A critical aspect of training relates to the climate in which new team members are expected to learn. Business volume fluctuates, so scheduling training when learning can take place is key.

• Break it down. Breaking down any part of a restaurant’s operation, including initial training, into component parts helps bring things into sharper focus. Veteran foodservice consultant Chris Tripoli believes that newly hired management staff should begin in the back of the house with a schedule that provides time for working each position. “The manager trainee should spend time at the beginning and end of each shift with the kitchen manager observing the development of the daily prep list, product ordering, receiving, and staff scheduling.” 

The objective of this training isn’t to prepare the new manager to be the best at every kitchen position, Tripoli stresses, but to be “familiar enough to know and be able to assist. This type of training allows time for bonding with the BOH staff. Most initial BOH manager training takes seven to 10 shifts; maybe fewer for more limited menu concepts.” 

• Know the stations. For kitchen positions “initial training should include what station the new hire will be working and what the responsibilities of working that station will entail,” says Jason Fridrich, associate lecturer in Foodservice and Lodging Management for Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “Also, explain what menu items the station produces and where everything needed to supply the station is stored.” The point is to be clear where the cook fits into the larger process. It will aid in communication and teamwork.

On that note, how to communicate in the kitchen, and with whom, needs to be included in initial training, as does a discussion of the organizational culture. “Do not continue the employment of a server that does not interact properly with the guests,” Fridrich advises.

Other areas on which to focus include how the station should be set up and a review of sanitation standards and procedures. “This will be on-the-job training, one or two shifts trailing and then a solo shift on a slower night,” Fridrich adds. If the new hire has prior experience, the training should include which systems are being used, the POS system, and how the tables are rotated. A detailed description of the stations and how they are divided is important. “What are the table numbers? How are orders placed on the POS system?”

• Don’t overlook sales techniques. Depending on the restaurant’s concept, upselling methods should be part of the initial server training. “This will also be on-the-job training,” Fridrich points out. “I have been involved in classroom training for both front and back-of-house positions and have found it to be counterproductive” Sloppy upselling is offensive to guests. Simply telling the server to take every opportunity to jack up the ticket is a way to lose customers. It is an art form and requires training and finesse. In general, front-of-house training should consist of two or three shifts of training and one or two working solo during slower times, Fridrich adds. “If the server does not show competency after two weeks of training, the hire may have to be re-evaluated.”
• New job, new culture. “Assuming the new hire has experience, the most important part of the training will be having the new manager embrace the organizational culture,” Fridrich believes. Experienced managers coming from other organizations “will bring a culture with them. It is essential that they let go of the previous culture, which may conflict with yours. If that is the case, it will be easy to identify if the new culture is being embraced.”
• Never-ending process. How long should the initial training period last? According to Nunzi’s Vincent Napolitano, indefinitely. “Training never ends, as we are educating ourselves and our staff every day trying to find new things and learn new ways to produce a top-quality product and experience.” If a new hire needs more time, he adds, “That is totally fine, and we like to hear that. We don’t want to put anyone into real-time situations they aren’t 100% comfortable being in.”

How much time to give a new hire to learn the job is always tough to pin down. “I usually allow several shifts for a new employee to learn the job,” says Fridrich. “I have always avoided rushing training. This creates more problems than it solves. If after two weeks of training the new hire does not show competency in the position, the hire, once again, will have to be re-evaluated.”

• Mistakes to avoid. There are “tons of things to avoid and tons of things to do but you have to fail and make mistakes in order to learn,” says Napolitano. We’ve made many mistakes and continue to do so, but that’s how we learn, evolve, and grow as a business and as a team.”

Chris Tripoli’s Four ‘Be’s

When it comes to getting new hires up to speed, veteran consultant Chris Tripoli recommends the following:

• Be prepared. “Have a training schedule and written materials for every position ready when the trainee begins.”
• Be complete. “Preview and review with trainee every shift.”
• Be current. “The best training programs aren’t based on a written manual to read and a test to take. Today’s BOH and FOH training programs are a mix of video, photos, written materials, and discussion. Engaging with the trainee, having them taste food, talk, and present to trainer helps increase their retention.”
• Be flexible. Training schedules should be written in steps rather than shifts or days. “This allows the trainee to move along at their required pace. Some steps may take a little more time for some than others. A rough schedule objective/goal for each position can be expected.”

Source: RestaurantOwner.com