How to form and retain a good team in a restaurant

Preventing the staff rotation in the hospitality industry is an expensive and time-consuming process. That’s why it’s extremely important to hire people who are ideal for your restaurant and establish a system that will ensure they want to stay with you in the long run.

Employee rotation is a constant pain for any business, but in the hospitality industry it happens like on a mill. The kitchen staff as well as those in the service area are equally important elements for memorable service and guest experience. The high degree of employee rotation leads to undesirable distractions for owners and managers. Constant recruitment creates training costs and the loss of so-called institutional memory held by longtime employees.

Restaurants are particularly affected by the problem of finding and retaining quality staff, mostly due to big seasonal changes in restaurant needs. Unfortunately, it is more than clear that frequent changes in the team significantly affect the quality and thus success of the restaurant. Frequent changes in the team also mean that management spends valuable time on hiring and training the recruits, that also mean hiring staff with too little experience, which in turn affects the quality and service. While many will argue that these problems are an indispensable part of the restaurant business, why not try to reduce the outflow of quality staff with the help of these tips.

1) Prevent turnover with higher wages

It may seem daunting to you to increase the expenditure you set aside for salaries, but all the restaurants that have managed to reduce staff rotations have done just that - increased the minimum wage. And it paid off for them. A constant and quality team saves you time and money in the long run.

2. Ensure a positive work atmosphere

It is not at all unusual that management and staff sometimes disagree. In other cases, disagreements occur within the team. When these conflicts remain unresolved the employee will look for another job to avoid further conflicts. The advice is to have clear rules of conduct and listen to the pulse of the staff as carefully as you listen to the pulse of the guests. This will help you cut through conflicts in the beginning and thus preserve a harmonious work atmosphere.

3. Check in with your staff

To avoid them leaving you, check regularly how your employees are feeling, especially those with the best performance. Make sure they are happy in their positions. They may not come on their own initiative to complain about the problems that they have at work, but it will probably be easier for them to open up if you provide time and space for it. Find out what they like and don't like about the job, and try to make adjustments that will make them happy and even more successful. A happy employee will find it harder to leave the job, and you will save time and money and avoid the headaches of looking for a replacement.

4. Be prepared for seasonal turnover

Changes in teams are and will always be an integral part of hospitality. To be ready for seasonal changes, start earlier with the process of hiring and training new team members. This will reduce the holes that arise the moment you lose a team member to the moment a new member is ready for his place.

5. Improve your recruitment strategy

Changes in teams don’t just happen when one of the staff decides to leave. Those you choose to fire are also part of that process. To avoid laying off workers you must first and foremost be sure that you are hiring the right candidates. And this does not happen by sheer luck. When talking to potential candidates, it is important to pay attention to the so-called soft skills like empathy and work ethic. Moreover, Danny Meyer, a restaurant mogul and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, devised a 49/51 recruitment method he called the Hospitality Quotient (HQ). This method implies that each employee must have 49% technical skills to do the job, while HQ makes up 51%. Hiring workers with high HQ is a secret ingredient that makes a difference in a restaurant’s work culture. And a happy employee will provide the guest with a better experience.

6. Try to find new employees using an existing team

Employees who already work for you are a great source of information when searching for new employees. If they are satisfied with you, they will be happy to recommend you to their friends. Also, togetherness and collegiality are extremely important with the staff, quality people like to work with other quality people. Consider even creating a referral program with certain benefits to encourage your employees to recommend good people to you.

7. Improve your professional development

One of the most common reasons for leaving is when a overskilled person gets stuck in the lowest positions for too long. Then not only are they bored and looking for new challenges elsewhere, but they stop caring about the job they do because they feel they are not appreciated. Make the promotion process clear and comprehensible, offer education and professional development to employees at all levels, and regularly give them clear and constructive feedback on their work. Never stop training staff, even if it means they are up to date with the nuances of the latest craft beers in your bar menu. Also provide training that includes the latest trends in their industry along with, for example, current tips on how to increase tips.

8. Conduct exit interviews

If an employee already decides to leave, plan a time for an honest conversation before leaving. Find out as much as you can about their work experience with you. Ask specific questions to get as honest answers as possible. This will help you spot if there is a recurring reason, as well as detect problems that you need to address so that departures do not recur. After all, often the reasons for the staff departure are of a personal nature and thus something that the management cannot influence no matter how hard they try. But in your power is to invest in the staff and operation of the restaurant, because by doing so, you’re ensuring that the turnover of employees doesn’t lead to the restaurant door closing.

P.S. Don’t forget to focus on your staff on restaurant's social media, show glimpses behind the scenes, show them as they prepare for service, let them be the stars of the story, let their creativity and passion be seen. Trust me, they will feel appreciated and satisfied.