When you've got a good thing going, you want to keep it that way. In the restaurant business, this is especially true. Excellent wait staff might just be the cornerstone of the restaurant industry, whose friendly personalities and attentiveness to guest satisfaction are crucial to patronage. In the day and age where other industries are stacking up as competition, restaurants must go the extra mile to hire and keep wait staff.
The Competition
In the tech-savvy world of today, unhappy and underpaid employees can literally find ways to get paid with the touch of their fingertips. Ride sharing companies like Uber provide an opportunity that will fit into anyone's schedule and compensate them for their efforts. This is a generously appealing offer for those stuck in a schedule that isn't flexible enough and for whom compensation can vary despite effort.
Another area of industry that's quite appealing right now is the cannabis industry. This market is wide open and in the right areas of the country (where cannabis is legal for medicinal and/or recreational purposes), the opportunity to become involved and make a living is a lucrative prospect. The beauty of it is that there are so many niche markets associated with the cannabis industry that it only takes tapping in on the right one to pay off. Again, this is the kind of business that offers flexibility and compensation that beats out a job waiting tables, where effort never guarantees a promising financial take home.
And, of course, with a shoratge of servers, restaurants must compete with eachother for the best waiter and waitress talent. Keeping your staff and attracting new team members is critical to the sucess of every restaurant.
Tips on Retention
Your wait staff are the face of your restaurant. When you've got the perfect crew, it's imperative that they know it and that their needs are met. To ensure their job satisfaction and to keep them from looking elsewhere, consider these tips:
- Benefits - A job without benefits doesn't give an individual any real incentive to stick around, especially if the amount of work they are putting in isn't reflected well in their paycheck.
- Flexibility - Taking into account the needs in the lives of employees is essential in keeping them around. For people in school or with families especially, creating a schedule that is fair and consistent is elemental.
- Perks - Treat your employees like they matter. Offer them a free meal or free drinks while they are on the clock. Provide a way for them to earn paid time off or offer bonuses based on suggested selling. Make sure they get a break. In short: treat them the way you'd want to be treated.
- Opportunities - Take the step to offer your employees more in the way of their futures. Whether it's in the form of tuition reimbursement or career development programs, this is a great way to encourage retention while improving their odds of success.
- Environment - Creating a positive and upbeat environment shouldn't be overlooked when it comes to keeping employees. Morale is vital to the health of any business, especially a business with a high turnover rate when it comes to employment. Knowing their voice is heard and has value is not only builds moral but it is an amazing sourse for great ideas.
- Tools and Training - Helping your servers be better is in the restaurnat best interest. For example, providing your servers with a Waiter Wallet will not only make your waitstaff be more organized and professional but, with our clear pocket system and free templetes, they will know and sell more!
For more information about hiring and retaining a great wait staff, contact us.
