Many restaurants, despite all the recent job growth, claim to still be understaffed.

In every work environment, there is always room for improvement. Restaurants constantly evolve through menu revisions, altering daily practices, and refining service strategies. For employees to perform their best in the workplace, thorough, engaging training is required. Many restaurants, though, find themselves stuck in a stagnant cycle of introducing outdated training strategies and methods that simply aren’t as successful as they used to be. Ill-trained staff members affect the entirety of the restaurant environment—it can sully the customer experience and affect the dynamic of the whole team.

Developing new and improved training methods is essential for keeping team members well-informed about your restaurant’s best practices while ensuring the whole workplace can be set up for success every day. We’ll review some new and improved training strategies you can begin implementing today that will positively impact your restaurant, team members, and guests.

The Importance of Regular Employee Training & Education

When running a restaurant, training cannot only be a part of the new hire process. Employees must have clear and engaging resources available to execute service to the very best of their ability.

Training is crucial for maintaining a safe working environment. Restaurants pose a variety of hazards that, if employees are not appropriately prepared for them, can result in injury. That’s why it’s so important to ensure everyone knows what to do if someone is choking. Routine training about correct emergency response practices will teach employees how to properly give the Heimlich maneuver to children and adults and identify key signs of choking.

Continued learning opportunities are also fantastic for employee retention. Team members need to know they are working in a caring and conscious environment, and companies that offer continuing education assistance exemplify this well. When businesses make education easily accessible, team members are less likely to move on to a different venture. Many employees get frustrated by a lack of training, as it can help propel them further into their career while sharpening their skills. Make sure to provide them with everything they need to succeed.

What Types of Training Topics Should Be Covered?

When running a restaurant, your employees should be well-versed in the following. Customer Service

A restaurant depends on stellar customer service to attract guests. Front-of-house team members should have an advanced understanding of the menu so they can recommend meals and further the guest experience. Team members must know how often to check in on guests, how to identify physical cues of happiness or dissatisfaction, and how to manage guests in a professional manner.

Food Safety

Food safety training protects both team members and guests. Proper food handling should be a part of training for front and back-of-house staff. This includes cross-contamination prevention measures, best hygiene practices, and food storage solutions.

Cleaning Practices

A clean restaurant is one of the most important factors when dining out for guests. Cleaning training modules should include how to sanitize dining room tables and food preparation services, along with how to manage bathrooms and the bar area, and what to focus on when cleaning at the end of the night.

POS Systems/Cash Handling

Effectively handling cash and payments benefits the financial health of your business and ensures guests do not have an adverse experience when paying for their meals. It also lends businesses an extra layer of protection, as there is firm proof, in the event of funds mishandling, that management relayed appropriate cash handling practices to the employee(s) in question. Training should cover point-of-sale (POS) system operation and how servers should run their reports at the end of service.

Training Ideas for Restaurant Employees

Below are a few examples of unique training ideas for restaurant employees. All are useful for ensuring employees are the best they can be.

Virtual Reality Training

VR can be a great option for luxury restaurants that may require extended training before front-of-house staff members can interact with customers directly. Virtual reality devices can simulate what a traditional night of service looks like. Employees will be confronted with a variety of situations and learn how to safely and efficiently navigate the situation. From there, they can implement these skills in person. Doing so is also great for training cooks in proper food preparation skills.

Cross-Training

Though everyone has their own skill set and designated duties, cross-training employees can prove especially useful. It is not uncommon for restaurants to be short-staffed occasionally. Cross-training helps restaurants deal with call-outs or staff restructuring. Offer an hour before service where employees can take part in hands-on training for different roles in the restaurant. This way, servers can learn how to bartend, line cooks can learn how to host, and so on and so forth. To increase incentive, make these trainings both optional and rewarding –anyone who attends these trainings can receive a bonus, gift card or another type of compensation.

Gamified Training

Who said training can’t be fun? Gamified modules can aid in knowledge retention and encourage healthy competition, benefiting active employee engagement. Develop modules that offer rewards for things like matching ingredients with the right menu item and building the perfect cocktail. You can also supplement traditional training by turning any new knowledge into a game. For example, if employees just learned how to operate a new rewards program, create a challenge or leaderboard for successful reward-program sign-ups.

Employee-Led Training

It can be daunting for staff members to receive training from upper management. They can be afraid to ask necessary questions or even tune out the information. Have fellow employees lead regular training with the rest of the staff without management present. This can enhance leadership skills while encouraging a more relaxed learning environment, leading to better information retention and increased engagement.

By considering training options like these, staff members can feel confident in their work while offering the most safe, enjoyable experience for guests possible. Employing innovative training modules benefits everyone involved—employees will be grateful for the informative, interactive experience, and your business will thrive because of it.

Source: Charlie Fletcher, FSR