Employees in DDS2 are essential for scaling past the early game. I spent my first 20 hours running everything solo before realizing how much time staff saves. The Steam FAQ guide covers how to get more employees from early-game strategies to advanced methods. This guide covers every hiring method, how assignments work, and the optimal staffing progression.

DDS2 staff system diagram showing hiring methods, role assignments, and progression

How to get employees:

There are multiple ways to recruit staff. Using all of them in parallel is the fastest way to build your team:

MethodHowLimit
Notice boardsInteract with bulletin boards found across all islands. They display available employees with their stats and cost.No known limit -- check regularly
Influencer missionsComplete tasks for named NPCs. After completing an influencer's mission, you can request a worker referral.2 hires per influencer
Story progressionUnlock through main questline. Certain story milestones grant an employee as a reward.Story-gated
Territory expansionSome hideouts include staff unlocks as part of their purchase.Limited to specific hideouts

Steam Community discussions confirm you can ask influencers for workers twice each. After that, notice boards and territory expansion are the primary sources. I recommend completing all available influencer missions before grinding notice boards, since influencers give higher-quality employees on average.

Practical example: First employee hiring sequence

Here is the exact process I follow to get my first employee:

  1. Complete the tutorial missions until you have access to your first hideout
  2. Build the distributor desk (approximately $2,000 in materials from the hardware store)
  3. Open the employee management screen at the desk
  4. Visit the nearest notice board (the one in the starting zone is at the market square)
  5. Review available employees -- look for one with high "speed" and "reliability" stats for your first dealer
  6. Hire the employee and assign them to the dealer role
  7. Select a territory where you have completed at least 5-10 deliveries (established client base)

The first dealer typically takes about 30 minutes to set up from a fresh start. The passive income they generate will fund your next round of hires.

Employee roles:

Based on YouTube guides and the Steam FAQ guide, here is what each role does:

RoleFunctionPrerequisites
DealerHandles customer orders in assigned territory, generates passive incomeBuild distributor desk at hideout
CookAuto-processes ingredients into finished product batchesLab upgrade with cook station
DistributorManages inter-hideout logistics, moves product between locationsMultiple hideouts unlocked
GuardReduces raid probability, provides early warningHideout guard station

Staff assignment strategy:

The Steam FAQ guide and video tutorials recommend this progression, which matches what I found effective:

Net WorthStaff PriorityWhy
$5k-15k1st DealerAutomates delivery income, frees you for expansion
$15k-50k1st CookDoubles production throughput without extra effort
$50k-100k2nd Dealer + 1st GuardExpands territory and protects growing assets
$100k+Full staff (all roles)Complete automation across all operations
The distributor desk is a key unlock. Once I built this desk at my hideout, I could place employees at it to handle customer orders automatically. This freed me to focus on higher-value activities like territory expansion, ingredient sourcing, and completing story missions. Build the distributor desk before upgrading anything else -- it is the single best investment for long-term growth.

Employee stats and quality:

Not all employees are created equal. When reviewing candidates at notice boards or from influencer referrals, pay attention to these stats:

StatWhat It AffectsPriority for Role
SpeedHow fast the employee completes tasksHigh for dealers and cooks
ReliabilityChance of task failure or errorsHigh for all roles
LoyaltyRisk of employee leaving or betraying youMedium -- important for long-term
StrengthEffectiveness in combat rolesHigh for guards
IntelligenceQuality of production outputMedium for cooks

A dealer with high speed and reliability will process customer orders faster with fewer mistakes. A guard with high strength provides better raid protection. When hiring through notice boards, wait for employees with at least two stats in the green (positive) range.

Staff limits:

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

  • Street Cred level -- Each level adds capacity
  • Number of hideouts owned -- More hideouts = more potential staff slots
  • Story progression -- Some missions unlock additional capacity

To increase your staff cap, focus on: completing influencer missions, expanding to new territories, raising your Street Cred by beating gang members, and progressing the main story.

Related Guides:

Community Verification & Resources

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

Steam FAQ Guide Employee and progression guide with hiring methods YouTube: How Employees Work Video guide to employee system and assignments YouTube: How To Setup Staff Staff setup and distributor desk guide YouTube: Get More Employees Guide to finding and hiring additional staff