It’s no secret that high job turnover and persistent staff shortages keep many restaurants, cafes, and other food-service employers constantly churning to fill vacancies. Long hours and demanding shifts can wear people down, causing staff to seek jobs with better pay, more reliable benefits, and a clear path to growth.
FareStart is partnering with the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC), WeTrain Washington, Good Business Network of Washington, Pacific Northwest Hospitality Training Program and others to help employers tackle these and other challenges as part of the Sound Jobs initiative, which aims to strengthen the region’s hospitality sector by improving workplace well-being.
FareStart and the Good Business Network of Washington developed the curriculum for a series of training workshops that cover recruitment and hiring, pay and benefits, organizational culture, and advancement opportunities. Employers learn strategic and practical ways to better equip themselves to hire and retain job candidates who are overcoming barriers to employment.
A big challenge that many FareStart graduates face as they enter the workforce is “moving from an environment that centers care and understanding people’s lived experiences to one that’s very fast-paced and often unforgiving,” said Shannon Keith (she/her), FareStart’s Associate Director of Consulting, who facilitates the workshops.
Many steps employers can take to foster a greater sense of safety and belonging in the workplace cost little to nothing and are often linked to higher job retention rates, she added.
“The way you’re speaking to and recognizing and lifting up people that you work with, allowing people to share ideas and give feedback in a way that’s both encouraged and supported — these are things that make things better for both employers and employees,” Shannon said.
Sharing Insights on Common Challenges
After the latest workshop in mid-April, Liberty Bar co-owner Brandon Paul Weaver (he/him) scratched his chin when asked which aspects of Sound Jobs trainings he found most helpful.
“It’s hard to summarize, because it was so all-encompassing,” he said. “These trainings hit basically every aspect of owning and running a business.”
Most Sound Jobs employers run small businesses and rarely have time to break away from the unforgiving pace of day-to-day demands. Yet when they’re all in the same room, they learn a lot from each other, asking and answering questions, sharing successes and failures, and problem-solving as a collective.
“It’s been great to see such a high level of engagement from people in the room,” Shannon said. “Folks come, and they’re able to learn with and from each other, to test different solutions. That’s been highly valuable.”
Tapping Data to Zero in on New Ideas
Brandon learned a lot from a self-assessment for employers and an anonymous survey for employees. For example, it helped him identify a perk he didn’t realize employees wanted: transportation benefits.
“It’s not something I had thought about before,” said Brandon, also co-owner of Gloom Coffee and Bloomhaven Bottle Shop. “Historically, most of my [Liberty Bar] employees have lived on Capitol Hill and walked to work. Now I have some people who live farther away in South Park or Ballard,” so subsidized transit passes make a big difference.
Across all companies that took part in the self-assessment and survey — administered by Sound Jobs partner Braided Rivers — seven out of 10 workers rated fair recruiting and hiring, hiring by skills, fair schedules, and organizational equity as strengths in their workplaces. Areas with the most room for improvement were health insurance, transportation benefits, mental health, and childcare.
Nearly 80 Seattle-area employers have taken part in workshops and/or career fairs since Sound Jobs launched last summer, with funding from a three-year, $3 million Critical Sectors Job Quality Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
More than 200 job seekers attended the first career fair in July 2025. A second in February drew a comparable turnout. A third is planned for September.
FareStart and our Sound Jobs partners are actively recruiting employers to take part in upcoming training workshops and career fairs. To learn more and get involved, email consulting@farestart.org.
Sound Jobs receives support and funding from various U.S. Department of Labor grants. Read more about USDOL grant funding at seakingwdc.org/stevens-amendment. Sound Jobs is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Washington Relay Service: 711
