Education's role in the restaurant industry

Why training is as important as hands-on experience

Hands-on experience is undeniably important to developing an employee’s skills. But formal training is equally important. In fact, more than half of restaurant operators plan to devote more resources to employee training this year, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2014 Restaurant Industry Forecast. Why the increased emphasis?

Profitability. Most hospitality operations run as a business. For-profit operations and foodservice operations within hospitals and schools must be concerned with nutrition, cost-control, budgeting and human resources management. Having people on staff who are well-versed in such areas provides a competitive advantage.

Performance. In a similar vein, employers want to maximize productivity. Specific training in marketing, bar management and other areas creates an atmosphere of professionalism that can boost output and morale and decrease owners’ stress levels.

Education also can ensure cooks and other food handlers meet desired standards. Training ensures staff  follow proven safety guidelines and managers use consistent supervision practices on all shifts. Taking time to learn base knowledge gets everyone “on the same page” and can reduce errors, promote positive interactions, and provide guests with consistent quality.

Commitment. The hospitality industry offers opportunities to people from a variety of professional backgrounds. While many career-switchers have transferable skills useful to restaurant work, employers sometimes have difficulty seeing beyond a candidate’s former position. Employers might question an applicant’s true interest and wonder whether the job candidate might jump ship when a different opportunity arises. Look for résumés that include a relevant degree, certification or coursework to ease concerns about inexperienced candidates.

Employers show a commitment to employees’ long-term success by investing time and money in education. In a field with high turnover rates, training can be an important retention tool. It promotes staff stability and encourages workers to view their employment as a dynamic career path.

5 ways to encourage workers to stay

The National Restaurant Association’ Manage My Restaurant online resource has countless articles to help you become more profitable. Manage My Restaurant has articles in categories such as Marketing and Sales, Workforce Engagement, Food and Nutrition and Operations. Visit Manage My Restaurant here for this and other helpful tips.

It’s no secret that the restaurant industry has one of the highest employee-turnover rates. But rather than feeling doomed to routinely hiring and retraining, owners and managers can take action to hold on to current workers.

Consider these five retention-boosters:

Take a personal interest. Learning about your staff shows you care about them as individuals, not just as employees. That bond can influence their attachment to your establishment.

“Our restaurant is set in a 1920s converted bungalow that provides a sense of ‘home’ for our guests,” says Betty Fraser, owner, GRUB, Hollywood, Calif. “And home means ‘family,’ which is how we view and treat our employees.”

Fraser says she takes a vested interest in employees’ lives outside of the restaurant and encourages them to be as well-rounded and happy as possible.

“If they are, that energy is then transferred to our guests,” she says. “A great way of encouraging that sense of family is to have a meal together at the end of each shift. The group time together talking about things other than work builds relationships and camaraderie.”
 

Provide tools to do the job. From proper equipment to a comp allowance for making guests happy, employees experience less stress when you set them up to do their jobs well. In line with this philosophy, Nancy Batista-Caswell, managing director, Caswell Restaurant Group, Newburyport, Mass., makes sure her team consistently is kept in the loop.

“Our entire server shift tastes dishes that will be on the menu and wines or other beverages that we are recommending for pairings or are new to our bar line-up,” she says. “Our staff becomes empowered and knowledgeable. They understand what ingredients will likely switch to accommodate special diets or allergies. We encourage their questions and those of our diners. There is nothing worse than servers who have never tried the food they are asked about by a guest.”

Offer recognition. Employees want to know their hard work matters. Take a second during a team meeting to mention a server who recently received a customer compliment or a line crew that performed particularly well on a busy night.

Consider further promoting thats atmosphere by getting everyone involved. Marcus Guilian, owner, Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville, N.Y., says his staff loves the “OH SNAP (Service Never As Perfect)” program. When management or another staff member sees someone doing something good, the person receives a SNAP nomination. Once a week, one person receives a small prize and recognition in front of the whole team.

Encourage communication. Feedback is a learning tool that encourages growth. By regularly communicating, employer and employee can better understand one another and quickly resolve issues. As Batista-Caswell notes, employees should know where they stand with ownership/management. She suggests providing them with real-time, thoughtfully presented feedback (as progressive discipline and validating praise) to show they are valued.

Guilian sits one-to-one with staff members at least once a month to talk about their happiness and skills. He often discovers employees have additional talents and seeks to use those abilities, such as writing content for the restaurant’s website or helping with computer tech issues.

Promote stability. Foster an atmosphere of dedication, as workers take cues from those around them. On the job application, Batista-Caswell states that the business is rigorous and the “meek” need not apply. Then, with a staff that shares her passion, she stewards professional growth.

Especially important to her is promoting from within, which she says ensures there is an understanding about who is being recognized and why within the organization.

Do those tactics work? Batista-Caswell thinks so. She recently received a card from her staff thanking her for “Risking more than others think is safe to, caring more than others think is wise, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible.”

This content was provided by National Restaurant Association partner CareerBuilder.

How to find the right host for your restaurant

Having the right host or hostess is important in every restaurant.

The host is the first person customers meet and the last person they’ll cross paths with before heading off. Hosts play a major role in establishing a friendly atmosphere at your restaurant—one that will entice the customer to return repeatedly.

Here are a few qualities you should look for in potential hosts:

Willingness to go above and beyond for guests. Part of a host’s responsibility is to make life easier for each guest. In addition to meeting standard needs, hosts should consider special requests as opportunities to make lasting impressions.

For example, a guest drove to Villa Christina in Atlanta from St. Petersburg, Fla., to surprise his mom for Mother’s Day. He arrived before the rest of his family, realized that he forgot to purchase a Mother's Day card and asked where the nearest store was. The host asked him to wait a minute, went to the sales office and scanned a drawer full of thank-you, birthday, wedding and anniversary cards before finding a Mother's Day card. The host presented the card to the guest, who was incredibly appreciative,says Terri Harof, vice president of marketing.

Genuinely care about the success of the restaurant. Hosts generally are salaried and unlike servers, they don’t rely heavily on tips. So they must be motivated to act in the best interest of the restaurant, even though their pay won’t necessarily be affected either way.

“I have, unfortunately, encountered hosts in the past who just want a cushy summer job, aware that it doesn't matter how slow or busy the restaurant is -- he or she is still getting paid the same,” says Dennis Friedman, executive chef/owner of Newton's Table and Newton's Noodles in Washington, D.C.

“Choosing not to be aggressive with capturing sales, acting indifferent to their impact on the kitchen, being ignorant to the success or failure of the servers -- all of these qualities are a recipe for failure, flavored with mediocrity.”

Ability to always be polite to guests, no matter what. The guest is always right. Regardless of how a customer treats the host, he or she must resist the urge to return the poor attitude. Instead, they must stay calm and try to please the customer as best he or she can.

When David Bakke was a restaurant general manager, he worked with a hostess who often snapped at guests. “I received numerous complaints about her, and the restaurant lost business as a result,” says Bakke, a restaurant expert at Money Crasher Personal.

Outgoing personality. Naturally shy people usually don’t make good hosts. Hosts must go out of their way to be friendly to customers.

Strong organizational skills. Hosts frequently have several responsibilities, such as taking reservations, maintaining wait lists, assigning seating and scheduling employee duties. So strong organizational and time-management skills are a must.

Team player.  Hosts must have a sense of table progression. To do so, he or she should communicate constantly with wait staff to know which guests are on dessert, which have paid their checks and which are still eating their meals. Everyone on staff plays for the same team.

Professional appearance. Appearance is important when greeting customers, so hosts and hostesses should dress in attire appropriate for the restaurant setting. Any stains or wrinkles on clothes convey a dirty atmosphere.

This content was provided by National Restaurant Association partner CareerBuilder.