Updated: Jun 20, 2020
Most employees quit their jobs not because the job itself is difficult, but because they don’t feel valued at all.
This is why it is very crucial that as restaurant managers, we don't add to our employees' distress in the workplace.
It is no secret that working in a restaurant can be very demanding and stressful. Restaurants are one of the busiest establishments elsewhere, especially during peak hours where people would like to be served as quickly as possible.
And there shouldn't be any room for mistakes or mishandling, otherwise you would have a very dissatisfied and unhappy customer who's just one click away from posting a bad review on social media.
You as a restaurant owner or manager has a very important role in making sure that employees can still enjoy working even in a very strenuous environment.
By simply showing that we genuinely care for our team, we can make each and everyone feel they are truly valued, and well-appreciated.
My husband and I own a couple of restaurants and we would love to share with you our first-hand experiences as restaurant owners and managers to help your team grow and enhance your management skills.
So let me start by asking you this question, how do you show that you care for your team?
Here are some ways on how to make your team feel that you care and value them the most:
Have a sit-down interview more frequently
When was the last time you take a seat with your staff and have a meaningful conversation with them?
A simple way to make your team feel that you care about them is to sit down with them and ask them a lot of questions.
I accidentally learned this by doing it for our team, and observing how they felt after I took some time to sit down and converse with them.I had not sat down with our team individually in a long time.
My husband and I are not involved as much in the operations. We work in the back office, we work on the business but we are not involved in the operations and for us, that is a blessing.
Having systems in place, training people, and having a lot of training videos have helped us to properly manage our restaurants without us having to work on the operational side of our business.
But coming into the restaurant, sitting down with our team, and asking them a lot of questions is one of the things that we feel like we don't do very often nowadays.
We are very good at telling people what to do, and what not to do especially as restaurant managers.
Communicate more often
The restaurant is very stressful, and if you are a manager, you may be working 40 plus hours a week, right?
It is very stressful as if you are dedicating your whole life to the restaurant you are working at.
It is indeed a hard work so kudos to you for doing that.
And as much as you do care about your team, you may not be able to communicate that to them very well.
At times, a lot of people in the workplace don't feel appreciated and cared for, and maybe you feel the same way as a manager.
That could be very true, however, as restaurant owners, of course, we care about our managers.
But we may not be communicating that in a way that it's being received or felt by them. That is something we need to work on.
And I feel that as restaurant owners, one of the ways that we can make you our manager feel care for, or you as a manager feel care for the team is by sitting with them, asking a lot of questions, and figuring out how we can support the team.
We must communicate with our people more often. You may ask them for instance about their experience with the recruitment process, or how they are getting along with their team?
Is there anybody who frustrates them? Why do they get frustrated? Or is there any aspect of their jobs they feel unequipped that needs more training?
People would tell you if you would sit down with them and ask these questions.
If they keep making a particular mistake, instead of yelling, and questioning why are they forgetting all the time, think about what is lacking or what kind of training we need to provide.
Always build a connection by asking more questions
We can ask them these questions directly. How can I support you so you can grow your skills? what would you like to do in the future? what is your long term goal?
Some of them are going to tell you, "Hey, I would like to become a nurse", or they will tell you, "I want to become an engineer, do that for a few years, and then I would like to have my own company."
And you ask them how do you think working at this restaurant is preparing you for that vision now?
They will answer you, "Oh I want to become a nurse, I know that I am always going to deal with people."
And then you will try to relate this to their jobs in the restaurant that people are going to be unhappy and demanding, and obviously, it is like a life and death situation. People get very “hangry” sometimes, and it seems as though that it's a life and death matter for them over twenty-dollars spent.
Connecting those things that they do now, their dreams or their long term visions will give more meaning to the work they do today.
It is meaningful because whatever you are doing today is preparing for your endeavors in the future.
Connecting the dots for them now is going to make them more connected to the vision of the company you have.