RESTAURANT INDUSTRY 

 

2026 Employee Experience Insights Report

What restaurant employees say is working, what isn’t, and where operators have an opportunity to improve. 

AllianceHCM surveyed 1,000 people with recent quick-service restaurant experience to better understand what employees encounter throughout the workforce journey.

 

The 2026 Employee Experience Insights Report highlights what employees said about hiring, onboarding, training, payroll, workplace technology, and offboarding—revealing what’s working across the industry, where employees are experiencing friction, and where operators have opportunities to improve.

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What You'll Find Inside the Report

 

Whether you operate a handful of locations or manage a large multi-site workforce, the Employee Experience Insights Report gives you a clear, data-driven view of how QSR employees experience every stage of their employment, from hiring through offboarding.

 

See where friction in hiring and onboarding shapes the employee experience before day one

 

Understand how training and communication affect employees once they're on the job



 

Discover where payroll and workplace technology are performing well, and where consistency plays a key part


 

Get practical operator takeaways to strengthen workforce processes without overhauling everything at once

See the Employee Experience From Their Perspective

Employee Experience Survey

Most QSR workforce processes are functioning, but functioning isn't the same as working well for employees. The gaps between the two reveal where operators can improve. 

  Hiring and onboarding friction shapes the experience before day one

 Training and communication gaps reduce consistency on the job

 Payroll and scheduling reliability still has room to improve

 Workplace technology experiences vary widely across locations


 

Restaurant Operator
Real Feedback. Real Opportunities For Improvement.

For Operators Who Want a Clearer Picture

For operators managing multiple locations, high-volume hiring, and workforce processes that vary by shift or store, this report offers a grounded starting point.

Use the findings to identify where your operations are strong and where targeted improvements can make the biggest difference. 

© 2026 AllianceHCM