STAFF: 4 Reasons Why You Need Staff Feedback at Your Restaurant
As restaurant operators and managers, we’re obsessed with what our guests think of us. And it makes sense. Guests are the ones carrying the cash, so happy guests turn into a happy sales report, right? So, we obsess over what they think of us. We scour Yelp reviews and ratings on our Facebook page. But by focusing on making our guests happy we can’t ignore what our staff has to say. Here are some reasons why you should regularly ask your staff for feedback.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Restaurant Job Surge
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the restaurant industry added 33,500 jobs in October. The unemployment rate is holding steady at 3.7%. The low unemployment number and the increase jobs could mean higher labor wages and increase the difficulty in finding new, good employees. As always, when you hire the right staff, do what you can to keep them.
High Voter Engagement Ahead of Midterms
While Republicans are determined to hold on to their slim control of Congress -- and maybe even swing it further into their favor -- Democrats are desperate to win it back and make a strong statement to the country and the world. As a new Gallup survey shows, these sentiments are resulting in strong levels of engagement among the two parties' supporters.
Meat-Sauce Threat
A vegan-woman has been fined $1,025 for threatening to stab her mother over simmering meat sauce. The woman got extremely upset that her mother would expose her nose to the smell of cooking animal product. According to her mom, this isn’t the first time she’s gotten extremely upset over non-vegan food items in the house. Aren’t families fun?
MOVIN’ ON UP [Song]
Why it matters to you: Record numbers of women are running for office.
There is nary an American that hasn’t noticed the upheaval of the past year -- politically, socially and professionally. There is no more powerful indicator of change than who decides they want to stand for political office. These 2018 elections are certainly no exception with a record number of women taking the steps to run for public office. Sure #MeToo and #TimesUp contributed to these women being empowered, but it still takes qualified individuals to make the attempt at changing our governance along with changing our culture. These women running for office come from all different types of background, but many of them made their bones in business. Check out these women of diverse backgrounds vying to lead our country.
The restaurant industry has long been a place where women can fight through the challenges our culture puts in their way. The incredible engagement of women running for office, is a great lesson for us as operators. If you want to avoid instances of harassment on your team, then create a more balanced approach to choosing your management team. You can start early by encouraging the young women on your team to consider doing more for your company and themselves. Our industry should be at the forefront of contributing qualified and motivated women to positions of leadership. Especially since, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they comprise 53% of our employees.
[Source: Forbes]
ARE YOU ON FIRE?
Why it matters to you: Avoid burnout by following these simple performance hacks.
You aren’t likely to find anyone in our industry that would claim they don’t work enough hours. At their hearts, everyone in our industry is an entrepreneur that feels incredible ownership. That can also cause serious burnout for our managers, owners and operators. This blog from Entrepreneur focuses on some simple hacks you can use to avoid that burnout and stay focused and happy. These steps focus on keeping your mind clear and your efforts unfettered. For example, Stay Out of the How is teaching us that by getting overwhelmed by “how” you are going to accomplish your tasks you are paralyzed to actually impact them.
That isn’t to say process doesn’t matter, just don’t be held back by taking a more meta approach. You have a team and they are willing to follow you. That is the “how” and you as the entrepreneur need to lead them to your vision. These hacks also address simple steps like taking a break every hour to refocus your energy and attention will make you more productive and keep your energy consistent throughout an entire shift. Being mindful allows you to reduce clutter in your thinking and refine your behavior to improve your outcomes. What do you do to avoid burnout? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to know how you cope.
[Source: Entrepreneur]
