3 Must-Haves for Training Employees

We previously established that your employees are not just a part of your restaurant, but they are, in fact, the restaurant. That means each employee—across all departments and in every position—needs proper training to be set up for success. So, what are the essentials to training new employees and taking that all-important step in creating a loyal, productive team member?

Training Materials

These are the employee manuals for each position, the restaurant policies, and all the necessary information to work a given position in written form. You should typically include a schedule and outline of what will be covered throughout the training and when it will happen.

A few other pieces of information to include:

  • What they should expect from you as an employer and what the restaurant expects from them in the big picture
  • Expectations for each session or day (what will they be expected to know, demonstrate, and be responsible for moving forward)
  • Tests and answer keys on recipes, policies, procedures, etc.
  • Other resources and key pieces of information that will set them up for success (good magazine articles, sections from a good book on the topic, reputable website, etc.)

Properly Trained Trainers

Not all good employees make good trainers. You need to identify those who have the right personality and desire to pass on knowledge and encourage success in new employees.

The trainers should understand the materials and schedule well enough to guide a new team member through the whole process. They need training, not only on how to deliver the materials but also on the expectations and responsibilities of a training team.

A Culture of Accountability

Who holds the trainers accountable? And what about the new and current employees for each shift?

Teaching new employees how to do things the right way is essential. But they’re not going to become great team members if they’re not being held accountable for their actions. It’s also a waste of time and money if they see everyone around them doing things differently than the way they were shown. Managers have to hold everyone accountable every day to create a culture where new team members can see examples of how they want something done all around them.

Ready to set your restaurant up for success? Fill out a contact form to set up an initial consult and we’ll talk more about training your employees. Cheers!