One major problem that hampers business growth for restaurants across the board is staff turnover. For many reasons, turnover is extremely high in the restaurant industry. Whether it is seasonality, people working part-time, or workers retiring, this is an issue that no operator can seem to escape. Let’s explore some tips to boost staff retention for your restaurant to unlock the next level of growth for your business.
Tip #1: Keep Your Team Motivated.
Motivation is a prime driver for everyone on your team. The more motivated they are, the more effective their performance will be and the more pride they’ll have in their work. Team members who are motivated will be more focused and usually practice some form of self-improvement and strive to do their best. A great way to keep motivation up is to add gamification to their day-to-day task list. Gamification is adding gameplay elements to other areas of activity. The Game Agency mentioned that hundreds of companies have already introduced gamification in some way to onboarding, training, and task completion. By implementing strategies to improve your team motivation, you are building an efficient, effective team.
Tip #2: Focus On Teamwork And Training
New employees are often left to figure things out on their own. They are put on the job with minimal training, leading them to spend their days feeling lost, confused, and behind. Training helps them develop skills and confidence and use their strengths effectively. In addition to training, a culture of teamwork is another way for retention to increase. Success depends on everyone working together, so encourage collaboration among employees. If they feel supported and encouraged by their peers, they’re more likely to feel good and work more productively. A great example of this in the real world is Chik-fil-A. All of their corporate leaders go through a two-year training program on how to be a servant leader. This gives them the tools and skills they need to successfully manage franchises and take extra care of their employees.
Tip #3: Minimize Burnout
Burnout is something all managers, operators, and even team members are familiar with. The physical and emotional toll that working at a restaurant can have on you, is enough to make anybody consider leaving their job. According to Axonify, 52% of workers surveyed left their jobs due to burnout. The best way to minimize this is to ensure every employee is taking breaks and has a schedule that gives enough time off to decompress and unwind. The job is demanding and even those who love it are victims of burnout..
Tip #4: Encourage Mentorship
Team members need to know where their role can lead and how to get there. While reading materials can help, mentorship is the best way to show them the possibilities. Whether their mentor is in the restaurant or part of the corporate team, having a mentorship program is crucial for their growth. Randstad reported that employees participating in their mentorship program were 40% less likely to leave their jobs. To give an employee a blueprint on how to advance and give them access to someone who’s there is a surefire way to boost retention and give your employees autonomy over their career.
Tip #5: Adopt New Technology To Make Jobs More Efficient
As business owners and operators, it’s essential to embrace new technologies to ensure business success. Work and employees’ daily tasks are the first things impacted and changed by new technology. Hopefully, technology is being adopted to make their jobs easier and more efficient. AI is a type of technology that can make worker’s jobs easier by providing them with specific tasks/instructions and allowing them to work freely without interruption.
PreciTaste offers out-of-the-box- automation solutions to assist with key kitchen tasks, including ingredient prep, production planning, and cooking. Through predictive AI which delivers precise crew guidance relayed on screens in the kitchen, PreciTaste eliminates previously manual processes and takes the guesswork out. On average, our customers see an 8% reduction in labor costs and a 5% reduction in food costs through AI-driven labor optimization and food waste reduction.
If you’re looking for a standardized solution to both improving and retaining labor, PreciTaste can be that solution. To learn more, visit our Let’s Connect page to book a demo with our team.