The Key to Employee Onboarding
Restaurant industry turnover rates run notoriously high. According to O.C. Tanner, a company dedicated to employee recognition, 20% of staff turnover happens in the first month and a half. That’s why the employee onboarding process is so critical; it sets the stage for their career at your restaurant.
During new hire training, you’ll walk them through all the policies and restaurant systems you have in place, down to the littlest detail. For example, don’t skip the paperwork. From I9 and W9 forms to their direct deposit information to healthcare enrollment, trainees will spend a lot of time filling out papers. This is also a good opportunity to set them up with an employee handbook that details your expectations and regular procedures. That way, they can refer back to it anytime they have questions.
So why put all this time and effort into new hires? For starters, when you improve your orientation process then you also support long-term employee retention and productivity. Their personal and professional growth begins at training.
Photo courtesy of eatOS
What Does New Hire Orientation Look Like?
Administrative Tasks
These will make up most of their day-to-day activities. You may consider creating separate task lists for different roles, or for full-term servers versus seasonal staff. Then make sure that they can complete everything on their to-do list. Setting goals for individual roles in addition to their task lists also tells them what to work toward, so you can regularly check-in and see their progress.
Immediately, add new hires to your systems and devices so they can use them on the job. For example, create individual employee profiles on your Point of Sale. This lets you track time-off allowances, vacations and input their contact information. Streamlined employee onboarding also prevents a delay in getting them onto payroll and shift scheduling software. eatOS offers an app for clocking in and out, too; take care of things like this from the start for the smoothest possible transition.
Also, take this time to familiarize trainees with whatever mode of communication the rest of the staff favors. If you have a workgroup chat or Slack channel, sign up new hires during orientation so they have all the tools they need when they start.
Training
Now it’s time to show them how to use the equipment and devices they’ll need to succeed. If anyone on your staff is working remotely, such as the marketing team, for example, set up their laptops in advance. Connecting them digitally to their coworkers is a good start, but consider active team building as well. The better employees know each other, the more seamlessly they can work as one unit when they’re on shift. Have new team members shadow old hands. These kinds of mentorships show them the ropes, improve inter-staff relationships and create a more positive workplace culture.
People learn best when they’re well-informed. Explain to your staff why they need to work together to streamline operations, so they’re more inclined toward that end. Shadowing is a chance to break down some of the communication barriers that staff maybe encounter so that they can dive straight into an open and functional workplace. Tightknit staff motivates individual employees to work harder and more efficiently.
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
Employee Onboarding in Your Restaurant
When you’re revamping your training system, an upgraded Point of Sale system can streamline the process to save time and money during the process. From workforce management capabilities to setting permissions, smart restaurant technology helps give new hires the tools they need for success—whether they’re joining the team virtually or in person today.
An advanced POS like the one powered by eatOS makes setting and reaching employee goals easy. Track workers’ performance through our WFM features as well as their sales performance so you can see who are your superstars over time.
eatOS offers an all-in-one cloud-based eco-system exclusively for restaurants. From Point of Sale to Contactless Ordering, Pay & Order at Table, Kitchen Display System, Customer Facing Display, Online Ordering APP / Website and Workforce Management there is everything to help a restaurant succeed no matter the size. Click Here to Schedule a demo to learn more about how your restaurant can make a smooth transition into the world of restaurant technology made simple.
