11 September 2009

Starting An Employee Training Program: Dos & Dont’s

Posted by William under: Recession Tips & Tricks .

Restaurants and kitchens are only as good as their staff. Everyone, from prep cooks to managers, needs to know the business in and out. Employees, whether you like it or not, are the face and voice of your operation. It’s crucial that they know what they are doing and why. That’s why it’s a great idea to start a training program so new hires quickly learn the details of your business and can better serve customers.

However, some training programs are detrimental to employees because of their poor organization, lack of mission, and large amounts of boredom. It’s important that your kitchen or restaurant institutes a training program that’s not only educational, but well organized, manageable, and a little fun.

Here are some tips:

1. Start a Mentoring Program: In a perfect world you could spend a week with new hires, train them, and show them exactly what you expect. However, in the real world you barely have time to grab a cup of coffee. Instead, recruit a competent employee and charge them with keeping an eye on a new hire.

Mentor programs can be fun for the new hire because they can lay the groundwork for a friendship. However, if the relationship is not looking proactive split the mentor pair apart and assign your new hire to a new employee.

2. Allow for Mistakes: In the kitchen… or restaurant business new hires might not all be experts. So make sure you handle inexperienced employees with a little more patience. Give them a little more time to learn and grow within your pattern. It’s best to assume all employees have no training and start from the ground up. That way your expectations will be clearly communicated. It’s also essential that you provide feedback to your new trainees–both positive and constructive. You don’t want to be too mean–nor do you want new hires to slide into bad habits.

3. Cover the Basics First: Every business has their own set of rule, procedures, and habits that are unique. However, they aren’t as essential as the basics. Make sure your new hire learns and memorizes the basic functions of his job. Later, you can add in unique details. It’s nearly impossible to remember a million facts about a new place all at once. High expectations are great too have for your new hires, however you have to be reasonable.

4. Make Safety a Priority: Obviously you want your new hires to focus on their duties, but it’s practical to introduce new hires to safety guidelines, rules, and regulations. Make sure your training program is up to date! It’s essential that new hires know the dangers they face in the work place so they can prevent future problems. It will take a little extra work and time–but it’ll be worth it.

5. Don’t Be Cheap: It’s a good idea to pay your staff when you conduct training sessions. It communicates that you mean business and obligates them to take every word you say seriously. It’s your business and your reputation. Don’t risk it.

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