Food & Beverage Magazine Introduces our monthly column to help answer pressing questions in the industry. Our two columnists are the founders of the Food Venture Program in Toronto, Sima Gandi, and Kiran Bains. The Food Venture Program is a leader in North American food and beverage product development, offering online programs to help food entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses!
Dear Sima & Kiran,
We have so much staff turnover. It’s really affecting our business. How can we retain employees?
Figuring out how to decrease employee turnover in the foodservice and restaurant industry is an ongoing problem, not only in North America but globally. This has also worsened since the pandemic. High turnover is not only costly but can reduce your competitive edge as losing employees with valuable knowledge and experience can be detrimental to businesses. This may seem impossible to combat but here are a few strategies you can implement to avoid high turnover.
- Recognition. This is a key ingredient for increasing staff retention. It is important to reward staff and incorporate developmental opportunities within your business. This can be done through mentorship/educational programs, cash incentives, company-wide recognition or even just through timely positive feedback.
- Training. Much of the food industry is staffed with a younger demographic. Integration of proper education and training can increase the longevity of employees. Co-op programs or preliminary training sessions can help increase exposure and get hands-on experience in the field. Integrating technology platforms to help organize with onboarding, training and engagement, can keep employees engaged weekly with information that will make an impact!
- Mindful Hiring. When looking for suitable applicants it helps to market available positions at job fairs or on employment-oriented online services to increase the pool of applicants. Some websites that can target employees with suitable requirements are Linked In and Indeed. Also, look into post-secondary institutions in your area that run hospitality programs. Recruiting from institutions that provide this training will not only provide you with employees that are competent in hospitality and food service, but you may become the go-to establishment for new grads to want to work at.
With some planning and effort, you can lay a foundation for better retention that will pay off in the long run.
Sources:
https://www.notchordering.com/blog/restaurant-turnover-rate
Do you have a question you need answered? Email us, and we will do our best to get them into the magazine.
