51.8% of QSR Workers Who Found Onboarding Inefficient Exited Before Starting Work, Survey Finds

AllianceHCM's survey of 1,000 QSR employees suggests that a frustrating employee experience is costing trust, reducing lifetime value

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESS Newswire / August 20, 2026 / AllianceHCM, one of the nation's leading privately held providers of payroll and human capital management (HCM) solutions, today announced results from a survey of 1,000 Americans who have been hired in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry. The findings suggest that the quality of workers' experience correlates both with how much they trust the employer and how likely they are to begin productive work.

These results are especially significant in light of the high employee turnover experienced throughout the QSR industry, reaching rates of over 135% for hourly workers and costing $2,305 per employee in hard expenses alone, according to a 2024 Black Box Intelligence report. Indeed 42.7% of respondents to AllianceHCM's survey exited the QSRs that hired them before ever starting independent work.

Identifying sources of workers' dissatisfaction and correlating that experience with reported trust and lifetime value can equip QSR operators to address the factors that are driving employee turnover.

Correlations Between Efficiency and Employee Lifetime Value

The efficiency with which workers rated their employers' HCM resources during the early stages of their employment was a notable predictor of whether or not they ever began productive work-and, therefore, of their lifetime value to the employer. Respondents were asked to indicate at which stage, if ever, they exited the restaurant: onboarding, training, or independent work.

Among workers who found the onboarding process inefficient, 26.3% exited during onboarding while a further 25.5% exited during the training phase. This means the majority (51.8%) of respondents who found the onboarding process inefficient never started independent work. Similarly, 31.8% of respondents who found the training process inefficient exited before starting independent work.

Correlations Between Efficiency and Trust

The survey suggested a strong correlation between reported efficiency and reported trust in the restaurant as an employer, with the relationship being most pronounced in the latter stages of employment. Respondents were asked to indicate both the efficiency of each stage and the degree to which that stage increased or decreased their trust in the restaurant as an employer.

About 63% of respondents who reported decreased trust due to the employer's processes of supporting their regular independent work also found those processes inefficient, roughly 3.7 times the rate seen across all respondents (17%). Respondents who reported decreased trust due to the exit process were also 3.7 times more likely to find the process inefficient, at 66% (versus 18% of the broader population).

Respondents who reported decreased trust due to the training and onboarding processes were 2.7 times and 2.5 times more likely, respectively, to rate those processes as inefficient compared to the average respondent.

Inefficiency in the Onboarding Process

Hiring paperwork and employment forms was the facet of the onboarding process that respondents were most likely to find fault with. About 18.7% of respondents disagreed that the completion of these forms was efficient.

Question 4.1: Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement about the onboarding stage of your employment.

Paperwork and forms were followed by payroll, tax, and direct deposit setup (16.4%); communication of shifts, schedules, and reporting instructions (15.0%); and organization and absence of delays (14.4%).

Inefficiency in the Training Process

Asked about aspects of the training process, respondents were most likely to disagree that coordination among managers, trainers, and coworkers was efficient-about 18.4% of all respondents.

Question 7.5: Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement about the training stage of your employment.

Coordination issues were followed by the process for learning daily job tasks (17.0%); the clarity of communication around work procedures and workflows (15.1%); and the setup of systems and tools needed to perform the job (13.7%).

Inefficiency in Independent Work

Communication around schedules, shift changes, and staffing updates was the element of day-to-day work respondents were most likely to take issue with. About 19.4% of respondents disagreed that this communication was timely and organized.

Question 10.1: Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement about the working stage of your employment.

Scheduling communication was followed by clarity of managers' communication on operational updates, policy changes, and daily instructions (18.0%); resolution of routine employee requests and administrative issues (16.4%); and reliability and ease of use of workplace systems and tools (13.6%).

Inefficiency in the Exit Process

Communication regarding the details of resignation or termination was the aspect of departing the restaurant that respondents found most lacking. About 18.1% of respondents disagreed that this process was handled efficiently.

Question 13.1: Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement about the exit stage of your employment.

Communication around departure was followed by the handoff and transfer of responsibilities (14.9%); coordination between managers, HR, and other staff during departure (14.7%); and processing of final paycheck and accrued compensation (14.3%).

An Opportunity for QSR Operators

"Friction in the employee experience translates into mistrust, lost productivity, and hard-dollar costs. This survey is particularly valuable because it pinpoints where dissatisfaction arises at different stages of the employee journey and puts hard numbers behind the cost of getting the employee experience wrong, including the impact on trust and, ultimately, retention," said Matt Umholtz, President and Chief Revenue Officer at AllianceHCM.

"The good news is that these problems can be fixed. QSR operators that adopt the right HCM technology can streamline documentation and automate communication, creating a work environment where processes and tools serve the worker, not just the back office. We've seen countless examples where simply replacing paper-based processes with an easy-to-use app has made a world of difference in employee satisfaction," Umholtz continued.

The full survey report can be found here.

About AllianceHCM

AllianceHCM is a Houston-based provider of human capital management (HCM) software that helps organizations streamline payroll, HR, benefits administration, time and attendance, talent management, and employee self-service. Serving businesses across a range of industries, the company combines cloud-based technology with personalized customer support to help employers simplify workforce management, improve compliance, and enhance the employee experience. For more information on AllianceHCM, visit the website.

Methodological Note

This survey was commissioned by AllianceHCM and conducted online via Pollfish between June 9 and June 21, 2026. It surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who had worked at a quick-service restaurant within the past three years.

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Contact Information

Ray Young
512.694.0697
[email protected]

SOURCE: AllianceHCM