Outback Steakhouse is a mid-priced steakhouse with an Australian theme.
The restaurant has no relationship to Australia, though it has steakhouses there.
What is real is the steaks, which have high ratings from just about everyone.
As a workplace, it has its plusses and minuses.
Some reviewers have said when it’s good, it’s great, and when it’s bad, it’s really bad.
They offer a lot of benefits and chances to advance, but working conditions are not always the best.
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The Pros of Working at Outback Steakhouse
Advancement
Outback Steakhouse offers leadership and management training for people who want to advance in their careers.
There are several kinds of management-type positions, and there is a solid training program in place for you to learn new skills and develop professionally.
The company likes to promote from within.
Employee reviews rank professional development as one of the best things about working for Outback Steakhouse.
Flexible scheduling
A lot of college students work at Outback Steakhouse, and one of the reasons is flexible scheduling.
They will try to work around your school schedule, and give you hours that do not conflict with your classes.
There are part-time positions that have flexibility, as well as flexible shifts, and job sharing.
Good benefits package
Outback offers a reasonable benefits package that is similar to other restaurants.
Some are better, but a lot are not as good.
Hourly or part-time employees get medical, dental, vision, and drug insurance, as well as paid vacation and discounts on meals.
Salaried, full-time employees get that, in addition to disability coverage, added insurance, employee assistance programs, and other perks.
Salaried employees can get tuition reimbursement, paid sick days, and a 401k program.
Positive environment
Many employees say they like working at Outback Steakhouse.
They like the people they work with and the managers are generally good and understanding.
It has a friendly, relaxed, casual work environment that makes people feel good at work.
The company emphasizes great customer service, and happy employees are better able to deliver the level of customer service the company wants.
Many employees say the people they worked with were the best part of the job.
Good teamwork
Employees say they are happy and there is a good spirit of teamwork at a lot of the restaurants.
They have server helpers, which help servers get food out to customers faster, and take some of the load off of them.
That is just one example of a company helping employees give even better customer service without being overwhelmed.
There may be some cross-training, so you can do more than one job when needed.
Good first job
This could be a good first job for college students.
They hire people as young as 16, but most are 18 or older.
They like to hire people who have some customer service skills, but they will hire people who do not have experience.
They have a solid training program, so you can learn how to do the job faster.
It is a place to get some experience, and to find out if you are a good fit for the restaurant business.
Working with the public
There are several types of jobs at a restaurant, and in most of them, you have some contact with the public.
This can be a fun part of the job if you like meeting new people.
It is a good opportunity to develop customer service skills.
This is a big plus if you are an outgoing people-oriented person.
You can meet interesting people, and as long as the service is good, most people are friendly.
You can also make a good amount of money by getting tips.
Fast pace
This can be a negative or a positive, but it is a fast-paced environment.
There is always something to do, and something going on, so you will not get bored.
You may have to be on your feet for a long time, but a job that keeps you busy helps time pass faster.
The workload is not overwhelming, but you will stay busy working at Outback Steakhouse.
If you like a fast pace and daily challenges, with some pressure, this is a good situation.
Cons of Working for Outback Steakhouse
Few breaks
One of the complaints employees have is that there are not a lot of breaks available while you work.
You have to work a certain number of hours to get a meal break.
Other breaks are at the discretion of management.
The fast pace can be positive, but you can get tired and not get many breaks.
Most shifts are four or eight hours, and sometimes even longer for some positions.
Food discounts
The company is not overly generous with its food when it comes to employees.
There is a 50 percent discount when you eat a meal while at work, and this applies to just before or just after your shift.
Steak is not cheap, so a 50 percent discount can be substantial.
Even so, most restaurants offer employees more food than Outback Steakhouse does.
This can vary by store, but in general, there are not a lot of food discounts for employees.
Fast pace
For some, the fast pace is a positive, but it can be a negative when you do not get a lot of breaks and you have to work extended hours.
The fast pace is not for everyone, and if you get rattled in that type of atmosphere, this might not be the place for you.
They like to get food out to customers fast, and there is pressure to get that done no matter what.
The pressure is a challenge to some, but some people do not like that sort of pressure.
Bad management
Some employees complain about the culture, while others praise the culture.
A lot depends on local management, who can make the job fun, or not fun.
You can run into a bad manager anywhere, but it seems this restaurant has more than the average number in its operation.
While the atmosphere is positive to some, the atmosphere is complained about by a large number of former employees.
Not feeling valued
A lot of former employees say they do not feel valued by upper management, or by the company at large.
There are some good qualities, but the overall culture created by the company seems negative to a lot of employees.
One survey said only 25 percent of employees would recommend it as a good place to work for a friend.
This can vary by store too, but it seems to be a common theme for former employees.
High turnover
Most restaurants have a lot of employee turnover, so it is not unusual for that to be the case at Outback Steakhouse.
There could be a lot of reasons, such as the pay, working conditions, and local management.
People often just move on from restaurant jobs though, so it is hard to tell if it is worse here than any other restaurant.
It does make working a little harder though, when you have to constantly train new employees.
Working with the public
For some, this is a positive, but it has a downside as well.
Outback Steakhouse is not cheap, and customers have high expectations.
They will let you know if something is not up to their expectations, and you may receive their criticism or wealth.
You have to be able to maintain a professional demeanor no matter how irate the customer gets.
This is not unique to Outback Steakhouse.
It would be a common drawback in any restaurant.
Salaries
Most management-type positions are salaried positions.
People on salary make more than hourly employees on a 40-hour week.
The downside of that is, you do not get paid more when you work more than 40 hours.
Some companies do this to get more work and avoid having to pay overtime.
There are positives and negatives to being on a salary.
It seems you could easily get abused in a restaurant if you were on salary.
16 Pros and Cons of Working for Outback Steakhouse – Summary Table
| The pros of working at Outback Steakhouse | Cons of working for Outback Steakhouse |
|---|---|
| Advancement | Few breaks |
| Flexible scheduling | Food discounts |
| Good benefits package | Fast pace |
| Positive environment | Bad management |
| Good teamwork | Not feeling valued |
| Good first job | High turnover |
| Working with the public | Working with the public |
| Fast pace | Salaries |
Should you work at Outback Steakhouse?
It may not be the best place to work, but it is not the worst place either.
As far as restaurants of this type, it is in the middle of the pack for employees.
There is good training, and opportunities to advance.
The work is fun if you like the restaurant business.
The benefits are reasonable, but not anything special.
There are concerns about the culture in some operations, and that is a red flag.
If you can find out about the culture of an individual store, that might help you make up your mind about a job there.
Outback Steakhouse is not a bad place to work, but it is not the best in its category.
It might be a good idea to apply at several restaurants and compare them if you get multiple offers.
If you do not get any other offers, Outback Steakhouse would be an acceptable place to work if you want to work in the restaurant business.
The leadership and management training that is available sounds valuable, and something you could take to another job later on.
