Onboarding
It shouldn’t be your “business as usual” orientation or fast track training
When I think back at the times when some employees were thrown into their positions (and I’m guilty of being a part of it), it appalls me! In the food and beverage industry there are many occasions when under-staffing does occur. It’s usually at the busiest time of the season and it was acceptable to toss the new employee right into the deep end of the pool. You know what I mean, give them a handful of knowledge and let them sink or swim at that busiest time and see how they fair. I’m quite certain that I was responsible for some innocent server’s hate of the industry, therapy sessions and nightmares.
Thank God we’ve learned what NOT to do anymore. It’s an unpleasant experience for the new employee to feel like they just got pushed off The Empire State Building. But it’s also quite frustrating to the seasoned employees and members/customers. There are unfortunate stumbling blocks managers experience when hiring, onboarding and training. Even though intentions are good issues can get in the way.
For instance if the business is seasonal then attention to the labor budget is critical. This states exactly how much time you’re able to spend with the new employee before revenue streams in to justify the labor costs. If thoughts are given to the long-term effects of how it either benefits or damages your business or deflates the new employee, you may want to rethink your labor/training budget.
Hiring the right person for the job is also a first critical step for making sure you create and grow a successful employee. I know we’ve all heard this before that “anyone can be a server” and I’ll be the first one to tell you that’s not entirely true. Some individuals are not “people pleasers” but instead they thrive successfully alone in an office setting. Lowering our standards to hiring just warm bodies is unacceptable and not fair to anyone in the building.
A potential employee may have the skills needed to perform all the necessary duties but are they a good fit for the culture of your business? Some of those concerns can be lessened during the interview process by asking specific questions. Just hiring someone because they’re experienced is not the answer if their behavior falls off the spectrum of whatever’s normal for your particular organization.
Another stumbling block occurs after the technical part of the training is finished. During the busy time nobody has a moment to answer questions that the new employee may have. Either they make a judgement call (and hope they have good moral sense) or ask another employee who may not want to give out the most accurate information.
Adequate time is needed to make sure we’ve provided enough of a comfort level to put the new employee at ease so continuous learning is successful. Here are a few suggestions to start:
1. Every new employee needs to be introduced to all managers and employees and know what everyone’s function is.
2. Give a complete tour of the facility including all restrooms
3. Give specifics how you’d like members/customers to be addressed
4. Go over all procedures for normal front of the house food and beverage operations. Also address safety concerns e.g., emergency procedures (including major disasters, violence in the workplace, 911 procedures, broken glass in the ice bin). Knowing such techniques can put a new employee at ease and keep everyone protected.
Anything that can be done to create a level of confidence for a new staff member is always a win-win situation. Onboarding and training are important topics that lay the foundation for success and there will be additional content posted soon.
