NRN asks: "If you could do one thing to attract the best people, what would it be?"

"Ensure that I have a company with people who enjoy working where they are."

— Paul Altero, owner and founder, Bubbakoo's Burritos

“Performance-based, incentive programs that motivate managers to outperform expectations. ... We [also] continually evaluate our competitiveness in individual markets to ensure we are leaders in total compensation for [back-of-the-house] positions.”

— Bruce Dean, president and co-founder, Black Bear Diner

“[Build] the best training program in the industry. ... Within the next few years, we want people to say, ‘Dickey’s is a breeding ground for top industry talent.’”

— Roland Dickey Jr., CEO, Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc.

“We recruit a lot of our top talent through employee referrals. We also offer a fast-paced growth path to corporate positions for those who excel, which can be a huge incentive for career-driven individuals. Our corporate locations also offer an aggressive bonus plan for all managers.”

— Tara Gilad, co-founder and COO, Vitality Bowls

“Our top talent is recruited through both employee referrals and online inquiries after they visit our over-the-top stores. We offer a competitive healthcare package as well as extended vacations and incentives such as company vehicles to our veteran management staff.”

— Sloan Kamenstein, founder and CEO, Sloan’s Ice Cream

“We seek out people with a heart for hospitality and then reward them with excellent pay, benefits and career path. We treat them as the professionals they are.”

— Chad Mackay, president and chief operating officer, El Gaucho Hospitality

“We show our managers that we truly care for them by supporting their short and long-term goals. When I find a manager who is reliable, loyal and someone I can count on, I make every effort to retain them by asking them what I can do to make their individual experience a rewarding and fulfilling one.”

— Guillermo Medellin, multiunit operator, Russo’s New York Pizzeria

“I would want us to be crystal clear on what we stand for. I believe that is maybe the single most important part of relevance.”

— Michael Nolan, president and CEO, Smashburger

“[Offer] good quality of life, family time ... things we all cherish.”

— Crystal Ramiro, executive sous chef, Punch Bowl Social

“Now, it is commonplace to find chains offering a lot of unique incentives, such as adoption assistance, family leave and pet insurance. In addition, we have found that chains are also offering more vacation time and benefits that start on the first day, rather than after the typical 90-day period."

— Patrice Rice, CEO of Patrice & Associates, a hospitality and restaurant recruiting firm

“We offer our managers frequent bonuses based on their sales profits. Also, as we hire a high volume of high school- and college-aged team employees, we schedule their working hours around their school deadlines and extracurricular activities. Pizza Factory is often our younger employees’ first jobs, so we do everything we can to set standards of job ethics and responsibilities that they can take with them in the future.”

— Mary Jane Riva, president and CEO, Pizza Factory Inc.

“Our managers are vital to making our business a success. … We offer a variety of benefits for managers including a competitive starting salary, free meals for them and their families, paid time off and holidays, growth and development opportunities (many team members have become franchisees) and an aggressive health and 401K benefit package.”

— Aric Van Voorst, HR director, Pizza Ranch

“Provide a clear path of growth and development, then put your money where your mouth is.”

— David Varley, director of culinary development and chef at the Mina Group’s RN74 in Seattle