Many restaurants view employee training as a once-and-done project. Once an employee is hired, training starts. Once training is over, the real work begins and learning stops. This outdated idea couldn't be more detrimental to both employee and business success. With modern technology and updated training ideas, employees don't have to rely on an initial training period to prepare for every situation they might encounter on the job, which means restaurants can benefit from a flexible and constantly evolving workforce.
For operators who are ready to expand their employee training techniques to advance learning outside the classroom, these six innovative tips will get you started.
1) Encourage continuous training
Continuous training means employees don't stop learning once they've graduated into the workforce. By providing options for continued learning after the initial training period, restaurants can increase employee retention, present opportunities for improvements and promotions and ensure that employees never feel unprepared for dealing with new situations. Essentially, continuous learning leads to more adaptable employees.
2) Leverage employee resources
Don't disregard the usefulness of simple, easy to access resources such as FAQs and help desks. As long as these tools are consistently updated, they can reliably assist employees on the job without requiring extensive training courses. Additionally, these tools provide a stable source of information for common issues.
3) Don't skip branding
Branded content isn't just for clientele. Using branded content rather than generic restaurant training videos and courses allows you to target your employee's specific concerns. After all, one restaurant's day to day interactions, priorities, and recipes aren't going to be exactly the same as that of another. By producing branded content, employees will be trained for a specific restaurant’s particular needs rather than general restaurant procedures.
4) Expand in-house social media
Having a platform for employees to engage with each other provides a means for questions to be answered right away by those who have insider knowledge: experienced employees and management staff. In-house social media creates a space for newer employees to ask specific questions and get detailed responses that relate directly to their work.
5) Embrace mobility
Mobile training options mean employees can get on the job training exactly when they need it. Flexibility is especially important for restaurant staff, as employees often have a more difficult time leaving the work environment for a full day of training. Mobile learning also provides convenient solutions for deskless employees (as many in restaurant jobs are).
6) Open the door for feedback
If a training course isn't useful for employees, wouldn't you want to know about it?
Making room to incorporate employee feedback is key to making your training stick since it comes from real life context. Inviting employee questions also allows you to provide more relevant information that can actively improve morale and engagement. In addition, setting a precedence for two-way communication lets new employees know that their everyday concerns matter.
When operators look beyond traditional classroom learning and incorporate modern learning systems into their employee training programs, it becomes much easier to increase the effectiveness of training. Restaurants that embrace mobile learning end up with employees who are more productive and more confident, which leads to greater business success.
This post is sponsored by PlayerLync