By Rita Imerson – Operations & Training Consultant
As we all move into a new era of full dining rooms and business as normal, it’s clear there will be remaining challenges when it comes to hiring and staffing.
As we, the leaders, take on the burden of these challenges, it’s important we do everything we can to mitigate the stress it causes for our store-level team members.
We all understand that retention and low turnover are crucial when it comes to positive guest experience and profitability. So, in conjunction with a strong hiring plan to attract the best candidates, we also need to create a fun, structured workplace with a great work culture.
Some tips for appreciating your restaurant team:
- Distribute handwritten notes with a gift card from the CEO or Owner. A handwritten, personalized thank you goes a long way. Genuine appreciation from the face of the company is something team members can be proud of, and others will strive for.
- Give paid days off for the whole team to enjoy a team-building event. If there is a slower day of the week, consider closing and inviting the team to a fun day at a water park, a night of bowling, or an employee picnic.
- Social media appreciation. Ask each manager to submit a few employees and short bios and photos to be posted on social media, along with a thank you for their hard work.
- Establish a yearly recognition program for employee tenure. Determine yearly benefits that employees will receive on their work anniversary. When these are gifted, they should be publicly among the whole team, so everyone understands the value.
Remember that a sincere thank you goes a long way. It starts from the top down, from the CEO all the way to the busser. It’s been a challenging year, and as we look ahead to brighter days, acknowledgment of a job well done is more important than ever.