Best Practices
Put Me in Coach: Organize Your Restaurant Training to Help New Hires Succeed from Day One
Training new hires is critical to smooth operations, a quality guest experience, and avoiding turnover. Poorly trained staff do not enjoy their jobs. “On-the-job” learning can be a frustrating experience if it isn’t properly planned out in the hubbub of a busy restaurant shift. Here are several considerations to make your restaurant training cost-effective and efficient.
Create a schedule for all training sessions. A trainee wants to know how long the training period lasts and when they are expected to train. The number of days or shifts for your training program depends upon several factors such as the complexity of the menu, service procedures, job functions, and point-of-sale. Bear in mind, however, that you do not want to drag out the process a minute longer than necessary. If your service staff works for tips, they cannot afford to earn minimum training wage for an extended training period.
Train (or hire) a qualified trainer. Do not assign a trainee to an employee who is unqualified and untrained to train. When choosing trainers, select staff members who have patience, want to be trainers, are good at their role, and are willing to teach according to your training guidelines rather than off-the-cuff methodology.
Create a trainer's guide. A trainer's guide can be a useful tool in helping the trainer stay organized and to ensure all the training material is covered. At a minimum, the trainer's guide should offer a step-by-step process that aligns with the restaurant training schedule and the position specific training manual.
A more advanced trainer's guide might include in-depth "train-the-trainer" instructions that help the trainer to be more effective. For instance, it might have an overview of various training techniques, and advice on how to deal with different personality types.
The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.
– Henry Ford
Develop a restaurant training checklist. This form can verify that all key training objectives established in the training manual and training schedule have been met. It includes a list of training activities and what constitutes proficiency. Typically, both the trainer and trainee will sign off on each activity.
Use all your resources. RestaurantOwner.com has numerous training videos to supplement your training resources. As a member, you are free to take advantage of them.
Training Videos: Our vast library of training videos specifically designed for restaurant teams, covering key topics like food safety, customer service, and kitchen operations.
Improve Your Training, Boost Your Profits: Explore the link between effective training programs and increased profitability. We provide actionable insights for restaurant owners to improve staff performance and achieve better customer experiences and higher revenue.
Magnolia Pancake Haus Training Program: This case study showcases the positive impact of consistent training on service quality and brand reputation. It highlights how Magnolia Pancake Haus implemented a comprehensive training program and mission statement to maintain excellence.
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Training Video
Restaurant Training Videos
Short, micro-training videos for restaurant managers and staff. Training videos provide the basis for consistent results so that you're capable of creating high-quality dining experiences regardless of who's on the floor or in the kitchen.
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Webinar/Podcast
Improve Your Training, Boost Your Profits
You don't need to reinvent the wheel to get world-class training results. In this webinar we'll show you how to use our training templates to easily create effective training programs to improve your staff and your bottom-line.
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Success Story
Magnolia Pancake Haus Launches Training Program and Mission Statement to Maintain a Consistent Level of Excellence
Magnolia Pancake Haus set out to put a system in place so their team members had a better understanding of their mission and create a higher level of consistency in their food and customer service. They invested in communicating expectations, training trainers, along with development of current team ...
