Winning the restaurant hiring game in 2025 with Alice Cheng | 061

Finding and keeping great restaurant staff is harder than ever in 2025. In this episode of The Pre-Shift Podcast, we talk with Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, about how smart restaurants are winning the hiring game. After 13 years of connecting restaurants with talent, Alice breaks down what works. She explains the "missing middle" skills gap hurting restaurants today and shares practical ways to make your job listings stand out. Whether you're struggling to hire line cooks or looking to build a reputation as a great workplace, Alice offers real solutions you can implement immediately to attract better candidates.ResourcesConnect with Alice Cheng on LinkedIn 🔗Visit: Culinary Agents🍴Explore: Hospitality Career Paths 📊7shifts Hiring Guide 📝Chapters00:00 - Introduction to Alice Cheng02:51 - Evolution of restaurant hiring technology07:53 - What makes Culinary Agents unique13:12 - Current hiring trends in hospitality18:41 - The skills gap in restaurant staffing25:17 - Benefits and perks restaurants are offering31:35 - Hospitality technology integration trends43:00 - Hospitality Career Paths platform47:33 - Advice for positioning as a great employerSend us Fan Mail📲 Connect with usEmail usFollow on LinkedInMore 7shiftsSpotify | Apple Podcasts | Google PodcastsSubscribe to Food Runner, our Monthly Restaurant Newsletter7shifts on YouTubeFollow us on TikTokRead the 7shifts BlogAbout Us7shifts is a restaurant platform that helps operators and managers hire, train, schedule, pay and retain their restaurant teams. With an easy-to-use platform and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for over 55,000 restaurants.