Not all staff roles are equally important at every stage. The optimal hire order, verified through community guides, is: Dealer (first for automated income) -> Cook (scales production) -> Guard (protects investment) -> Distributor (enables multi-hideout logistics).
DDS2 Employee Role Assignments: Optimal Staff Setup

Role Breakdown

Dealers handle customer interactions. The DDS2 Fandom wiki explains that once you hire a dealer and set them up in any territory, you can assign customers from that region to them. This is the first automation unlock and should be your priority.

Cooks automate batch processing. With a cook assigned to a lab, you can produce product without manual mixing. This becomes efficient once you have reliable ingredient supply.

Guards reduce raid probability. The Fandom wiki confirms that hideout raids are affected by visibility and wanted level. Guards likely mitigate this, though specific mechanics are still being documented by the community.

Distributors transfer product between hideouts. Essential for the multi-hideout specialization strategy where each location produces one product type.

Assignment Strategy by Stage

StageNet WorthStaff SetupFocus
Early$5k-15k1 DealerAutomate first territory
Mid$15k-50k1 Dealer + 1 CookProduction scaling
Late$50k-200k2 Dealers + 2 Cooks + 1 GuardMultiple territories
Endgame$200k+Full team + co-op partnersComplete automation

How to Unlock Each Role

RoleUnlock MethodCost
DealerBuild distributor desk at hideout~$2,000 in materials
CookUpgrade lab station~$3,000 in equipment
GuardBuild guard station~$5,000
DistributorOwn 2+ hideoutsCost of second hideout
YouTube guides demonstrate that the distributor desk is the key early milestone. It enables a passive income stream by having your dealer handle customer orders automatically. Build this before investing heavily in other upgrades.

Staff Limit and Expansion

The game limits how many employees you can have based on:

  • Current Street Cred level
  • Number of hideouts owned
  • Story progression

To increase your staff cap: complete missions, expand to new territories, and raise your Street Cred.

Community Resources

Community Verification & Resources

Data values may shift with patches. Cross-check against community resources before building your strategy.