Are Teens a Solution to the Foodservice Labor Challenge?

Here are 6 insights to help operators do just that.

1.  Teenage Foodservice Employees Want Flexibility . . . to a Point

Study after study reveals how younger generations place work-life balance at the top of their employment criteria—especially high-schoolers who are juggling more activities than most adults.

In real-life scenarios, according to a 2024 Deloitte survey, Gen Z’s “strong preference for flexible work is driving greater demand for part-time jobs, job-sharing options, and models such as four-day work weeks.”

So, flexibility is absolutely critical to attracting teen talent. And many tech platforms are available to take the ‘crazy’ out of this kind of scheduling.

However, it’s also critical that employers don’t bend too far to the will of these recruits. Just as many studies are revealing how teenagers benefit from (and unknowingly want) structure.

The bottom line, it’s about predictability as much as flexibility, and teenagers can appreciate an employer who not only upholds a commitment but expects them to do the same.

2.  Teenage Foodservice Employees Want a Youth-Friendly Culture

The value employers can extract from this maxim extends beyond recruiting itself.

Teens want to work where teens are part of the fabric of the business. In hospitality settings like foodservice, this means the patronage as much as the staff.

When operators develop ways to engage with teens in the community through things such as; school sponsorships, youth-event promotions, employment-scholarship opportunities, or even by offering teen-oriented LTOs on the menu, they stand to see both labor and customer gains.

3.  Teenage Foodservice Employees Like Outside-the-Box Incentives

Still, other ways in which operators have to be creative with teen recruiting are completely in line with the cultural aspect.

The digital-age cohort is conditioned to immediacy; like pay-on-demand and apps that make training, scheduling, and other communications quick and easy.

Higher wages for hard-to-staff shifts can be attractive, as well as special rewards in partnership with other businesses in the community, from fitness centers to entertainment venues; even other food service operations that aren’t direct competitors.

4.  Teenage Foodservice Employees Offer a Unique Expertise

As the restaurant industry continues to adopt more technology platforms, the evolution can seemingly outpace the technical skills of a seasoned staff.

Comical but true, an infusion of teenagers born into the digital age can ease the pain.

For them, fielding digital orders, managing social media pages, and even assisting coworkers with system interfacing and data inputs can be a no-brainer. They can do the heavy lifting in these areas and quite possibly troubleshoot when needed.

At the same time, for the more old-school aspects of a commercial kitchen . . .

5.  Teenage Foodservice Employees Present a Reality Best Met with Simplicity

For many teens, a position in foodservice will be their first job.

And, while they can certainly grow in that position to the extent it becomes their career, those with the kind of work ethic and dedication necessary for a career are likely using the job as a springboard to something else.

All this to say that, even for the upside potential of today’s go-getter teen labor segment, the longer learning curve of inexperience will always be a factor. To optimize this segment is to shorten that curve with workflow systems and food equipment specifically designed to promote efficiency and consistency, while also being user-friendly with minimal training needed.

. . . which dovetails into this last point.

6.  Teenage Foodservice Employees Call for Labor-Law Diligence

Arguably, this should’ve been the very first insight on this list. But, let’s face it, the topic of regulations isn’t the quickest way to engage a reader.

So, instead, it’s an extremely important conclusion.

Optimizing the teenage labor force absolutely begins and ends with staying up-to-date on local and state labor laws, as they vary across the country and change with relative frequency.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean operators need to bury themselves in the books. From seeking out and specifying food equipment designed well enough to stand outside of regulatory age restrictions to leveraging technology that can assist with scheduling compliance for minors, all sorts of suppliers and resources can ease the hardship of compliance.

The point is that, by keeping this issue top of mind, operators can preempt many regulatory challenges associated with teen employment.