Craft Beer Professionals partners with Crafted Insights to collect real data on workplace satisfaction across the brewing industry.
In this session, we’ll walk through what we’re seeing. Where teams are thriving. Where they’re struggling. And what’s actually changing inside breweries right now.
This is built from real responses across the industry, not assumptions. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of how your team compares and what others are doing that’s working.
Request the report: https://craftbeerprofessionals.org/workplace-satisfaction-report/
Learn more about Crafted Insights: https://crafted-insights.com
Join us in person for CBP Connects Chicago
June 15-17, 2026
Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/
What This Session Covers
This session presents findings from the 2026 Craft Beer Professionals industrywide workplace satisfaction survey, now in its fifth year. It highlights critical trends in compensation, employee tenure, workplace culture, training, and leadership perceptions, providing valuable insights for taproom operators and brewery owners aiming to improve employee retention, engagement, and overall workplace satisfaction in a challenging market environment.
Key Talking Points
- [02:25 → 05:57] Front of house roles experience high turnover and are predominantly staffed by less experienced employees, while business roles tend to have longer tenure, often exceeding four years. This disparity impacts customer experience, as newer front of house staff may lack sufficient training and knowledge about the brewery’s brand and values.
- [05:22 → 08:35] Compensation levels have remained largely stagnant overall, with slight decreases in secondary benefits such as PTO, health insurance, and sick leave, possibly due to industry pressures. However, lower-cost benefits like equipment stipends, parental leave, professional development, and mental health stipends are increasing in popularity.
- [07:40 → 10:13] Despite business roles generally earning higher salaries, only 17% of those employees feel they are paid above fair market value. Approximately one-third of non-owner employees across all roles perceive their compensation as below fair pay. Notably, 50% of owners feel they receive below fair pay, likely reflecting longer hours and reinvestment priorities.
- [11:31 → 13:21] Over time, perceptions of fair pay have improved significantly for brewing operations staff, dropping from 59% feeling underpaid in 2022 to 36% in 2026. Conversely, owners’ perceptions of fair pay have declined, consistent with them prioritizing employee wages during difficult market conditions. Front of house and business roles show little change in pay fairness perceptions over time.
- [13:51 → 18:59] Psychological safety and belonging improved in 2026, especially for women, with increased feelings of safety around owners and managers and a greater ability to be authentic at work. However, a notable gender gap exists around fear of retaliation when approaching managers—one in three men still feel hesitant, indicating ongoing challenges in leadership trust and communication.
- [18:26 → 24:43] Training remains a persistent challenge: about 40% of employees do not feel properly trained for their roles. Front of house roles show the highest turnover partly due to this training gap. While women report increased access to mentorship, overall professional development opportunities remain limited, with only about half of employees feeling they have meaningful growth paths. Mid-tenure employees (1–6 years) are at the highest risk of disengagement due to plateaued development opportunities.
- [25:16 → 27:52] Overall happiness among craft brewery employees is rebounding, with increases across most roles except owners, who experienced a drop but still report high satisfaction. Despite ongoing compensation and training challenges, employees remain motivated and proud to work in craft beer, signaling strong intrinsic commitment to their work and teams.
- [27:50 → 30:46] Perceptions of leadership remain mixed. Women’s views of ownership and direct managers improved notably, while men’s perceptions stayed flat and mediocre. Communication and openness are identified as critical levers to improve these perceptions and employee empowerment.
- [31:27 → 34:55] Key drivers of current happiness include co-worker relationships, welcoming and collaborative environments, and taproom discounts. Future happiness is tied to base pay raises, growth opportunities, and increased benefits. Many employees desire more involvement in decision-making, recognition, and better communication, which largely require cultural shifts rather than large financial investments.
- [36:01 → 44:51] Open-ended responses reinforce the quantitative data: over half want higher base pay, with a strong call for predictable annual raises and transparent compensation processes. Training improvements focus on formal onboarding, SOPs, structured performance reviews, and funded access to conferences and certifications. Positive workplace attributes center on beer quality, community involvement, culture, and feeling valued, but structural issues around pay and training remain obstacles.
Action Items
- Implement structured onboarding programs with clear SOPs and regular check-ins to ensure front of house and other employees are properly trained and supported from day one.
- Establish predictable and transparent annual compensation reviews that include cost-of-living adjustments and clear communication around pay decisions.
- Develop mentorship opportunities, especially targeting mid-tenure employees (1–6 years) to provide clear growth pathways and reduce turnover risks.
- Increase funding or allowance for employees to attend industry conferences, certifications, and training events to boost professional development and engagement.
- Foster an inclusive culture by involving employees in decision-making processes, improving transparency, and actively recognizing individual and team contributions.
- Address psychological safety by training managers to create open, non-retaliatory environments where employees feel comfortable speaking up and being authentic.
- Review and expand secondary benefits strategically, focusing on lower-cost options like mental health stipends, parental leave, and equipment allowances that can improve employee wellbeing without heavy financial burden.