14 Pros and Cons of Working for Hardee's

Hardee’s is a fast food restaurant that isn’t quite as well known as the major brands but has staked out a reputation based on quality burgers.

They’re more common in college towns, where they often hire students and provide support for their degrees.

But is it a job that you should consider?

Well, that depends: let’s look at Hardee’s as a career for you.

Table of Contents

Pros of Working for Hardee’s
Cons of Working for Hardee’s
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Hardee’s – Summary Table
Should You Work for Hardee’s?

Pros of Working for Hardee’s

While Hardee’s may not be as popular as places like McDonalds or Burger King, it still has enough brand recognition to attract many customers and potential employees.

Even better, it does have some unique benefits of working there that make it worth considering.

The following pros of working for Hardee’s are worth understanding.

Friendly Coworkers

In multiple reviews, current and former Hardee’s employees stated that they enjoyed most of their coworkers.

They found that they were usually friendly and enjoyable people who were hardworking and willing to help.

While not everyone was perfect, most were good.

As a result, they often had a more enjoyable time coming to work every day and enjoyed spending time with their team.

Often, Hardee’s would try to keep specific teams together (if possible) to encourage better teamwork and a stronger company culture.

Decent Diversity Score

If you’re interested in a job with reasonable employee diversity, you might enjoy Hardee’s.

While its diversity score of 62 out of 100 isn’t fantastic, it’s higher than many similar businesses.

As a result, you’re likely to meet more interesting people on the job.

Furthermore, you’re more likely to get a job here if you’re a minority than at other fast-food restaurants.

Most have very low diversity scores, well below that of Hardee’s.

So, while 62 isn’t necessarily the highest score ever, it’s a good one that indicates a fair and equitable workplace.

Welcoming Environment

In review after review, employees stated they felt very welcome when they started the job.

Their managers provided hands-on training and showed them how to handle Hardee’s unique processes.

This can help people who feel uncomfortable starting their first job.

Just as importantly, it can make it easier for you to jump right into work and contribute without feeling like you’re not helping your team.

Most people want to get right to work as soon as possible, and Hardee’s provides you with the training to do just that.

Fast-Paced Environment

Do you like staying on your feet at work and don’t like having a lot of downtime?

You’ll probably like Hardee’s!

Like many fast-food restaurants, it has a fast-paced environment much of the time that should keep you busy and help the shift fly by with ease.

For example, you might work as a cashier one day with multiple customers.

On other days, you might work in food prep and create dozens of burgers.

If you simply want to stay busy and get through your day quickly, Hardee’s is a great place to work.

Times to Relax

While Hardee’s does have a lot of busy periods, there are also moments where you’ll get lots of downtime.

For instance, you’ll typically be able to relax during slow periods and clean tables, sweep the restaurant, or even spend time interacting with your coworkers.

These slower times typically occur between lunch and dinner rushes and should help compensate for those fast-paced periods.

When a customer does show up during these times, you’ll feel more rested and capable of handling their orders.

Adjustable Schedules

Are you someone who likes working many types of shifts?

Hardee’s should have many options available for you.

For example, you may work from 7-4 in the morning, which works well for parents, or from 4-11, which works better for high school or college students.

Often, you can even pick up overtime hours when other employees call in sick or have to change their schedules for any reason.

That’s a great benefit because you’ll get time and a half for all your overtime hours: multiply your pay by 1.5 to see how much you’ll earn!

Some Room for Career Improvement

Many people reported that Hardee’s had many career improvement options.

While you won’t make millions working at Hardee’s, you could advance to shift leader and even management positions.

As a result, this might be a good way for you to start a career in the food industry or to advance to other management jobs.

That’s because they’ll often hire young people with little experience and transition them into these higher-level jobs.

Cons of Working for Hardee’s

While Hardee’s compares favorably to many fast food restaurants for its food quality and work advantages, there are downsides.

No business is perfect, and Hardee’s is not ideal for everyone.

But are these disadvantages serious enough to detract you from working for Hardee’s entirely?

That all depends on your preferences.

Low Pay

Hardee’s does not pay a lot of money to its employees.

While that’s a common complaint of most fast food restaurants, most Hardee’s employees consistently complained about this issue.

On multiple job websites, it got 2.5 to 2.7 stars out of 5 for compensation.

Most employees claimed that there were no bonuses or signing with Hardee’s and almost no paid vacation time.

Few got insurance beyond managers or shift leaders, and one site reported a median salary of about $9.94.

That’s well below most fast-food restaurants.

Poor Scheduling

While not a universal complaint, many employees stated that Hardee’s struggled to provide consistent hours.

One person stated they would likely get 25 hours one week and four hours the next.

That kind of poor scheduling makes a living wage hard to obtain

Most people got under 40 hours and would have to find a second job simply to stay solvent.

Many reviewers said they didn’t mind working two jobs if they hit 40 hours a week, but Hardee’s continually changed their hours and made planning very difficult.

Very Busy at Times

Like most restaurants, Hardee’s will have a varying business level that changes with the times of the day.

During some shifts (typically during lunch and dinner), you will be very busy and may have difficulty keeping up.

Often, you’ll get slammed and have to stay on your feet for hours.

That’s not a huge problem if you like working regularly, but it can become an issue when work is inconsistent.

For example, Hardee’s has a problem with customers disappearing for hours, only to suddenly appear in a rush.

That inconsistency may be hard for some people.

Poor Quality Control

Many employees stated a startling lack of quality control at some Hardee’s locations.

By this, they meant that managers weren’t careful enough with food quality or didn’t clean the restaurant often enough, which often made it rather dirty.

While that’s not universally true for all locations, it was reported by enough people that it’s worth noting.

Some even said that managers were too “laid back,” which meant they didn’t take the job seriously enough.

As a result, the stores lost customers and struggled to stay solvent.

Minimal Diversity for Older Employees

Are you an older person (over the age of 30-40) that’s looking for a part- or full-time job after getting laid off or for a little extra cash?

Hardee’s is known for its young staff, and you’re not likely to find a job here.

Many reported that the company was hesitant to hire “older” staff.

Furthermore, older people who did work on the staff were often treated unfairly by fellow workers.

For example, they were often given more difficult shifts or even teased by other staff members.

That kind of treatment may make this job a poor option for you.

Management Complaints

Few companies can last long without manager complaints, and Hardee’s is no different.

Many employees reported feeling underrepresented or poorly respected by their managers at Hardee’s.

They said that their managers often treated them like robots or numbers rather than people.

Now that’s not universally true: many said that their managers were fair and tried to work hard to make them happy.

Unfortunately, enough complaints were raised about management to make it a serious issue that should be addressed.

Some Staffing Issues

Do you like working a reasonable amount of hours without feeling overworked?

Hardee’s may not be the best choice for you, depending on your location.

Multiple employees reported that Hardee’s had a staffing problem and could barely keep enough people for each shift.

Being understaffed means you might work a lot of hours and even get overtime pay for your work.

That’s a benefit for some people but can also increase your risk of severe burnout.

Research your specific location before applying to see if it staffs enough people.