighting employee achievements to demonstrate a positive working environment
Facilitating interactions with the current restaurant team
Tailoring communications to each candidate’s specific needs
Showcasing your company culture and values on social media/hiring website
Taking time to put yourself in the shoes of the candidate is the key to building a stronger relationship. Ahead of the interview, consider reaching out to your top candidates personally, inviting them for a formal chat, or connecting them with current team members to provide a more personalized experience with the restaurant.
Take your AI-Driven Communication One Step Further
Automated communication has become the most efficient way to connect with mass candidates during the restaurant recruitment process.
However, while AI-powered chatbots and submission portals connect with candidates immediately, the messaging itself can come across as informal.
There’s no denying the time-saving value of artificial intelligence in the restaurant hiring sector; however, for those looking to humanize the recruitment drive, it could be time to start tailoring the AI-powered interactions potential hires receive.
Program your AI system to respond with a warm and friendly tone. This shows that a human has been involved in designing the application process. Additionally, why not also provide an option for a candidate to speak to a real member of the restaurant’s hiring team if they have any unique questions or additional needs?
Use Your Human Judgment
AI is a brilliant tool to use for sifting through large piles of applications and efficiently evaluating candidate skills.
This said, tools like Interview Intelligence, ATS screeners and AI-powered portals are not infallible. AI can easily pick up desired keywords, and segment candidates based on what it sees on paper, but it cannot make a judgment on their character, motivations and performance in previous roles.
In order to ensure that each candidate has a fair and objective evaluation, don’t forget to use your human judgment. Striking a balance between AI-powered productivity and quality of hires is essential.
We’d recommend letting AI handle the initial screening of applications, broadly selecting the best fits from thousands of applicants. This is where you come in. Once the pile has been narrowed down, use your own judgement to decide which candidates will be invited to the restaurant for the interview stage.
This ensures that none of the best talent falls through the cracks based on box-ticking algorithms.
Focus on Candidate Experience Throughout the Process
As a modern-day recruiter, you must champion candidate experience. While AI provides a seamless and engaging experience for all applicants, it’s important to follow this up with clear and timely communication from a member of the restaurant team.
This could be a welcome message or simply answering a question, such as calculating holiday allowance for a casual worker application.
In fact, 67% of candidates have a positive impression of an organization if they receive consistent updates throughout the application pipeline.
You should also strive to make your candidates feel valued. Treat each and every applicant you interact with respect and appreciation.
If you have the time, it’s also favorable to provide constructive feedback for unsuccessful applicants, especially if they have interviewed for the position. This feedback helps a candidate improve their skills and could encourage them to apply for a future role at the restaurant.
Wrapping Up
Humanizing your restaurant hiring process could set you apart from the masses. As we welcome an increasingly digitalized recruitment process, those who take time to personalize the candidate experience beyond AI will stand a greater chance of winning top talent.
Balancing technology with a human touch can help your restaurant hire its best workforce yet. By following these strategies, you’ll create a humanized recruitment process that prioritizes candidate communication and builds strong relationships with rising talent.
