Besides money, what can you trade with your staff that is like currency?
In other words, what are the intangibles in your restaurant business that make people feel appreciated and want to stay? Were you able to stay working for miserable and ungrateful people in horrible work environments for very long? If you can tolerate that, then good for you, but most people that will work for you won’t.
- Good Will. Give more than you take and most people will return the good will.
- Don’t be a tyrant. That crazy chef shows like Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey on the food channels are great for TV, but not for your business.
- Fair Scheduling. Work with people’s lives. Allow flexibility in your scheduling to accomendate employee’s lives. Care about what happens in their lives and they will care about your business.
- Help out. During service with customers, jump in and don’t be afraid to pitch in. Don’t have the attitude of: “I pay them, so I shouldn’t have to do that“.
- Praise people privately and publicly. Words are so powerful. Use your words to build up and encourage. Focus on what people do well. Don’t make it a public event every time you pat someone on the back because that will be seen as insincere. But be sure to have a constant stream of appreciation and compliments for when staff are doing an excellent job.
- Correct Privately. Make a public humilation of someone and you’ll get yours someday. It takes energy and patience, but you’ll kick yourself later if you let your frustration and anger make you say or do things that you’ll regret. Never, never scold an employee in front of other employees or customers.
These six restaurant management tips, if done consistently and with everyone in your organisation is a recipe for making a work environment that your employees can feel the difference and be drawn to your business. For employees it’s not always just about the money either, if they are happy when they come to work it makes a world of difference. And trust me, your customers will feel and notice the difference between happy staff and dissatified staff.