The restaurant industry, a constantly evolving sector, is facing major challenges in 2024, ranging from labour shortages to technological innovation. At the heart of these challenges is the urgent need to invest in vocational training teams to turn these challenges into opportunities.
Who are we talking about in the restaurant sector?
Catering includes all the activities that allow you to eat, such as:
- Fast food,
- Commercial chain catering,
- Traditional catering,
- Regional catering: small breweries, communities, hotels, etc.
- The bars
- The cafes
Key figures:
- There were more than 179,000 restaurant businesses in 2020 according to the latest figures published in March 2023.
- Catering = 488,000 people.
- The sector's turnover (turnover) was 141 million euros in 2022.
The current state of training in the restaurant sector
Training is of critical importance in a sector where attracting and retaining talent has become top priorities. Faced with a shortage of 200,000 seasonal workers in the French hotel and restaurant industry in the summer of 2023, it is imperative to rethink recruitment and retention strategies.
The reasons for this shortage? They are numerous, but overall workers are deterred by relatively low wages, a lack of benefits, precarious job security, and stressful schedules that are difficult to reconcile with a stable personal life.
The turnover rate in the restaurant sector represents approximately 30% of the global scale. Employees tend to leave their jobs only a few months after being hired. Faced with the difficulty of employment mentioned above, there is an urgent need to set up systems that truly involve teams.
How do you train restaurant employees effectively?
To reverse this trend, restaurant operators must engage in adapted training programs. Nicolas Nouchi, an expert in the sector, insists on the importance of pedagogy and transparent communication. He points out that nothing should be imposed without explanation: we must raise awareness and engage teams, especially the younger generations.
Restaurant training goes well beyond learning technical skills. It should incorporate aspects of stress management, interpersonal communication, and understanding customer expectations. The trainings should also address specific challenges in the sector, such as managing inventory, reducing food waste, and transitioning to more sustainable practices.
Examples of sector-specific training courses:
- Customer service training: Develop training programs that focus on customer service for servers and room staff: simulations of service scenarios, effective communication techniques, customer complaint management, and sales promotion.
- Inventory and supply management training: Offer training on effective inventory management, including product rotation, minimizing food waste, and controlling raw material costs. Ensure staff understand the importance of product traceability and ingredient quality.
- Food hygiene and safety training: Ensure that all staff are trained and certified in food hygiene and workplace safety. Set up regular reminders about good hygiene practices to maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety in the kitchen and service areas.
The 4 criteria to take into account when choosing your catering training platform
- Opt for an easy to use platform that can be accessed from various devices (computers, tablets, smartphones). Employees need to be able to access training modules anytime and from anywhere, which is especially important in the restaurant industry where work schedules can be varied and busy.
- Look for platforms that offer training content specific to the restaurant industry, such as cooking tutorials, customer service videos, inventory management modules, and food hygiene courses. Interactive content, such as quizzes, simulations, and practical activities, can also improve learner engagement.
- Choose a platform that can effectively manage certifications and training follow-ups. Being able to track employee progress, generate reports on employee performance, and manage the expiration dates of mandatory certifications, such as food hygiene training, is critical.
- Select a flexible platform that allows you to customize training paths based on the specific roles and needs of employees. Managers must be able to assign training courses according to the skills to be developed and individual goals.
