We understand that high restaurant turnover rates are stressful. Estimates show that in 2018, restaurant staff turnover rates were at 74.9 percent. Restaurants face an evolving door, losing money every time an employee leaves. Time and training new hires can be expensive, which is why we have five helpful tips to combat restaurant turnover.
- Solid Hiring Process – Restaurant employees can make or break customers’ experiences, making people return or causing them never to come back. It is vital that restaurants implement a solid hiring process to help find the right candidates to create a good team and reduce high restaurant turnover rates. Start practicing these HR tips when hiring:
- Job Postings – Create specific, informative job postings to attract the best, most well-qualified candidates.
- Interview Questions – Create a set of open-ended interview questions, so candidates’ personalities and answers shine.
- Body Language – Note candidates’ body language, as this is something customers pick up on.
- References – Always check references.
- Interview System – Create a buddy interview system where another senior employee participates in interviews.
- Adequate Training – Many restaurants often overlook this simple hiring practice – have a good, solid training program in place to help eliminate miscommunications, staff errors, etc. This alone can dramatically reduce high restaurant turnover rates. Because the restaurant industry is fast-paced, it’s important to have a quick, yet effective training program. Consider educating new staff about the following:
- POS – The POS system can be overwhelming, which is why it’s important to have staff training. Ask your POS company if they can provide in-depth training.
- Menu Knowledge – New employees should be able to answer menu questions for customers.
- Customer Service Standards – While this may seem like a no-brainer, it’s important for employees to understand their customer service expectations.
- Reward and Recognize – Studies show that there are direct correlations between turnover rates and staff dissatisfaction. Low morale can create a negative atmosphere. To help turn this around, add the following:
- The Employee of the Month – Consider having a regular Employee of the Month contest to honor your best, hardworking and most committed employees. This will also help motivate low performers.
- Team Building – Add a team-building contest to get staff working together, which can boost efficiency.
Just adding these programs with small rewards, such as a gift certificate, free meal, parking space, etc., can make a big difference in employee morale. Stay tuned, and in our next article, we’ll feature the remaining two tips to help combat high turnover.
Ninja Gig specializes in providing online job applications for the restaurant industry. We help simplify your employment application and record-keeping process. While we can’t solve your turnover issues, we can help you with your hiring needs by providing you with the software and job board integrations to make your life much easier! Sign up today for a 14-day free trial.