Managerial Strategies to Increase Employee Retention in the Restaurant Industry

High employee turnover is a critical issue in the fine casual dining industry, leading to increased operational costs and reduced service quality. Fine casual dining managers are concerned with high turnover rates because high turnover affects profitability and the ability to maintain a skilled workforce. This qualitative pragmatic inquiry, grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, was conducted to explore strategies that restaurant managers use to enhance employee retention and job satisfaction. The participants were seven restaurant managers from fine casual dining establishments in the southeastern United States who had successfully implemented strategies to reduce turnover and improve employee engagement. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and companies’ publicly available reports. Through thematic analysis, three key themes were identified: (a) management and leadership influence on job satisfaction and retention; (b) recognition and employee motivation; and (c) training, development, and technological influence. A key recommendation is for fine casual dining managers to implement monthly training and development programs that include consistently recognizing and motivating employees through regular feedback and structured reward systems. The potential social change implications of the study include retaining valued employees by improving management and leadership practices, recognizing and motivating employees, and enhancing training and development through technology, which could lead to better customer service, reduced operational costs, and a more stable, motivated workforce in the casual fine dining industry.