It’s easy to forget a few aspects of your business – like your staff – when you’re running around trying to make a good first impression. Unfortunately, it’s a Catch-22, you can’t serve your customers without serving your employees first. And you cannot afford to neglect them, hoping that they will do a good job on their own. But there’s no need to panic. This blog will teach you everything you need to know about staff management so you can handle the heat in the kitchen.

Tug at their heartstrings

Scientists have found that being a waiter is more stressful than being a neurosurgeon. Now that’s a bold statement, but one that needs to be heard. Working in a restaurant is tough, and when staff aren’t feeling it, this will definitely affect customer experience. If your staff aren’t invested in the business, guests will see it from a mile away. When guests visit your restaurant, a waiter’s mood must elevate their perception of the restaurant atmosphere. Read our blog for more insightful tips on how to reduce staff turnover.

Provide genuine support

Leading on from the previous paragraph, you need to cultivate a genuine support system. This can involve creating an open-door policy or giving staff access to new equipment that helps make their jobs easier. Outdated or insufficient equipment is just going to add more stress to an already stressful job. Even if you still have outdated equipment, it’s never too late to fix that. Being a point-of-sale company, we encourage the use of our software because we know the value it can yield for your business. The software not only helps waiters get orders out faster, but it also pools all resources in one place, from placing orders to analysing customer data and allowing mobile payments. A point-of-sale system will not only optimise all your restaurant processes, it will also help you to manage your restaurant.

Set expectations from the beginning

The quickest way to diminish an employee’s motivation is a lack of clear expectations. This is particularly important in a restaurant environment because everyone’s roles, and specifically their shifts, need to be set out realistically. If you aren’t clear from the beginning, reality will soon set in and your employees’ initial excitement about working for you will fade away. There are two ways to ensure your staff are well aware of their duties: 1) A clear job description and 2) An employee handbook.

How to handle confrontation

Some managers are under the impression that barking orders at staff members will get them to work faster and more effectively. Unfortunately, it may have the opposite effect. Scolding is going to be necessary sometimes, but it must be done appropriately. Tell your staff clearly what they are doing wrong in a calm voice, and don’t repeat yourself unless they do it again. But what happens when employees are fighting among themselves? Here is a great article to help you sort out in-fighting before it affects your business.

Remember, great staff management is a journey – one that needs practice over time. Start thinking about and implementing these staff management tips now to ensure they soon become second nature for you.