Hospitality in the News | Training Restaurant Staff

Every week we comb through the news to find employment trends affecting the hospitality industry so you don’t have to. This week’s hospitality in the news topic: training restaurant staff.  

Training Restaurant Staff

When you hire a new team member, what’s your training procedure like? Some restaurants have a defined process while others let it be more casual. Is there a right way train restaurant staff?  

According to employees, there is. Studies show the following statistics regarding training:  

• 76% of employees say that a company would be more appealing if it offered additional skills training to its staff. 
• Organizations with poor onboarding processes are twice as likely to experience employee turnover. 
• Over 70% of high-retention-risk employees will leave their company in order to advance their career. 

If your restaurant or hospitality venue doesn’t have a set process for training restaurant staff, it’s time to invest your resources in creating one. There are several benefits attributed to employee training, which include:  

Legitimizes your team 

If a new employee were to show up on their first day, would you or your management team know how to get them onboarded and trained? If there’s no formal process in place, it may reflect poorly on your business. New hires may get the impression that you don’t know what you’re doing – which isn’t a great first impression to have. 

Shows investment in employees 

When you take the time to create an effective and efficient training process, employees will know that you’re invested in their success. They’ll be more likely to put in the necessary effort because you’ve shown that you’re willing to do the work too.  

Fosters a more productive work environment 

Without defined training, you’ll have to rely on either the new hire to train themselves, or a current employee to assist them with training. While both could work, neither of them is a viable option in the long run. Plus, it takes time and energy away from more productive activities. 

Ensures consistency 

Consistency is so important when successfully running a business, especially in the restaurant industry. Defining and executing a consistent training process will help ensure that all your employees are on the same page and giving each guest the same great service or amazing dish.  

If you don’t have specified training in place, it’s time to sit down and get to work. Consider tapping into your current worker pool for feedback on what would be useful.  

By developing and deploying a program for training restaurant staff, you can better set yourself up for success. Not only that, but you’ll show prospective employees that you take their professional development seriously.