[VIDEO] Food for Thought: Designing an Effective Restaurant Training Program
A great restaurant training program can lead to reduced turnover, increased productivity, and higher job satisfaction for employees. In this video, we'll explore the keys to planning an effective and well executed employee training program for the restaurant industry.
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Think about your current employee training program. What is it like? Maybe you don't even have one yet. Or maybe you have one and it's not so great. Or maybe your program just needs some fine tuning.
Whatever the condition of your training program, consider this: 62% of restaurant industry employees say they would leave their company over lack of training. And, 87% of workers see continuous training as essential or important to their career success. Can your current training program stand up to that?
Think about what it costs you to interview, hire and train someone just for them to turn around and leave because their training was lackluster. Now think about how many people you currently need to hire. Can your restaurant spare that much money? Probably not. So here are some things you can do to make your training program successful and keep your new hires around.
1. Have a regimented training program.
When you take the time to plan out your training program, you're able to create a program that is effective, fun, educational, and has everything your trainees need. And when your program is well planned, your trainees and trainers will always know what the next step is. For your trainees, this can alleviate some of the new job jitters. And for your trainers, this can help them stay on track.
2. Be choosy about your trainers.
It's super important to have the right people training your new employees. Having someone negative can lead to your new hire having a bad attitude. Having someone who doesn't know how to do their job can lead to your new hires not being trained correctly. And having someone who just doesn't want to train can make your new hires feel uncomfortable and awkward.
You might think your high skilled employees or your employees with the longest tenure should do the training. But, being a skilled worker and a skilled trainer are two different things. Some of your best employees might know all the ins and outs of the job, but not how to effectively teach those things. When deciding who should be your trainers, you should look for people who are positive and friendly - who can make a new employee feel welcome, who can stay calm and collected during busy times, who follows your policies and procedures and won't teach your new hires shortcuts, who takes the time to actually teach instead of just throwing info at their trainee and hoping something sticks.
Once you find the right people to train, you should implement a train the trainer program so all your trainers have the skills and knowledge they need to effectively train.
3. Cater to different learning styles.
Not everyone learns the same way. Some people do better reading a handbook. While others need to do something hands on to learn. Set all your new hires up for success by using different teaching methods. For example, the training program for a new cook could include e-learning courses, reading recipes, shadowing another cook and cooking on their own. You can also ask your new hires how they learn best and adapt their training to their style.
4. Don't end training too early.
When you're short staffed, it can be tempting to use a sink-or-swim tactic and pull trainees out of training too soon to help out. But when you do this, you run the risk of overwhelming your new hires to the point that they might just quit. And then you're back where you started in terms of staffing. Pulling new hires out of training too soon also sends the message that you're just trying to find people to fill spots in your restaurant, and that you don't value your staff receiving the training they need. Check in with your new hires and assess how they feel before moving them out of training. Ask them what they need to feel comfortable on their own.
5. Train during slow times.
If you've ever tried to train someone brand new when it's busy, you know how overwhelming it can be for both the trainer and the trainee. The trainer gets behind because they have to take extra time to explain and show everything to their trainee. And the trainee doesn't have the time to ask questions or really absorb what they're being taught. Instead, schedule training during slower times, especially new hires very first shifts. You can work up two busier shifts as they gain more experience and move through their training.
6. Get feedback from your new hires.
You might think your training program is effective, but you need to make sure trainees feel that way too. Collect their feedback throughout their training and immediately after to find out what they feel would have made their training experience better. You should also collect feedback later on in their employment, around the 90 day mark, to find out if their training actually prepared them for their job. If they say no, make adjustments. Your training program should be fluid and always improving.
I hope these tips help you create a training program for your restaurant, or improve the training program you already have. Remember, a great training program helps reduce turnover, increases productivity and leads to more satisfied and higher skilled employees.
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