By Abby Drexler, Contributor
Managing a restaurant can be a masterful undertaking. Although there are a lot of responsibilities, one of the most difficult aspects of running any business is keeping employees motivated. This is especially true as a restaurateur because it's an industry that’s notorious for turnover and labor challenges.
Whether you are the owner of a restaurant or you have the responsibility of managing a team, the information below provides effective tips on how to inspire excellence.
Celebrate Restaurant Staff Milestones
In many areas of life, it’s common to celebrate milestones, such as birthdays, anniversaries and academic achievement. When this doesn't happen, it can cause a problem for some people. Why? Because most of us want to be celebrated for achievements.
It’s no different in the workplace. As a restaurant manager, celebrating milestones is a great way to keep employees inspired. For instance, if someone has successfully completed their probationary period, it's worthy of acknowledgment. It doesn't have to be a long drawn out celebration. In fact, acknowledging a team member on social media is a great way of celebrating milestones. One, it gives your staff public recognition, but it also allows your followers to learn more about your team and connect to your restaurant.
Link Excellence to Monetary Gain
There's a lot of talk about striving for excellence in the workplace. However, it's not always easy to achieve when a person has a lot of responsibilities and simply wants to get the job done.
One way to overcome this issue is by linking excellence to monetary gain. In other words, if you give someone a bonus for doing a great job, they're more likely to rise to the occasion. In a restaurant environment, this can be as easy as rewarding employees for delivering world-class customer service on a consistent basis or driving more sales.
Promote Leaders From Within Your Restaurant
One of the easiest ways to lower employee morale is by hiring someone from outside the organization when there is a qualified employee that’s already part of the team. If you don't currently have a policy that enables current restaurant staff to apply for positions, it's something that should be considered. One of the most common reasons why employees are not motivated is because they think it's a dead-end job. When everyone knows there is room for advancement, they're more likely to feel energized and motivated. You can also offer training so that employees are able to develop the skills needed to progress.
Make Having Fun a Priority
Sometimes employers equate having fun in the workplace with lack of productivity. Time and time again, studies have shown that a workplace that's fun and engaging is also a workplace that's productive. This can be accomplished by forming a “fun committee” that has the responsibility of finding simple ways to make your restaurant more enjoyable for staff. If you're still concerned about productivity, you can set guidelines for what is and what isn't allowed.
Meet a Staffs’ Need
It’s no secret that a lot of people in the restaurant industry have financial needs because they only work part-time or don't make a lot of money. The good thing about a restaurant is that it's equipped to meet a need that everyone has -- the need for food. While it's understandable that a restaurant probably cannot handle the expense of feeding every employee every day, it is possible to offer meals occasionally. You can do this by offering free meals to individuals that go the extra mile or choose to work overtime in a pinch.
Celebrate Year-End Results
At the end of the year, there are celebrations everywhere. It's a festive time when most people feel good because of the holidays. This happens to be a great time to further cultivate a team environment and acknowledge everyone's hard work throughout the year. By celebrating year-end results, it demonstrates that the effort put forth throughout the year was meaningful and successful. The best way to do this is by offering a bonus to all employees when possible.
Inspiring your restaurant employees will always be a work in progress. The tips provided are practical and likely to create a more energized workforce, which can translate into a more successful restaurant.
