The Main Ingredient C (Tips 15- 19 )

Besides increasing sales and guest satisfaction, contests are a great way to provide incentives and reward employees for specific tasks (i.e., cleaning, adhering to safety measures)and meeting goals (i.e., reducing costs and absenteeism, building sales). Contests can also simply inject some fun into the daily workplace.

When planning contests, thing about the following:
-Not all employees are competitive. Consider the kind of contests that your staff will respond to.
-Some contests are only for servers (primarily sales) or for the back of the house (food costs). Other contests encourage the entire staff to participate, such as those that pair the back of the house with servers, or have universal application, such as on-time attendance.
-Contest timeframes vary- from a day or a week to a full year. To determine the duration, consider the attention span of your employees, and if you have a goal, how long you think it will take to measure and achieve it.
-Contest rules should be easy to follow and clearly communicated to all participants. Results should be regularly updated and posted for everyone to see.

Tip #16- Recognition Programs
The most effective recognition programs target all employees and are designed to reward them for their strengths. Many restaurants accomplish this with dual awards, such as one for front-of-the-house and another for back-of-the-house employees. Another twist is offering both Coworker of the Month (awarded by peers and often team work oriented) and Employee of the Month (usually awarded to management). Some allow for multiple winners to recognize the maximum number of people.

Other tips for effective recognition programs:
-Base the frequency of employee recognition awards on the nature of your business. Seasonal businesses will often have Employee-of-the-Week programs, as opposed to Employee of the Month and/or Employee of the Year.
-Establish guidelines and clearly communicate what you want to reward, such as following procedures, providing good service, and/or teamwork. Anonymous ballots for peer awards often bring out more honest candid votes.
-When presenting awards, give reasons why someone is chosen "Employee of the Month", to both praise them appropriately and to reinforce the qualities and behavior you are looking for.
-Prizes are typically dining certificates, cash, merchandise, plaques, or pins. Things that can be worn on the job can be especially meaningful as a sign of pride among fellow employees and/or as a conversation piece with customers.

Tip #17- Excursions and Trips
Getting away from it all can be work-related and/or educational, or simply a reward for a job well done. Either way, excursions and trips leave employees feeling energized and valued.

Some things to consider:
-When it comes to planning excursions some restaurants organize time-shares at resorts and allocate time to employees as a reward. Others share season tickets to sporting and entertainment events with employees.
-If resources are limited, be creative. For example, if sporting teams make promotional appearances around town, they may be interested in trading tickets with local businesses for gift certificates to compensate their players.

Tip #18- In-Store Money
Many restaurants create their own currency to use as rewards. This in-store money is most frequently distributed by managers, allowing them to instantly recognize and reward positive behaviors.

-Some restaurateurs use ready-made play money, i.e. from board games, and others create their own money, sometimes printing a photo of the owner on it.
-In-store money is frequently redeemed for purchases at the restaurant- food and beverages, merchandise, gift certificates, etc. At some restaurants, it can be redeemed for time off and even U.S. dollars.

Tip #19- Dining Programs
It's often a source of pride for employees to invite family and friends to dine with them where they work. Besides being a nice benefit, dining discounts allow employees to have the valuable experience of being a customer. Programs that also allow employees to dine out in other restaurants- often ones they might not have a chance to go to otherwise- give them an awareness of the industry, a better prospective on their own restaurant, and potentially provide valuable feedback.

Some things to consider:
-In-house dining discounts vary widely- up to 50% for employees and their family and friends, with no limitations. Establish a clear policy about the discount, the number of guests, the reservation procedure, and any restrictions on timing. For example, on busy nights some restaurants ask employees to make reservations early or late.
-Depending on size and resources, some restaurants limit dining out privileges to management; others include everyone, front and back of the house. Sometimes employees are asked to report back in detail; for others it's purely a social occasion. Communicate clear guidelines about who participates and what kind of feedback you'd like, such as a menu, a verbal, or written report.

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