4 Restaurant Staff Management Tips to Make Your Life Easier

Running a great restaurant means keeping a lot of balls in the air on a daily basis. At Marketing Vitals, we know how hard restaurant owners work, so we thought we could bring you some tips on staff management that might make your life a little easier. Managing a restaurant staff certainly isn’t easy, with different groups of employees who all have different jobs, schedules, strengths, and weaknesses, it can be a hassle to keep things running smoothly. Take a look and see if there are any ideas that you could implement in your own restaurant.

Clear Expectations

Managers often assume that expectations have been made clear because, as experienced experts, it seems very simple from their point of view. But sometimes this isn’t the case for your employees. Be explicit in communicating expectations, and make sure that every group of employees hears what you have to say. From the dishwashers to the sous chefs, everyone needs to know what’s expected of them. It’s surprising how much better work will flow when everyone has their duties and responsibilities laid out for them. Corner cutting often isn’t a deliberate attempt to get out of work, it’s just that the employee feels the point was never emphasized.

Be Consistent And Fair

Once those expectations have been laid out, do your best to remain consistent. On the other hand, sometimes circumstances change, and you’ll have to change with them. Explain that clearly to your staff, and let them know exactly why a policy or rule is changing. Any arbitrary rule changes or favoritism can lead to huge drops in employee morale. Like we said, sometimes changes can be difficult to avoid, and often a favorite employee is simply the best at their job. Still, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open and flowing.

Walk The Floor Often

It’s always necessary that you see for yourself how things are running in your restaurant. Walk the floor regularly, and you’ll have a better idea of what’s going well and where you might need improvement. Note different employees’ performance, but don’t stop them and micromanage unless absolutely necessary. Simply remember the incident and bring it up later in a more relaxed environment where you can discuss it calmly with your employee.

Use Tech To Your Advantage

Everyone is happy when things are running smoothly and simply. Using software from Marketing Vitals can help you manage your staff in a variety of ways. You’ll be able to set up weekly or monthly employee competitions and manage them right from your phone. Keep track of the leaders, and see where every employee stands in the contest. Provide them with some worthwhile prizes to work towards, and you’ll quickly see the difference.

Managing restaurant staff certainly isn’t easy. Turnover, scheduling conflicts, and industry regulations can all contribute to a hectic environment. But by providing clear communication and establishing consistent rules and guidelines, you can avoid many of the common staff problems at restaurants. So contact us today to learn more about our innovative restaurant analytics software and request a free demo.