The Main Ingredient D (Tips 20- 23)

Tip #20- Employee Events

Most restaurants hold parties for employees- usually a holiday party and a summer event. Besides just having fun and showing employees they are appreciated, parties are a way to build relationships among all staff in a more casual atmosphere. Some restaurants feel it's important to include spouses and/or families in at least one gathering, which fosters a greater family atmosphere at work.

The objective is to provide a good time for employees, but it's important to address some risks. When planning events and activities, consider employee safety- to protect them from injury and yourself from potential workers' compensation claims.

When a restaurant holds employee events and alcohol is served, there may be potential liability for the employer. While not the prevailing law, the evolving trends in some states is toward allowing individuals hurt by an employee who has had too much to drink at an employee event to sue the employer for negligence. By taking reasonable measures, employers can reduce the potential risk of liability.

Some strategies:
-Limit the duration of events- set beginning and ending times.
-Limit the number of alcoholic drinks per person. Some do this with coupons. Make sure those who serve drinks are trained to recognize when someone has had too much to drink.
-Appoint designated drivers and/or offer other transportation for those who may need or want it.
-Have plenty of food available.

Tip #21- Gifts, Perks, and a Helping Hand
It's important to take time to get to know your employees and learn about their personal situations. This will not only communicate to them that you care about them as individuals, but help you find ways to assist or reward them in a way they value the most. Even little gestures can make a big impression if they are carefully chosen.

Some ideas:
-Meaningful perks or help can range from movie tickets for the whole family, to memberships to discount warehouses and health clubs, gas cards, international calling cards, and sometimes auto loans.
-Look around to see how you can leverage your assets on behalf of employees. Some restaurants share the wealth by passing along their purchasing power, allowing employees to buy food and other items from suppliers at cost. Others organize group discounts for employees at local businesses.
-Barter is a great way to keep the cost of little extras down. Look into trading dining certificates with other restaurants, movie theaters, sporting good stores, etc. for meals, tickets and retail items. Also contact businesses that offer specific services employees might value such as auto body repair, massages, etc.

Tip #22- Education and Training
According to the Industry of Choice Report, employees consider that feeling like they do their jobs well is such an important issue that they would quit over it.

"Feeling like everyone does their part," "Feeling like the company is well managed," and "Feeling like I do my job well" are also among the top issues that drive employee satistfaction and are directly influenced by training.

Some thoughts:
-Allocate adequate resources for ongoing training programs. Training can be expensive, but so is employee turnover. According to a 1999 survey of 50 hospitality companies by The People Report- a company that benchmarks human resource practices for the food service industry- the median cost for losing one hourly employee is $2,494. At the management level the median cost is more than $24,000.
-Training employees typically falls to managers. The Industry of Choice Report shows that there are often gaps in managers' own education. Make sure that they have the skills they need to be successful, especially in areas of suggestive selling, marketing, and basic computer and language skills, which the report found to be lacking.
-Employee training begins the first day on the job and is often the most important of all. Along with training specific skills, orientation is also a chance to familiarize new hires with the history, values, and culture of your company.
-It is important to offer corss-training opportunities. This not only keeps the job interesting and increases productivity, but learning new skills gives employees confidence to take on added responsibilities. Recognition that employees have attained higher skills and competencies- with increased wages or bonuses or with titles- is key.
-Encouraging employees' professional development is also a powerful tool for motivation, productivity, and retention. Provide opportunities for employee education through work exchanges, trade shows, off-site seminars, and college level courses (management, culinary). Consider tuition reimbursement, scholarships, and other ways to be supportive of employees, including students and those getting their GEDs.
-Language is a critical issue to the restaurant industry. According to the Industry of Choice Report, one out of every six foodservice workers speaks a language at home other than English. Of these, one in three has poor or nonexistent English skills. Restaurants that offer some degree of a bilingual environment are more attractive to many employees and are better able to train and promote those workers. Fostering better understanding- through verbal and written communications in languages other than English, ecouraging managers to learn a second language, and/or making English as a Second Language classes available- helps employees work better with each other and with customers.

Tip #23- Involving Employees
Many companies experience an even greater benefit from community activities by getting their employees' input about causes or organizations to support and encouraging them to participate. A recent unit level study by The People Report found that involving employees in charitable activities is key to lowering turnover. Restaurants that not only contribute to charities but also allow their employees to participate on company time and/or provide schedule flexibility to do so have dramatically lowered employee turnover.

By providing flexible scheduling or time off for charitable activities, companies prove to their employees that they are firmly committed to supporting their interests outside of the workplace.

Some tips to leverage your support of charitable causes:
-Clearly communicate your charitable involvement to employees- they are an important audience. According to a Boston College Center for Corporate Community Relations study, over 80% of employees feel that a company's image in the community is important. The study found that "the more an employee knows about a company's programs, the more likely he or she will be loyal and positive."
-It may also be important to communicate your charitable involvement to prospective employees.
-Decide if and what volunteer activities you'll support with employees' time. Some companies give time off and/or pay employees for time spent volunteering; others do for a specific cause or orgainization. Some count only company-sponsored events.
-Plan and/or support occasions where employees can volunteer in teams. The team-building that takes place while working for a good cause is very powerful and employees bring the teamwork experience back to the restaurant.
-Acknowledge employees who volunteer. Recognition such as awards or articles in restaurant newsletters is essential to assuring employees that the company values them and their volunteer efforts.
-It is wise to refrain from making volunteer work a condition of employment. Instead, emphasize to employees the company's philosophy and the rewards of charitable work.

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