Managers in the hospitality field, particularly restaurants, bars, or lounges that are part of another institution such as a hotel, know how difficult employee stability can be. The workforce pool in today\’s spoon fed world seems much more convoluted than it was in decades past. Keeping employees on payroll makes good business sense as it saves money spent on advertising, hiring, and training. However, with all of the other challenges managers face, like food inventory, scheduling, and payroll, keeping current employees happy and productive is becoming even more difficult.

Avoid The Revolving Employee Door

Having a constant stream of new employees is detrimental to business and distracting to those employees who want to advance. Cross training may be the answer to many of the revolving door problems that most restaurants face. Not all absentee prone employees are lazy. Many want to work but have become restless in a redundant job that no longer offers a challenge. Cross training provides a possible solution to many problems managers face, freeing them up for tasks that are more important.

Cross Training Solves Many Problems

When you cross-train your staff to perform other duties, you will very often find that the problem employee becomes more stable. Many employees will find a renewed sense of worth in being able to cover other positions in another employee\’s absence. Employees whom are cross-trained may feel…

– A sense of responsibility, knowing that they are trusted enough to be chosen for a cross training program instills a sense of importance that leads to pride in work

– A feeling of self worth, as being cross-trained brings other skills to the forefront, which in turn, creates confidence

– The sense that their career is moving forward with each set of responsibilities master, they feel that much closer to advancement

– That the job is no longer a mundane chore that must be repeated every day, breaking the monotony, and creating new challenges

– A sense of accomplishment as each new skill set is mastered

Positive Reinforcement

The hospitality field, in particular, restaurants, can be a stressful environment. Instilling a positive, reinforcing atmosphere must begin at the training level. This is never truer than in cross training. Positive reinforcement is more than simply telling someone that they have done a good job, it is a vital tool in the management\’s arsenal to yields results. The employee who feels that they are depended upon as an individual as well as an important member of a team will become more responsible in most cases.

Stepping Up Through Recognition

An employee who ends their shift knowing that they have stepped out of the box and up to the plate, and has directly contributed to the success of that shift is an employee who will look forward to doing so again. Any praise that is given to a cross trained employee in front of their co-workers serves to bolster the employee\’s sense of worth. He or she will feel needed and will usually perform above and beyond the call of duty. There are many forms of recognition and the wise manager will utilize all of them.

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Category: Business
Keywords: lounges,bars,restaurants,Employee Problem ,Cross Training,hospitality field