A savvy restaurateur knows that a thriving business is built on the foundation of a great team. But building and maintaining a strong, cohesive team can be a challenge – especially when dealing with the restaurant industry’s unique demands. With a little know-how, you can put together a team to help your business thrive. Here are a few tips and tricks for building a strong restaurant team.
Hire For Attitude, Train For Skill
Attitude is everything in the restaurant business. You can easily train someone to have the skills they need to do their job, but you can’t necessarily train them to have the right attitude. When hiring new team members, look for candidates with the right attitude – people who are friendly, outgoing, and enthusiastic. With the right attitude, they’ll be able to learn the skills they need to succeed in your restaurant.
When hiring new team members, look for candidates with a positive outlook and a can-do attitude. Then, provide them with the training they need to excel in their role.
Additionally, try to create a positive culture in your restaurant where team members feel appreciated and valued. This will help attract and retain top talent.
Use positive reinforcement to encourage team members to maintain a positive attitude. You can provide verbal praise, awards, or other recognition when team members go above and beyond.
For skills, set clear expectations and provide training to help team members meet those expectations.
Communicate
Clear and effective communication is essential for any team. With so many moving parts, it’s easy for things to get lost in translation. To avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications, make sure you’re communicating clearly and often with your team.
If possible, have regular team meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page. During these meetings, go over any changes or updates and any issues or concerns. This is also a great time to give and receive feedback.
In addition to formal meetings, make sure you’re available to answer questions and address concerns as they come up. An open-door policy can go a long way in fostering communication within your team.
Be Flexible
In the restaurant business, things can change quickly – often without much notice. For success, you need to be able to roll with the punches and adapt to change.
This means being flexible with your team, as well. If someone calls out sick or quits unexpectedly, you need to be able to fill in the gaps. This might mean changing someone’s shift, asking someone to work overtime, or cross-training team members so they can do more than one job.
By being flexible, you’ll be able to keep your restaurant running smoothly, even when things don’t go as planned.
Set Clear Expectations
When you want your team to be successful, you need to set clear expectations from the start. This means defining each team member’s roles and responsibilities and what is expected of them.
Be as specific as possible when setting expectations. This will help team members know exactly what they need to do – and how they need to do it.
Tips on setting expectations:
- Set realistic expectations. Don’t set your team up for failure by asking them to do the impossible.
- Be clear and concise. Make sure your team understands what you’re asking of them.
- Give examples. If possible, provide examples of what you’re expecting. This will help team members visualize what they need to do.
- Write it down. Put your expectations in writing, so there’s no confusion later on.
Empower Your HR Department With Technology
To be an effective HR department, you must have the right tools and resources. With the right technology, you can automate many tasks that take up your time, such as tracking employee attendance, managing employee records, and processing payroll.
Staffing software can be a valuable tool for managing human resources for restaurants. This software can help you track employee availability, schedule shifts, and fill open positions.
Additionally, an applicant tracking system (ATS) can help you manage the hiring process. With an ATS, you can post job openings online, screen candidates, and schedule interviews – all in one place.
Investing in the right technology can free up your time to focus on more strategic tasks, such as building relationships with team members and developing employee training programs.
Promote From Within
Your best team members are probably already working for you. Whenever possible, promote from within your organization. Not only will this help you build a stronger team, but it will also motivate your existing employees to do their best and strive for advancement.
When promoting from within, consider each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also want to consider their experience, skills, and knowledge. By taking the time to place employees in positions that are a good fit for them, you’ll set them – and your restaurant – up for success.
Train And Develop Your Team, Cross-Train
Investing in your team members is one of the best things you can do for your restaurant. You’ll help your team members grow and develop their skills by providing training and development opportunities. Not only will this benefit your team, but it will also benefit your business as a whole.
Cross-training is a great way to develop your team. By cross-training employees, you’ll ensure that everyone can do more than one job. This will come in handy if someone calls out sick or quits unexpectedly. Additionally, cross-training can help reduce boredom and improve morale.
Conduct Regular Performance Reviews
Regular performance reviews are a necessary part of the employee development process. They provide an opportunity for you to give feedback, set goals, and identify areas for improvement.
Performance reviews should be conducted regularly – at least once per year. However, more frequent reviews may be necessary, depending on the size of your team and the turnover rate.
When conducting performance reviews, focus on both the positive and the negative. This will help employees understand what they’re doing well – and where they need to improve.
By following these tips, you can build a strong HR department that will benefit your restaurant – and your bottom line. By setting expectations, investing in technology, promoting from within, and training and developing your team, you’ll create a thriving workplace that attracts and retains top talent.
