The Short Answer
To find and keep good employees in a franchise, start before the advert: define the role, the standard and the kind of person who thrives in your business. Write honest job adverts, use a structured interview so every candidate is judged the same way, and onboard people properly using your franchisor's training. Then keep them with clear expectations, regular one-to-one conversations, recognition and a visible path to grow. Pay, hours and local labour markets matter too, so check what your brand and local competitors offer and follow employment law in your area.
Key Takeaways
- Most hiring problems start with an unclear role, not a shortage of people.
- A structured interview makes it easier to compare candidates fairly.
- The first weeks shape whether someone stays; plan onboarding before they start.
- People stay where they know what good looks like and hear how they are doing.
- Owners set the standard; teams tend to mirror what they see every day.
By The Numbers
- 0.5–2x
- An employee's annual salary: Gallup's conservative estimate of what it costs to replace them. (Gallup, 2019)
- 52%
- Of employees who quit said their manager or organisation could have done something to keep them. (Gallup, 2019)
- 51%
- Of departing employees said no leader discussed their job satisfaction or future in the three months before they left. (Gallup, 2019)
- 63%
- Of US workers who quit in 2021 cited low pay, and 63% cited no advancement; 57% felt disrespected. (Pew Research Center, 2022)
Define the role before you advertise it
Before posting a job, write down what this person will actually own: the tasks, the standard each task needs to meet, and how you will know they are doing well. If you can't describe a great week in the role, a candidate can't either.
Then describe the kind of person who succeeds in your business. Skills can often be trained through your franchisor's systems; attitude, reliability and how someone treats customers are harder to teach.
- What will this person be responsible for?
- What does a good week look like in this role?
- Which skills can we train, and which must they bring?
Write adverts that tell the truth
An honest advert attracts people who want the job you actually have. Include the hours, the pay range where you can, what the work involves day to day and what makes your business a good place to work.
Ask your franchisor what job descriptions and recruitment channels have worked for other owners in the network, and use your existing team for referrals — people tend to recommend others like themselves.
Interview the same way every time
A structured interview means asking every candidate the same core questions and scoring their answers against the standard you defined. It reduces gut-feel decisions and makes it easier to compare people fairly.
Where it suits the role and is lawful in your area, add a short practical task or a paid working interview so you can see how someone actually works, not just how they interview.
Onboard properly
The first few weeks shape whether a new starter stays. Plan them before day one: who will train them, which franchisor training modules they will complete, and what they should be able to do by the end of week one and month one.
Check in often during this period. Small questions answered early prevent bigger frustrations later.
Keep good people with clear expectations and regular conversations
People tend to stay where they know what good looks like and hear how they are doing. A short, regular one-to-one — even fifteen minutes — gives you the chance to recognise good work, fix small issues and hear what's getting in their way.
Show people where they can grow, whether that's more responsibility, a supervisor role or new skills. Review pay and conditions against your local market and your brand's guidance, because good intentions don't cover a pay gap.
- Hold regular one-to-ones and keep them.
- Recognise good work specifically and promptly.
- Offer a visible next step for people who want to grow.
- Review pay and conditions against the local market.
Your standards set the team's standards
Teams tend to mirror the owner. If you are consistent, fair and clear, it is much easier to ask the same of everyone else. If you are stretched too thin to lead, staffing problems usually show up there first.
That is why hiring and retention are as much a leadership question as a recruitment one, and why they sit close to the work of building a franchise that can run without you.
What the research says about why people leave
Gallup estimates that replacing one employee costs between half and twice their annual salary, and calls that conservative. In a franchise with thin margins, a few avoidable departures a year can wipe out a meaningful share of profit.
The more useful finding is that much of this turnover is preventable. Just over half of people who quit say their manager or employer could have done something to keep them, and a similar share say nobody spoke to them about their satisfaction or future in the three months before they left.
- Hold a short, scheduled one-to-one with every team member at least monthly.
- Ask directly what would make them stay another year, and act on what you can.
- Review pay against local competitors at least once a year; low pay was the top reason people quit in Pew's research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should franchise owners look for good employees?
- Start with your existing team's referrals and the recruitment channels your franchisor recommends, then use local job boards and community networks. Honest adverts that describe the real role help attract the right people.
How can I reduce staff turnover in my franchise?
- Define roles clearly, onboard new starters properly, hold regular one-to-ones, recognise good work and offer a path to grow. Review pay and conditions against your local market, as these also affect whether people stay.
Should I get advice before changing hiring or employment practices?
- Yes. Employment law varies by location, so check contracts, working interviews and pay practices with your franchisor and a qualified HR or employment adviser.
How much does staff turnover cost a franchise?
- Gallup's conservative estimate is between half and twice the employee's annual salary for each person replaced, once recruiting, training and lost productivity are counted.
Why do most employees quit?
- In Pew Research Center's survey of people who quit in 2021, the most common reasons were low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement (63%) and feeling disrespected at work (57%).