The opening bells of the new year welcomed a vibrant restaurant industry with open arms. Restaurant sales soared in 2015, marking the fifth year in a row for increased growth. Statistics reported that nearly a quarter of all U.S. consumers ate out at least once a month and more than 10 percent of these diners frequented a restaurant every week.
The best news is that these positive numbers are expected to continue in 2016. Though some sources say the economy is in a lull, the above figures tell a different story, at least for the restaurant industry.
How Can Employers Get the Best Work from Their Workforce?
So what’s on the agenda for 2016? What issues needs to be addressed? Rising labor costs, of course.
Stories of increased minimum wage limits have made news headlines across the country. Some employers are leading the charge; others are jumping angrily up and down, or perhaps moaning and wailing about lower profits. And some are simply complacent and accepting. There’s no right or wrong way to accept this turn of events.
The relevant question is how can employers make sure they are getting the best work from the employees they hire at whatever hourly wage?
Employers need knowledgeable and competent workers who can effectively cater to the needs of ever-more discerning and demanding customers. To achieve these ends, employee education and training is vital.
Hire the Employee that Can Be Trained
Employers are hiring a “new” type of employee with different needs and requirements than their counterparts in the recent past. Today’s workforce is younger than ever before, they are technologically savvy, they strive to be connected with each other and the world, and they are excited about future job prospects and higher wages.
The 2015 QSR state-of-the-industry survey given to hundreds of restaurant operators revealed:
- Half of the survey respondents reported recruiting their workers from colleges and universities.
- Over half of the respondents said they spend 1%-3% of their total annual budget on training; more than a quarter of respondents said they spend 4%-5% of their budget on training of employees; still others allocate upwards of 5% of the budget on training.
- More than a quarter of respondents said they offer training in multiple languages, with an additional 10% reporting that they were considering multi-language training.
- A well-trained staff was listed as “critical” by 64% of responders.
What Type of Training? Resources?
Financial experts say keeping a good employee is cheaper than recruiting and training a new employee. Investing in effective and relevant education and training for your employees can mold a more satisfied employee, one that will stay with the company longer, and an employee that will carry out the objectives of the company.
Create Relevant Training Programs
The QSR survey pointed to two key issues concerning the education and training of employees:
- Employees need training.
- Employees need training in multiple languages.
Employers must create training programs that are right for their employees and right for their business. There are lots tools to use. When employers in the QSR survey were asked to select all that apply when it came to the tools/resources they use in their training programs, answers included videos/CD (40%), webinars (30%), videos/iPod/handheld (27%) and other resources (9%).
Employers must also develop training programs that are relevant to their workforce. Offering training and educational training in multiple languages is a must in today’s diverse marketplace. Inclusion, not exclusion, is the key.
Well-Trained Employees Equals Customer Satisfaction
A survey question concerning customer service yielded an interesting connection to employee training. When asked to rate the importance of a well-trained staff to quality service, on a scale of 1 (not very important) to 5 (extremely important), respondents gave well-trained staff a hands-up importance rating at 4.56. Couple that finding with results about how much of an annual budget is dedicated to customer service-improvement programs (48% of the respondents said 0-3%, 27% of respondents said 4-5%, and 14% of respondents said more than 5%) and the value of staff training rises significantly as synergy with customer service-improvement programs works its magic.
The Loss Prevention Connection
The need for training is nothing new to Loss Prevention and Security professionals. It is important, however, for LP professionals to get ahead of this trend. Since various parts of the business are all riding the “Employee Training” boat, it is imperative that the LP & Security leaders get involved early to ensure their Loss Prevention Awareness and Education ideals are included in any new training initiative being implemented. Trying to add this information in to a completed training regimen after the fact is way too cumbersome and expensive.
Future Trends
Recognizing a trend doesn’t predict the future. There are still lots of questions. But as labor costs continue to rise, it’s important for employers to take proactive steps to make sure the money they invest in increased labor costs yields productive employees. This workforce may be younger, more connected to technology, and earning higher wages, but to a successful company they are a valuable resource that must be educated and trained to ensure added value to a company and its goals and objectives.
About RLPSA
The Restaurant Loss Prevention and Security Association (formerly NFSSC) is an exclusive community of loss prevention professionals focused on helping its members minimize losses and reduce liabilities within the restaurant and food industries.
We are industry leaders sharing our collective expertise, knowledge and solutions to the challenges we face every day. Our goal is to make our members more efficient and successful in their careers by serving as the “go-to” resource for restaurant and food industry loss prevention and security professionals.
As a member-run organization, we share information about industry trends and connect a network of peers who understand the unique challenges of the job, and who collaborate to find the next best solution. We create a forum for discussion and problem-solving so that our members benefit from shared expertise. We provide professional development opportunities that are designed to meet the specific interests and concerns of restaurant and food industry professionals, and we advocate for regulations that will make our workplaces more safe and secure.
For more resources, attend our annual conference. Visit: http://www.rlpsaannualconference.com