You have a training manual and some designated trainers that are terrific employees so your new hires are going to be great, right?!? Well, you are on the right track. But since the restaurant and hospitality industry is centered around people, you never know what will be thrown at you. That is why daily training is important. You must build relationships with your employees so they understand your vision for what your brand of hospitality is. They need to embody your vision and present it to your customers each and every shift.
It starts with the hiring process, but that is for another post. Once you have chosen your team members, you need to make sure they feel like just that - an important part of your team. And that includes dishwashers, bussers, hosts, servers, bartenders, cooks, cleaning people, front desk representatives, housekeepers, laundry attendants, valet people, bell hops and management. It is imperative that everyone working for and with you understands that they are part of what creates repeat customers, that they are an integral part of what makes your place a success!
Remind them daily with a quick pre-shift meeting. Go over what is happening that day - employees love to be informed on the happenings in and around your facility, and any special thing you want the crew to focus on. Choose something each day to work on that is a step to reaching your success goals. Always include something positive about your crew at each meeting. Call someone out for doing an outstanding job in front of their coworkers. Be sure to make time during these meetings to ask for feedback. Ask if they have questions, comments or concerns. Ask if they have any praise for co-workers that they saw go above and beyond. This is how you build trust and respect among your employees. This is how you build a great team. This is how you become successful in the hospitality industry.