Food and beverage businesses see more frontline movement than most. Some of it cannot be avoided, but a lot of it is shaped by rosters, kitchen culture and how an outlet is run day to day. Understanding why people leave helps you tell the movement you can accept from the movement you can reduce.
The purpose is to learn from their experience, respect their decision and identify what could improve for the people who remain in the kitchen and at the outlet.
CIPD's guidance on employee turnover highlights the value of understanding why staff leave and addressing areas such as fair treatment, flexibility and employee wellbeing. Source: CIPD
Look beyond the first answer
"Better salary." "Personal reasons." "Going to another restaurant." These answers may be accurate, but in kitchens and outlets they often sit on top of split shifts, last-minute roster changes, overtime that was not paid as expected, or a head chef or outlet manager they found hard to work with. A better offer may simply mean fixed weekly offs or a shorter commute.
Start with a simple question: "What made you start considering a change?"
Then ask what made the person decide to leave. This separates the circumstances that started the search from the offer that finally attracted them. Not every exit signals a problem. Seasonal work, returning home, a move to a different city or a chance to learn a new cuisine can all be good reasons to leave.
Explore the areas that shaped their experience
Use the following areas as prompts rather than assuming any one of them caused the resignation.
- Pay, overtime and duty meals: Did pay reflect the hours worked? Were overtime and duty meals handled as people expected?
- Roster and weekly off: Were shifts announced early enough? Were weekly offs honoured, and was peak-time cover shared fairly?
- Kitchen and outlet leadership: Did the head chef, supervisor or outlet manager give clear instructions and feedback, and treat staff respectfully, including under pressure?
- Skills and progression: Could a helper become a commis, a commis a chef de partie, or a service staff member a captain? Was training offered?
- Hygiene and working conditions: Did they have the equipment, uniforms and training they needed? Did the kitchen feel safe and clean to work in?
- Recognition and team: Did the team work well together? Were good shifts noticed?
- Role against expectations: Did the work match what was said at joining, including the outlet, station and hours?
Several factors usually sit behind one resignation. Let the employee explain how they connect, in their own words. For the general version of this approach, see why employees leave and how to understand their reasons.
Who should run the exit conversation
Invite the employee to a voluntary exit conversation in their notice period, or on their last shift where notice is short. Choose a time away from service, and keep it brief for staff who are leaving within days.
Choose someone sufficiently independent of the issues discussed, such as an HR representative or an area or operations manager from another outlet, rather than the head chef or outlet manager. If the concern involves a kitchen leader, offer another person or written feedback, since a kitchen is a small place and people worry about references.
Explain who will see the responses and how they will be used. Avoid promising complete anonymity where the team is small enough for details to identify the person. Listen without defending each decision, and ask for a specific example if you need clarification. For how to run the process around the conversation, see exit interviews that produce action.
Ask questions that lead to useful feedback
- 1
What first made you consider leaving?
This finds the starting point, which is often different from the final reason.
- 2
What were the main factors in your final decision?
Let them connect the factors in their own words.
- 3
How did the role compare with what you expected when you joined?
Gaps often point to station, hours or outlet details that were never discussed.
- 4
Were your shifts, weekly off and working hours manageable?
Listen for split shifts, late roster changes and uneven peak cover.
- 5
Were your pay, overtime and duty meals handled as you expected?
Listen for disputes and surprises rather than the amount.
- 6
How would you describe the support from your chef or manager?
Offer another interviewer if the employee is uneasy answering this.
- 7
Did you have the training and the chance to move up that you wanted?
Ask what they would have wanted, not only what was missing.
- 8
Did you feel safe and equipped to work hygienically?
Gaps in equipment, uniforms or training are worth taking seriously.
- 9
Were there concerns you raised earlier? How were they handled?
This shows whether concerns reach someone who can act.
- 10
What should we improve for the next person in this role?
A forward-looking close that keeps the conversation constructive.
Use follow-up questions where needed, and let the employee skip any question they do not wish to answer.
Turn individual feedback into a pattern review
Record the main reason for leaving, any contributing factors and a short factual summary. Keep what the employee said separate from your interpretation.
Review departures over time by outlet, kitchen, shift, role and length of service. Compare similar outlets, because a difference in retention between two comparable ones is the quickest diagnostic available. Separate exits within the first weeks from those after a year or more. A small number of exits should prompt further investigation rather than an immediate conclusion about a person or a site. The attrition number that hides the problem explains why a single headline rate is not enough.
Give each improvement an owner
Feedback that is simply filed away changes nothing. For each issue chosen for action, agree on:
- The specific change needed.
- The person responsible.
- A completion date.
- How progress will be reviewed.
For example, late roster changes could lead to a rule on when rosters are published, owned by the outlet manager and checked by the area manager. Unclear overtime handling could lead to a short written explanation, owned by HR, with a review date.
Where appropriate, tell current employees what has changed without revealing a departing colleague's private feedback.
Start listening before people resign
Include regular short conversations on shift about what makes the work hard and what would make someone consider leaving. Ask: "What would make you consider leaving, and what could we improve now?" In a busy kitchen, a few minutes after service is more realistic than a scheduled meeting.
Follow-through matters. Asking for feedback creates an expectation that someone will take it seriously, so only ask what you are prepared to look at.
Every resignation deserves a respectful response. Understanding the reasons, comparing outlets and acting on what is within your control gives the conversation a useful purpose. For how food businesses can manage joining and exits at outlet level, see the outlet manager who was also the HR department.
