Today’s tight labor market leaves employers little room for mistakes, yet some factors are beyond a company’s control. After all, budgets limit salary ranges and recruiting expenditures. However, a properly written restaurant manager job posting is an affordable way to maximize hiring results.

Here are eight tips to optimize your restaurant manager job postings today!

1) Use a Welcoming Tone

Talented restaurant managers know that they’re in demand. They’re evaluating a variety of job opportunities, company cultures, and looking for companies where they can help to make a difference. Many will entertain a variety of offers before formally accepting a new position. Keep in mind that your job posting is your restaurant’s first handshake with a potential new manager. A welcoming tone communicates that you’re looking for a partner in success. You can of course share details about the challenges of the role, but also be sure to include an overview of your culture, your expectations, and the impact a great restaurant manager can have in the long run. Lead with hospitality and give candidates a reason to apply.

2) Highlight Growth Opportunities

Effective job postings highlight a career trajectory within the company. A job seeker may be applying for a restaurant manager position, but chances are, they’re not just thinking of their next shift; they’re thinking about their next five years! Is there room to advance into multi-unit management, operations leadership, or even into a corporate position? If your company offers opportunities to grow, highlight that! The best hiring strategy doesn’t just attract great managers, after all, it gives them a reason to stay for years to come.

3) Include Compensation and Benefits Details for Restaurant Manager Positions

Pay transparency is continuing to gain traction nationwide. In fact, “most organizations (67%) now voluntarily list such information in their job openings.” And restaurant manager candidates, naturally, want to know whether a paycheck will match the job responsibilities. By including a clear salary range on your job posting, you’ll attract the attention of candidates and avoid the future back and forth about salary. And if you offer bonuses, medical insurance, PTO, meal discounts, etc. – be sure to include those details. It gives great candidates that many more reasons to apply.

4) Summarize the Company Culture

It’s hard to highlight a company’s culture in a brief job posting, but a brief snapshot of your company culture can help your job posting stand out from the rest. A simple sentence can go a long way in capturing a candidate’s attention and helping them to picture themselves on your team. For example, “We’re committed to ensuring a high quality of life for all our employees by implementing flexible, family-friendly work policies. We aim to help our team members thrive at work and enjoy life outside of it.”

5) Reference Awards and Positive Employee Reviews

When it comes to attracting top talent, it’s even better when someone else does the talking! Third-party sites like Glassdoor and Google Reviews can help add credibility to your job posting. You can also highlight relevant awards if your company has landed on a best workplaces list or achieved industry awards or accolades.

6) Simplify the Restaurant Manager Application Processes

The less clicks, the better! If candidates are uploading a resume, then manually entering all those same details into different fields, it’s a recipe for frustration. Do whatever you can to simplify your application process for candidates. By eliminating unnecessary clicks and data entry fields, you are showing candidates that you value their time from day one.

7) Demonstrate Inclusivity

Some job postings go over the top in describing the type of people they won’t hire. Your job posting should, instead, get candidates excited about what they can bring to the table! Keep those ‘must-nots’ to a minimum. Prudent employers should simply state they comply with EEOC guidelines and, if applicable, that employment may be subject to appropriate screening.  Your goal is to set clear expectations while supporting fair hiring practices, and to make qualified candidates feel encouraged to apply.

8) Cite Specific Job Details

Today’s job seekers want to know what they’re signing up for, and will be turned off by generic posts. A company seeking a restaurant manager shouldn’t recycle the template used to promote server positions. Rather, you should include details specific to the management role, like managing schedules, monitoring budgets, identifying opportunities to improve sales, and ensuring positive guest experiences. Take the time to adjust each of your job postings to make sense for the specific job, as the more relevant your posting is, the easier it becomes for qualified candidates to see themselves in the role.

Looking for Top Restaurant Managers?

The right restaurant manager can be the secret ingredient to your restaurant’s future success! Finding the right fit matters, and as an expert hospitality recruiting firm since 1999, we are here to help.

If your restaurant or hospitality company needs help sourcing America’s best workers, contact Goodwin Recruiting to find the talent you need.