Hiring Is Not Broken, Leadership Is: Reconnecting Talent With Humanity in Foodservice

In this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast, Jay and Dom sit down with Greg Farineau, Co-Founder of Headhunters Canada, to challenge the most common excuse in the industry: “We can’t find good people.”Greg brings a refreshing, human-first perspective on recruiting, leadership, and retention. He explains why most hiring feels transactional, why throwing resumes at a problem never works, and why people do not leave jobs, they leave environments.The conversation goes deep into what today’s workforce actually wants.Being heard.Being respected.Being supported by real leadership.This episode covers:Why hiring feels broken across restaurants and hospitalityThe difference between transactional recruiting and relationship-based hiringHow culture, not wages alone, drives retentionWhy AI will never replace human connection in hiringWhat restaurant leaders miss when developing future managersBurnout, leadership blind spots, and the warning signs operators ignoreWhy foodservice remains one of the best training grounds for life and businessGreg also shares his personal burnout story and explains why pushing the brain past its limits is different than pushing the body, a message every operator and leader needs to hear.If you are a restaurant owner, operator, manager, or hospitality leader who wants stronger teams, better retention, and real leadership impact, this episode will change how you think about hiring.Listen in.Because the talent is already out there.Leadership decides whether they stay.