507 Stop Restaurant Staff Turnover: Hire Better, Lead Better | Dana DeVito

Constantly hiring, covering shifts, and losing good employees? In Episode 507, Roger talks with Dana DeVito, Co-Founder & COO of Elite Performance Associates and author of Now Hiring: Recruit Right, Grow Your Culture, Build Teams That Stay. Dana has hired and managed more than 6,000 people and faced 300% employee turnover in his own businesses. He shares how he changed his approach to hiring and leadership, with practical lessons from operating restaurants and coffee shops. In this conversation: • Hiring for drive, mindfulness, humility, and role-specific traits. • Interview questions that reveal character and relationship skills. • Preparing managers to coach and hold people accountable. • Five questions for employee-led one-on-one meetings. • Welcoming new hires and supporting them through learning mistakes. • Giving employees opportunities to contribute ideas. • Protecting your team when staffing falls short. Listen for practical ways to strengthen your restaurant’s culture and build a team you can count on. Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-devito/ https://www.instagram.com/dana_devito/ FREE RESOURCES FOR RESTAURANT OWNERS Get your FREE Prime Cost Score on our home page, join the FREE 5 Day Menu Margin Makeover, or request a FREE 30-minute Profit Strategy Call with Roger. Visit our website to access these resources and request your call: https://www.restaurantrockstars.com CONNECT WITH RESTAURANT ROCKSTARS Instagram: @restaurantrockstars https://www.instagram.com/restaurantrockstars/ Facebook: @restaurantrockstars https://www.facebook.com/restaurantrockstars/ YouTube: @RestaurantRockstars https://www.youtube.com/@RestaurantRockstars LinkedIn: Restaurant Rockstars https://www.linkedin.com/company/restaurant-rockstars/ X: @RestaurantRock1 https://x.com/RestaurantRock1 TikTok: @restaurantrockstars https://www.tiktok.com/@restaurantrockstars THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Yelp Host In a busy restaurant, missed calls mean missed sales opportunities. Yelp Host is an AI phone answering service that handles reservations, waitlists, and takeout orders 24/7. Yelp Host speaks 17 languages, handles multiple simultaneous calls, answers questions, books tables, and sends everything right to your kitchen. http://business.yelp.com/rockstars Smithfield Culinary Smithfield knows that to meat lovers, a great serving of their favorite cut is so much more than just food. It’s an experience. That’s why they’re committed to offering your restaurant the perfect protein for every dish at every daypart. When you partner with Smithfield, you will serve what you love, and your hungry, carnivorous patrons will love what you serve. For more information or to order products, visit: http://smithfieldculinary.com/smithfield Forward Financing Restaurants always need capital when they need it! The problem is you don’t have time to wait. You need the cash now! Forward Financing has funded more than $5.4 billion to over 100,000 small businesses, including 10,000 restaurants just like yours. Forward funds anywhere from $5,000 to $500,000, often with same-day funding. Learn more: https://go.forwardfinancing.com/restaurants?utm_campaign=53259160-Restaurant%20Rockstars&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Audio