According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 51% of food service businesses are struggling to find suitable staff – higher than any other industry in Australia.
Hiring and retaining top talent has been a common stumbling block for restaurants, but the issue has reached a crisis point in the wake of the pandemic, and restaurants across the country are struggling to find staff.
When you have a job opening in your venue, the standard practice is to stick an ad in the window and hope for the best. While this method is tried and tested, it’s not always the best way to attract top talent.
Ensuring your job ad is seen by the right people as quickly as possible is imperative. As with most things, taking your recruitment online is the best way to find and attract the best talent.
To help with your search, we’ve rounded up the nine best websites to hire restaurant staff in Australia.
Let’s dive in.
9 websites to hire restaurant staff
If you’re struggling to find applicants for your latest job openings, try advertising on one or more of the following websites and job boards.
Free Hospitality Recruitment Guide
Get expert industry tips for a complete employee management process in this free guide: How to Find, Hire & Retain Your Dream Team.
1. SEEK
SEEK is one of Australia’s most popular job websites, and over 50% of candidates who looked online to find a job in the last 12 months used SEEK.
While SEEK doesn’t specialise in recruiting for the hospitality industry, thousands of open hospitality roles are on the site, and venues often use it to recruit staff.
It’s free to set up an employer account with SEEK; however, there are different paid options for posting a job ad. Prices are variable depending on your needs, and a pricing lookup tool can be used once you’ve set up an account.
2. Indeed
Indeed is one of the biggest job sites in the world, with over 225 million resumes stored on the website and over 300 million monthly visitors.
As Indeed is popular in many countries worldwide, it’s often the go-to site for new visa holders who are looking for work when they arrive in Australia.
It’s free to set up an Indeed account and to post a job ad that will appear in general search results. To reach more potential candidates, there’s also an option to promote your job opening for as little as $5 per day.
3. Jora
Jora is an Australian-based job board that has now expanded into 25 countries across five continents.
Similar to Indeed, Jora is popular around the world and will often be used by new visa holders arriving in Australia to find work.
Setting up an account on Jora and posting a job ad is free. It’s also possible to pay for a sponsored job ad, so you have more chances of getting your advert in front of the right people.
4. Backpacker Job Board
Backpacker Job Board is a popular Australian job website used primarily by backpackers and working holiday visa holders looking for work.
While the website doesn’t solely focus on recruiting for the hospitality industry, there are specific categories for restaurant and cafe jobs and bar jobs.
There are lots of different options for businesses looking to advertise their jobs on Backpacker Job Board, ranging from a free basic listing to $40 premium feature ads. There are also package deals on premium ads, which is an excellent option if you’re hiring for multiple roles simultaneously.
5. Bar Cats
Bar Cats operates across Australia and New Zealand with a core focus on connecting hospitality businesses with good-quality candidates.
Bar Cats helps hospitality venues find casual, part-time and full-time staff, as well as filling one-off and last-minute shifts – perfect for staffing one-off events or filling in for when someone is sick.
Various paid options are available, depending on your staffing needs. You can opt for pay-as-you-go pricing that starts from $50 and have a money-back guarantee if you don’t fill your shift. There are also subscription plans that start from $240 per quarter and include several perks, job ads and support.
6. Sidekicker
Sidekicker is a partner of SEEK and specialises in recruiting casual and full-time employees across several industries, including hospitality.
Sidekicker pre-screens applicants before their applications are sent to you, saving time and ensuring quality. They also specialise in recruiting front-of-house and back-of-house staff, ranging from kitchen hands to bar staff and supervisors.
It’s free to request staff from Sidekicker. You simply have to pay a flat fee for the hours they work.
7. Adzuna
Adzuna is a global job website that started in the UK and now operates in 20 countries with offices in London, Sydney and Indianapolis.
Similar to other global job boards, Adzuna is popular amongst foreign nationals who have relocated to Australia for work.
Job adverts on Adzuna start from $199, and job packs are available for a more tailored solution.
8. Coffee Jobs
Coffee Jobs, unsurprisingly, specialises in recruiting baristas and cafe staff as well as other roles for hospitality venues.
Beanhunter runs Coffee Jobs, so it’s also possible to purchase coffee equipment for your cafe or restaurant from the site.
It’s free to create an employer account on the Coffee Jobs website, and job listings start from $70 for a single job advert, going up to $560 for ten ads.
9. Wine Jobs Australia
Wine Jobs Australia specialises in connecting hospitality venues with job seekers – particularly those with wine qualifications.
Wine Jobs Australia is a great resource for finding skilled hospitality workers, from sommeliers to cellar door managers, bar staff and chefs.
It costs $199 to post an ad, and it will stay live for six months or until you mark the post as filled.
Where to promote your new job opening
Once you’ve decided which job websites best fit your job opening, the next step is to promote your ad far and wide.
- Social media – post your job ad on all your social media channels, with a short description of the role you are hiring for and a link to the ad so people can easily apply.
- In-venue – pop a small ad in your window advertising your job and where candidates can apply. You could also include a QR code with a direct link to your ad, so people can scan it to learn more and apply.
- Email – send an email blast out to your customers saying you’re hiring – you never know who might be looking for work, and your customers will already be familiar with your venue and what you do. Don’t forget to include a brief outline of the open role(s) and links to the job ad.
- Staff referrals – ask your team to refer any friends and family they think might be suitable for the role. You could also include an incentive if their referral gets the role.
Looking to hire restaurant staff?
Finding the right staff for your restaurant can be tricky. With more people going online to manage their day-to-day lives, it’s important for restaurants to post their job openings online to ensure they reach as many people as possible and, more importantly, are seen by the right candidates. However, which website job board you choose to post your new role will depend on your budget, the type of job and how quickly you need the role to start.
Free Hospitality Recruitment Guide
Get expert industry tips for a complete employee management process in this free guide: How to Find, Hire & Retain Your Dream Team.
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