Turning Down The Heat
Nobody wants to be a restaurant manager. This is one of the biggest problems restaurant owners face, according to ARROW UP Training, a consulting firm to the hospitality industry.
Managing a restaurant can become a lifestyle in addition to a job. Many managers put in 50–80 hours a week and experience high levels of stress. Customers are becoming more difficult and demanding. Employee absences are soaring, not only because of illness but because some workers have a more casual attitude toward their jobs compared with the past. No wonder turnover among restaurant managers is high.
4 Tips For Restaurant Managers
1. Rather than engaging in constant firefighting, managers can benefit from clearing some of the underbrush causing the outbreaks, according to Jason Berkowitz, founder of ARROW UP. Before you can solve a set of problems, you have to track and name them. Every day for a month, list your main trouble spots. Don’t be discouraged if the list gets too long. After a month, start identifying small steps you can take to improve operations. And don’t swing for the fences, Berkowitz says. Hitting singles is fine.
2. If you have been putting off tough conversations with problem employees, have them now. Explain the impact of their inept or inconsiderate behaviors and correct them with empathy. As uncomfortable as this may be, it’s better than the pain you will feel when your top people leave out of frustration over co-workers’ lack of accountability.
3. Consider upgrading your scheduling software. To deal with employee absences, implement a program that sends mass texts to employees, inviting them to fill last-minute vacancies. These information-sharing tools build teamwork and empower employees to pitch in to solve problems.
4. Get organized. If certain problems with your work processes crop up over and over on your firefighting list, set up trackable procedures. Compile checklists or training programs to close gaps. Inviting a star employee to help can motivate that person and help them build skills, creating a potential successor one day. Also, consider trusting employees to manage closing or opening routines, to give you some much-needed rest. Well-maintained cameras and security systems can provide a helpful window on the store from afar.
As you improve your operating processes, communicate with your employees about the positive aspects of restaurant management. The stable pay, diverse experience, and advancement potential offered by these jobs can help you retain the ambitious employees you most want to keep.
|
|
