Top 10 Food Service Companies for Interview Experience

Hiring food service talent is tricky. Not only do you need to find a candidate with the proper motivation to get the job done, you often need to hire in volume and convince candidates that they want the job you have to offer above all others. What's more, with all the factors that go into a candidate’s final job decision, it’s important not to dismiss the interview experience they have while interviewing. The job interview is where candidates meet the team, learn more about what their prospective bosses and day-to-day work will be like, see the office set up, learn about benefits, perks, and personalities. It's where the job becomes more than a job description; it becomes a vision of what their lives will be like if they sign on. When it comes to the job interview process, some food service employers offer an amazing experience that makes candidates want to join the company on the spot. However, some companies provide an interview experience that makes their candidates want to start their job search all over again. The food service industry holds the unique challenge of finding great people, often in volume, and on a regular basis. In today’s competitive food service job and recruiting market, the interview process is one of the leading ways to ensure the right people are matched with the right companies, and some employers are providing a better candidate experience than others, giving them a recruiting edge. So which food service companies are getting the candidate experience right? Today, Glassdoor revealed the winners of its inaugural Candidates’ Choice Awards, recognizing employers with the best interview experience, according to those who know best – the job candidates. Specifically, we recognize employers across nearly 50 industries with the highest percentage of job candidates who have reported a positive interview experience over the past year. Below, check out the top food service employers with the best job candidate experience: Top 10 Food Service Companies for Interview Experience (Top 10 Food Services list based on 2 industries: Casual Restaurants, and Fast-Food and Quick-Service Restaurants)

1. Starbucks

• 76% positive interview experience
• 13% neutral interview experience
• 9% negative interview experience

2. Chick-fil-A

• 74% positive interview experience
• 16% neutral interview experience
• 8% negative interview experience

3. Red Lobster

• 72% positive interview experience
• 14% neutral interview experience
• 12% negative interview experience

4. Pizza Hut

• 71% positive interview experience
• 18% neutral interview experience
• 10% negative interview experience

5. Taco Bell

• 71% positive interview experience
• 14% neutral interview experience
• 13% negative interview experience

6. Panera Bread

• 69% positive interview experience
• 15% neutral interview experience
• 12% negative interview experience

7. Wendy’s

• 69% positive interview experience
• 15% neutral interview experience
• 12% negative interview experience

8. Olive Garden Italian Restaurants

• 68% positive interview experience
• 17% neutral interview experience
• 13% negative interview experience

9. Subway

• 67% positive interview experience
• 16% neutral interview experience
• 13% negative interview experience

10. McDonald’s

• 61% positive interview experience
• 20% neutral interview experience
• 15% negative interview experience

Click here for the full list. What can we learn from the top 10? In the end, the goal is to find the best talent and fit for the team. As we review the list of top 10 and their respective interview ratings, a few trends emerge, shedding light into what every employer can do to move the needle on company-wide recruiting efforts. According to feedback shared by job candidates on Glassdoor, the winning employers provide a transparent, efficient and organized interview process, while communicating with candidates throughout. Some key themes emerged including:

• Transparency: The job search process can be stressful for both the job seeker and the employer, and the key to reducing that stress lies in providing a transparent process. Job seekers appreciate an honest conversation with little spin and access to the information they need to make a decision. If employers encourage an honest an open dialog and provide the right information, they’re likely to hire a great fit.
• Efficient and organized process: A job candidate’s first experience with a company is generally with HR, so making a good impression is imperative. Being on the front lines with future talent, providing a efficient and organized process will tell candidates that your company knows how to operate an efficient business overall.
• Great communication: Since job candidates have little insight into how busy an HR department is everyday, they often wonder how things are going with their process as the days stretch on between communications. By setting expectations and laying out the interview process and timeline, you will not only win points with the candidate, you’ll remove some of the stress they’re feeling about finding a job.

How do other companies compare? Check out all companies that met the methodology. So, how does your company and process stack up? Click here for free insight into how your company’s interview process is rated by candidates. Employers: Want to manage your profile on Glassdoor and engage in the conversation? Unlock your Free Employer Account. Methodology The Glassdoor Candidates’ Choice Awards recognizes employers across dozens of industries with the highest percentage of job candidates who have reported a positive interview experience over the past year. To be considered, a company must receive at least 100 interview experience ratings, shared by job candidates on Glassdoor, over the past year (8/28/14-8/27/15). In cases where companies have the same positive interview experience percentage, the company with the higher neutral interview experience receives the higher rank. In cases where companies also have the same neutral interview experience, the company with more interview reviews receives the higher rank. A company’s positive interview experience percentage must also meet or exceed that of the average company on Glassdoor (54% average positive interview experience, based on more than 400,000 companies featured on Glassdoor). On Glassdoor, industries represent sub-categories within sectors. Companies are categorized into their respective industries as they appear on Glassdoor. In cases in which a company has no industry affiliation on Glassdoor or its industry affiliation does not reflect its business, the Glassdoor review panel reserves the right to categorize or re-categorize a company based on external references.