Developing A Safe, Inviting and Productive Culture For Your Restaurant Staff

Owning a restaurant is challenging.  While many of the factors of running a successful restaurant are out of your control, you can learn how to manage a restaurant staff. Good restaurant staff can elevate an establishment and turn it into a dining experience truly worth savoring. But, having a top-notch staff does not simply happen automatically or by accident. You need to make it happen. Read on to find more about the importance of developing your restaurant staff in this manner.

Start at the Top

Without a doubt, any effective work culture begins with you and your management. Because owning and running a restaurant is already a high-stress job at the best of times, you need to avoid turning your business into a bubbling cauldron of stress and back-biting. Hire employees you can trust, and then show them the faith you have placed in them. Give your staff the chance to shine and show them that you trust them to make the day-to-day decisions. Lead by example, demonstrating the actions and behaviors you want to see in your own staff.

Establish a Vision

Establish the vision you want by first determining what culture you want to create. Decide what you want to see in your establishment, how you want employees to act, how they should treat customers and how they should treat each other. Decide the procedures you want to be put into place and how the different parts of the restaurant should work together. Finally, you need to be clear about the level of “hands-on” management you expect to see. All of these factors will help to set the tone you want to achieve.

Communicate Your Expectations

Employees only know what is expected of them when that message communicated properly.  Unfortunately, many owners and managers fail to communicate their expectations properly. Make everyone aware of policies and procedures. Communicate with your staff what is working and what is not. When there is an issue, address it head-on. If a specific employee is not meeting expectations, address that person in private, rather than making veiled comments about it or overtly commenting on it in front of other employees. With all issues regarding the restaurant, always keep the lines of communication open.

Treat Your People Right

Your employees are your greatest asset, treat them that way. Having a “revolving door” mentality based on the idea that your workers are disposable and easily replaceable makes employees feel expendable and not appreciated. There is a good chance this feeling will come through in the employees having poor attitudes and not feeling loyalty to your restaurant. You will end up having to spend a lot of time hiring new staff members who will not stay long. When you foster a positive attitude toward your staff and let them know that they are appreciated and valued, that will encourage them to value their job more and their response will help you propel your restaurant forward.

Encourage Innovation From Within

The restaurant business is constantly changing, and your place needs to change with it. Great ideas can come from anywhere, especially from within the organization itself from the people who know it best. Employees are a great source for new ideas, but they are often afraid to bring them up for fear of being shot down. Providing a safe and inviting culture encourages employees to innovate and share their ideas. When employees are able and willing to be creative and assertive, it shows that they feel appreciated and valued. Often, the ideas that are suggested by employees are game-changers that propel restaurants to new levels of success.

Building a positive and successful culture at your restaurant takes a lot of work. But, the results are worth the effort. If you need help updating your online ordering service, mobile app or anything else Orders2me can help you put the finishing touches on the awesome culture you have created for your restaurant. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you.