The importance of restaurant staff

The complaints received by customers on restaurant staff whether its incorrect orders, serve times or employee bickering have grown in recent years. There is a common problem that lies underneath many of these issues. It is staff that isn’t coming together to work as a team.
It is not just about serving your customers well; it is also about serving each other well. A top priority at any restaurant should be teamwork. It is teamwork that increases customer satisfaction and brings in profitable revenue. Also, this will make restaurant staff feel motivated that they achieved something out of the ordinary, and will be pumped up to do more.

Hire the Right Folks
First and foremost, the restaurant manager has to hire the right people in terms of team member positions and management. The entire tone of the restaurant is set through the management. Staff should be trained on how to work as a team, how to cover for employees that suddenly fall sick, how to run back and forth during service as if playing a game of tennis and being right on top from start to finish. As much as the right personnel are required to lead the team, the team should also be made up of the right people.

Recommend a Friend
When hiring staff, recommendations should be considered. For instance, one of your support staff might have a good friend that could be recommended. It is very likely this particular friend would be able to fit into the culture and environment of your restaurant. Aside from recommendation, the interview process should highlight questions where you can gauge if the prospective employee is a team player. Is the prospect comfortable with working on a team, does the prospect have a friendly personality, professional optimism and a fun attitude?

Provide Training
Training is absolutely imperative for restaurant staff. In fact, ongoing training is recommended by formidable restaurant owners and other experts. During training, once again the importance of teamwork should be reiterated. If new staff knows their position and the position of other employees, conflicts can be avoided.

Team Building
Team building is a large part of training. Operators should provide staff opportunities to connect with other team players. Have fun and games during restaurant hours as long as it doesn’t hinder the running of your restaurant. Also, encourage staff to get to know and spend time with each other outside of the restaurant.

Outings & Events
Another great way for staff to get to know each other is through outings and events like parties, picnics and holidays. These events should be arranged by the top management of your restaurant. Additionally, you can celebrate graduations, birthdays and other minor or major accomplishments that help develop a unique bonding between employees.

Be an Example
Exhibit positive team behaviour and there is no better way to get your staff to listen and emulate than through what you do. Top management including the restaurateur should display positive interaction between employees. Hold regular team meetings, have even managerial personnel attend these meetings to keep up to date on what your support staff is doing, how hard they work and how much they have achieved. This is a great platform to offer positive feedback and keep your staff morale flying high!