Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is sending hundreds of corporate employees to work in the company’s fast food outlets. The news from the fast-food company comes as the U.S. continues to battle a labor shortage amid the pandemic.
Starting this week, around half of Raising Cane’s corporate staff will assist with recruiting at other network restaurants and act as fry cooks and cashiers, according to Bloomberg.
However, it’s questionable whether Raising Cane’s plans to raise employee compensation, something that a growing number of U.S. businesses are doing as they realize that the minimum wage isn’t enough to make ends meet in the country.
According to the company, 200 employees from its Dallas office and 250 from its “field team,” which includes marketing and training employees, started their duties at other branches. Senior vice presidents were among those dispatched to restaurants, Raising Cane’s Chicken told Insider.
According to Bloomberg, the company, which has over 500 outlets around the country, is looking to hire 10,000 restaurant staff in the next 50 days.
“It’s no secret that today’s hiring market is a challenge,” CEO AJ Kumaran said. “Ahead of our massive growth next year, having the support we need is critical.”
The labour shortage is putting a strain on businesses across the country. Employers, particularly those offering low-wage jobs, are having trouble persuading people to work. Since July 2009, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 has remained unchanged.
Currently, the businesses are experimenting with a new strategy: paying their workers more equitably. For the first time in the US labour market, the average hourly compensation for retail and restaurant workers reached $15 in August.
Target has also promised a $2 boost for new employees to join its workforce. Raising Cane’s, however, made no such indication of how much it will compensate its restaurant employees.
