Happy Employees – Not Easy But The Payoff Is Worth It
Posted by Jim McGinty on Tue, Feb 09, 2010 @ 08:11 AM
We've all heard the statistics and you've probably done your own research regarding how much it costs to replace an employee. There's the cost to recruit a new employee and once hired, you have to train the new person, which will be even more expensive. Sometimes, the new person ends up quitting or isn't right for the job and we repeat the entire process. There are also the intangible costs associated with turnover, such as repeat customers who may miss their favorite servers, poor morale, and general loss of efficiency while the new employee gets up to speed.
While you're not going to keep all of your employees happy all of the time, there are steps you can take to attract and maintain a good staff.
Start Off on the Right Foot. Do you remember your first day of work? Of course you do -everyone does, good or bad. The first-day experience is a huge factor, one-third of the employees decide whether or not to remain with an employer that first day. During employee orientations, give them your full attention, and give them plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Make sure that if you're not able to spend the day with them they have something meaningful to do in your absence and assign a trusted employee to check in with them frequently. Try surveying your employees about their first day experience. You'll likely receive all the feedback you need regarding what made them feel welcome and what areas could be improved.
Train for Success & Longevity. It's important to select who's training your new employees. It shouldn't be whoever happens to be working that day, select someone who is enthusiastic and is a good to great communicator. Also, new employees can become frustrated by conflicting messages from trainers or feeling that they don't know how to meet expectations. I have seen this happen several times in my career. Take some time to develop a real training plan that covers the most important job functions and hold a train-the-trainer session for your selected group. For a relatively small investment of your time, this training template can be used over & over and will pay dividends through a consistent message.
Give Spot Awards for Great Performance! Don't wait until review time, when you've likely forgotten, to recognize an employee who provides excellent service or volunteers to come in when you're short-staffed. Thank them immediately with a simple "good job" note you can post for everyone to read. You might also consider small prizes for those who accumulate several pats on the back. What's important is that the recognition will provide motivation, and motivated employees tend to stay engaged with your company!
Stay competitive. Do a little research regarding what similar establishments are paying their staff, what the average tips are and what benefits are offered. You may not always be able to match the top dollar being paid, but you should at least be in the ballpark. Also, if you offer any unique benefits or your customers tip higher than average, don't be shy - publicize this to your staff!
Provide Incentives Based on Length of Service. Consider offering perks for your loyal employees and give the new ones something to look forward to. Some companies offer more time off, paid trips or gifts for long-term employees, and depending on your budget, these are good ideas. What's really important, however, is the recognition. For little to no cost, you can offer perks like better parking spaces, first choice of days to request off or a small celebration at a staff meeting to celebrate their anniversary.
Educate. Investing in employees beyond traditional financial means often successfully keeps employees long term. Training and development -- from food safety programs, to management trainee courses and classes that assist in their personal development -- give employees a stake in the success of the business and personal empowerment, engendering commitment to the restaurant.
With so many training courses now available online, offering training to employees is easier than ever. And classes that will improve an employee's lifestyle, not just their restaurant expertise, also prove valuable.
Many restaurateurs are meeting the needs of their employees by offering a variety of classes to help build English language skills, how to buy a first home and how to manage money. As reported recently in the Washington Post, The Capital Grille offered a class where employees heard from real estate professionals, lenders and government officials about how to get help buying a home.
Whatever you decide to implement, a little thought and effort will go along way to achieving every manager's dream -- building and keeping a well-trained and positive staff!
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