Talk of mass resignations has caused quite a stir in the restaurant and hotel industries, which are already suffering a labor shortage amid the COVID 19 pandemic. A recent study found that 58% of restaurant and hotel employees were planning to quit their jobs before the close of the year. Which raises the question—how should restaurants prepare for this mass exodus?
Find Out What Your Workers Want
A little research goes a long way. How will restaurant owners keep their employees happy if they don’t know what they want? That’s like serving customers without first taking their orders. The labor market is undoubtedly leaning toward employees. To be competitive in this market, owners and managers need to understand and respond to workers’ demands, within reason, of course.
A simple survey among employees can give great insight into what employees are looking for in a job. Owners may find that a bit of respect goes a long way. If employees feel their voice is being heard, they may feel more valued and boost morale. Moreover, this approach doesn’t have any cost, so it can easily provide insight into attracting new hires.
Value Your Workers
Recent efforts of restaurant owners to retain workers and hire new ones has involved increasing pay. It should come as no surprise that employees want to earn a livable wage. However, increasing pay is not enough. A recent study conducted by Black Box (check link – I got a 404 file error) found that successfully navigating the labor shortage and reducing the turnover rate requires a multifaceted approach.
Beyond paying employees what they’re worth, workers need to feel valued. General psychology tells us that feeling valued increases connection and bond. Workers want to know that they matter and their work matters. After all, who doesn’t? How should employees make their workers feel valued? Apply the golden rule—treat others, or in this case your employees, how you want to be treated. Simple actions like listening to employees, authentic praise or recognition for a job well done, and constructive feedback can really change the overall atmosphere of the work environment.
Streamline Your Business
Simplifying is key to solving any problem. Business owners should take a close and thorough look at all areas of their business, only asking—how can this be improved to make things simpler? Take notes, but be sure to be thorough and honest. Determine which areas need improvement, looking specifically at:
- Time management
- Unnecessary work
- Training
- Communication
Get Creative
New problems require innovative solutions. The restaurant industry of the past is gone beyond retrieval. However, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. By nature, problems are the way we grow and improve. If we have learned anything through the economic and COVID struggle, it is to embrace creativity. To streamline business practices and retain workers, restaurant owners and managers will have to think outside the norm. Doing so will not only provide forward-thinking solutions to the mass exodus problem, but it can also help the restaurant industry as a whole.
Perhaps the best news is that business leaders don’t have to hire anyone to implement creative strategies. Do some brainstorming and research. After all, in this age of technology, everyone has unlimited information at their fingertips.
Invest in Restaurant Training
Many restaurant employees do not feel valued or properly trained to do what is expected of them and often leave their jobs out of frustration. Moreover, when there is a lack of systems and standards, employees feel like they are working in chaos. If you want to keep your team and have them deliver an extraordinary guest experience, you have to train them to understand what the expectations are. Synergy Sync is your go-to, all-in-one training solution. Simple, yet robust and built from industry experts! Learn more: restauranttrainingprogram.com