Restaurant Job Board Blog

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.

1. Good Will. Give more than you take and most people will return the good will.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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“.
5. 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.
6. 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.

What can you do about lateness in your Restaurant business?

1. Don’t be late yourself. Make sure that your managers and supervisors are never late. Model the behaviour that you desire. When you and your key players live above your rules, then you create class separation within your own organisation resulting in resentment and disobedience. Status always separates people.
2. Teach to employees call right away as soon as they think they will be late. EVERY TIME. Drill in this procedure over and over again. Wondering about people creates stress and immobilisation because you don’t know if the staff member is okay or if you need to start looking for a replacement for that shift. Service businesses are always running on the bare necessities as it is, a little hiccup can cause everyone unnecessary stress and possibly affecting service to your customers.
3. Listen and communicate with your staff. Have rules, but be flexible and compassionate when out of the out of the ordinary happens. Don’t go straight to punishment each time. Train managers to be good listeners in the cracks of time that are available when the staff are not dealing with customers. If owners/managers know what’s going on with boyfriend breakups, looking for a new apartment, family tragedy, vehicle breakdown, etc., then they can help their staff think through, plan and switch around priorities, so that their lives are better off and your business is not affected by everyone’s personal tsunami. People want to know that people care. You will create incredible loyalty because this attitude of win/win is not apparent in practice for most business environments.
4. Pay for people who are early and willing to do some work. There is always work that needs to be done. Some owners deduct for lateness, but why not pay people who jump in early. Encourage earliness.
5. Reward people who pick up the slack when other employees have not shown up on time. If the good staff are punished with extra work because you are short a person, then show that person that you appreciate them. Give them a free dessert to take home to their girlfriend. Or at least a few kind words and praise.

Follow these five tips and you should notice a decrease your staff’s latest in your restaurant.