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4 tips for recruiting food service delivery drivers

Chloé Thévenet
April 26, 2023
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Recruiting a delivery person in the restaurant business is not an easy task. However, it is a crucial step for the development of your delivery service. The future candidate must be a team player, have a sense of customer service and be punctual. Also, the restaurant delivery person must be available for several lunches and/or evenings per week, during shifts, weekends and holidays... So many criteria that can make the search for a future delivery person difficult. What are the different ways to recruit a delivery person in the restaurant industry? Is it necessary to use a delivery platform? Here are our 5 tips for finding the perfect candidate.

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The advantages of hiring a delivery person in the restaurant business

Getting into the delivery business represents an additional revenue stream for restaurants. Online ordering allows customers to place their order remotely, step by step. They consult the menu at their own pace, guided by the photos of the dishes, and follow an optimized order path to increase the average basket. The delivery service represents an opportunity to diversify your sales channels and therefore, toincrease your revenues.

In the eyes of the customers, the delivery person will reflect the image of your restaurant. He is a key element in the team, since his role is to deliver orders on time and to offer a quality service to customers. The delivery person allows you to build customer loyalty andincrease your visibility.

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1. Write an attractive job description

As with all professions, the food service delivery position requires you to write a captivating job description. At this stage, you need to make an impact to attract the attention of future candidates. 

In order to write a good job description, you must define your needs, the profile of the future delivery person and his or her missions. The job description must, in particular, answer the following questions: 

  • What is the profile you are looking for?
  • What is the type of contract?
  • What is the salary?
  • What is the start (and end) date of the contract?
  • What is the delivery area?
  • What are the working hours?
  • What type of vehicle is available to the delivery person?
  • What level of experience, training or degree is required?
  • What are the exact missions?

Once this key step is completed, you can hope to reach the maximum number of people to receive applications that match your expectations

👉 Going further: 9 tips for finding restaurant staff

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2. Advertise the job offer for a catering delivery person

Once you have written a job offer, it is now time to distribute it widely! There are several possibilities: 

Use online job sites: Indeed, PĂ´le emploi,...

Pôle emploi, Indeed, Hellowork, Jobijoba... There is no shortage of online job sites. You can post your job offer there: fishing for candidates! 

To post a job on online job boards, you must: 

  • Create an account;
  • Writing your job offer;
  • Integrate a presentation of your restaurant, your logo, etc. ;
  • Choose how you want to manage your online job offer.

It is simple, fast and secure. We recommend it!

Internal promotion or co-optation

Is one of your employees interested in the position of delivery person? Why not! He already knows your requirements, the team members and the restaurant's operation! So, if his profile matches the position, go for it! 

And if not, one of your employees surely knows someone, who knows someone... Don't hesitate to set up a co-optation program. This allows your employees to recommend someone they know when a position is available.

Go through delivery platforms: Uber Eats, Deliveroo...

The delivery platforms that have invaded our daily life for several years are no longer present: Deliveroo, UberEats, TakeAway, Just Eat... The rise of these platforms makes them an undeniable asset for your restaurant. They allow you toincrease your visibility in a considerable way. With this solution, you don't have to worry about the recruitment of the delivery person. In return, you will have to pay them a relatively high commission , ranging from 20% to 30%.

👉 Going further: 9 reasons to do without platforms

Do you know the dark kitchens? They are professional kitchens entirely dedicated to delivery. These establishments have neither a dining room nor on-site service. These "ghost kitchens" seduce more and more restaurant owners for their numerous advantages. They are very popular in Paris, Lyon, Marseille... To find out more: Why and how to open a dark kitchen?

Using social networks 

Post your ad on all your networks: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook... The advantage: it's free, with wide distribution and interactivity, to reach potential candidates more easily. Strategic choices of social networks, appropriate keywords and a creative presentation can increase the visibility of the job offer and maximize the chances of recruitment.

Organize a recruitment day

In a few hours, your mission is to meet as many candidates as possible in order to find the rare pearl. Quite a challenge! To succeed in this job speed dating, it is best to organize well in advance. Several weeks in advance, inform the candidates that they have been selected to participate in a recruitment day. Tell them the day and time of the interview. 2 or 3 days before the recruitment day, send them a reminder. The organization must be well oiled to avoid losing too much time. 

After the recruitment session, take the time to respond to each candidate. They've set aside a day to participate in the interview: you can thank them for that. Remember that the way you treat them reflects the values of your restaurant.

Bike deliverers

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3. Make the right choice

After reviewing each application, it is time to contact the candidates you are interested in. The goal is to choose the most appropriate candidate for the position. Here are the points to watch out for to make the right choice: 

What are the criteria for hiring a delivery person in the restaurant industry? 

A delivery driver must be an excellent driver and must respect the rules of the road. Also, he must have a good sense of direction but also have a sense of customer service, since he will have to represent the restaurant in the eyes of the customers. His/her main qualities must be: punctuality, interpersonal skills, teamwork, knowledge of the geographical area surrounding the sales outlet... During the job interview, you must feel if you can trust this person.

What qualifications are required to hire a delivery person in the restaurant industry?

There is no need for a diploma to practice in delivery. We advise you to give priority to experience and interpersonal skills above all. But some diplomas can attest to the skills of the candidates, such as : 

  • CAP delivery driver of goods ;
  • Bac pro driver road transport of goods;
  • Certificate of professional qualification delivery driver beverage distribution service.

To work as a delivery person in the restaurant industry, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  • Hold a valid driver's license for the type of vehicle;
  • Have a medical certificate attesting to their ability to practice this profession.

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4. Integrate the new recruit

Congratulations! You have finally found the perfect candidate! Once the candidate has been selected, it is important to prepare an integration strategy to help the new employee adapt to his new responsibilities and to the team. He or she must get up to speed as quickly as possible in order to be operational.

The restaurant industry is one of the professional sectors that suffers the most turnover. This is due to the fact that there are many different working hours, weekend work, and numerous career changes... Your objective is to keep the delivery person on your team as long as possible, in the long term.

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Anthony's testimony, Ankka franchisee

In order to meet the needs of increasingly connected customers, Anthony has chosen to launch an online ordering service and, in particular, his own delivery service to develop his business as much as possible.

Result: the delivery is very successful.

"I make up to $500/day in deliveries, without going through the platforms!"

👉 Going further: find out why Anthony hired his own delivery person

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