In the demanding restaurant sector, reputation is built over the long term and every detail counts. Maintaining an irreproachable quality of service and meeting customer expectations requires constant adaptation to their needs and to new trends.
However, encourage your employees to get involved in regular trainings can be a challenge. A clear and motivating strategy then becomes essential to integrate professional development into the heart of their daily lives.
👉 In this article, discover concrete solutions to transform the vocational training in a real driver of performance and commitment for your teams.
Identify specific training needs
In a sector in constant change such as restoring, it is essential to precisely identify the training needs of your teams to ensure their success and commitment.
A proactive approach makes it possible to align the skills of employees with market requirements, while anticipating future developments.
Evaluate the current skills of your teams
Start by conducting a skills audit within your team. Use tools such as performance reviews and regular feedback to create an accurate picture of the situation.
🌶️ Chipotle, the fast food chain specializing in Tex-Mex cuisine, has implemented a training system based on competency assessment. The company uses assessment and feedback tools to identify the strengths and weaknesses of its employees, which allows it to adapt its training programs accordingly.
Anticipate changes in the sector and new trends
The restaurant sector is changing rapidly, with the emergence of new trends such as sustainable cooking and the increased use of digital technologies. Stay in the know by consulting market research and attending trade shows.
☕ Starbucks anticipated the rise of organic coffee by training its baristas on the origin and the preparation of these products. Most of the training videos are even available on YouTube. By integrating these new trends into your training, you prepare your teams to respond effectively to changing customer expectations.
Involve your employees in identifying needs
Involving your teams in the process of identifying training needs reinforces their commitment and motivation. Organize meetings where each member can express their expectations and wishes for professional development.
🌮 Always at Chipotle, employees are encouraged to submit proposals on training topics that could improve their performance and the customer experience.
→ Feedback is collected via digital platforms and during regular meetings. Chipotle observed a 10% increase in customer satisfaction score in establishments where employee suggestions have been implemented.
By taking this structured approach to identifying specific training needs, you are creating a dynamic learning culture that promotes the continuous development of your teams while meeting industry requirements.
Create customized training programs
Developing specific training programs adapted to your team is a strategic approach. It guarantees not only the effectiveness of learning, but also the commitment of employees.
By combining technical skills, soft skills, and diversity of formats, you prepare your teams to excel in their roles while increasing their job satisfaction.
Target critical technical skills
In a sector as demanding as catering, technical skills are essential to maintain quality service. Offer training courses that cover a variety of topics such as:
Cooking and preparing dishes : organize practical workshops led by your manager or an experienced team member. These sessions can focus on concrete and useful topics, such as optimizing preparation techniques for the key dishes on your menu or best practices for managing allergens safely.
⭐⭐⭐ High-end establishments like Alain Ducasse have opened their own Academy to train and certify your kitchen staff as well as the dining room staff.
Room service : organize practical sessions on essential topics, such as the art of setting a table in an elegant way, taking orders smoothly or serving drinks, including wines.
→ A bistro could train its teams to optimize service during peak hours while maintaining a warm customer relationship.
Health and safety : Set up interactive and regular reminders about good health practices, such as handling food or cleaning surfaces.
→ A pizzeria could organize short workshops on compliance with hygiene standards in the preparation of take-out orders to guarantee impeccable service.
Promote soft skills for customer interaction and team cohesion
Soft skills, which are often underestimated, play a key role in customer loyalty and team effectiveness. Integrate modules that focus on:
- Communication with customers : teach your employees to identify and anticipate customer needs.
🥪 The Pret à Manger training program For example, emphasizes a warm welcome and simple but thoughtful gestures, illustrates the impact of small attentions on loyalty.
- Stress management: train your teams to manage tense situations, such as a high-pressure service. Training courses inspired by the “orchestrated service” method (used by Michelin-starred companies) teach how to keep a clear and structured mind in the face of an emergency.
🛎️ In the same vein, the Accor group, a leader in the hotel and restaurant industry, offers workshops on conflict management, strengthening the quality of the customer experience.
- Collaborative leadership : for managers, offer sessions on team management and motivation, inspired by programs like those of Shake Shack, where managers learn to supervise by involving each employee in the establishment's decision-making.
Diversify training formats
A flexible approach makes it possible to better meet the varied needs of your teams. Here are a few suggestions:
- E-learning: offer content that is accessible at any time, such as tutorials on specific techniques or videos on standard procedures.
- Individual coaching : allows personalized support, particularly useful for managers or new recruits who thus benefit from precise feedback adapted to their needs.
- Immersive simulations : incorporate role-playing games or exercises in real situations to make learning engaging. Chipotle, for example, makes its teams practice typical interactions with demanding or dissatisfied customers.
💡 According to a Deloitte study, 67% of employees remember information better when it is learned in an interactive setting.
Communicate effectively about training
To encourage your teams to invest fully in training, it is essential to adopt clear and engaging communication.
Here's how to maximize the impact of your messages:
Highlight the concrete benefits for employees
Present training as an opportunity for professional and personal growth. Highlight the immediate benefits: improving skills, new opportunities within the company, or even better management of daily challenges.
😧 Explain, for example, how order management training can reduce stress during peak hours and increase customer satisfaction.
Use a variety of channels to reach all your teams
Adapt your communication media according to the habits of your employees:
- Team meetings : Take advantage of the briefings to present the courses and answer questions.
- Display : Place attractive posters in common areas, highlighting the content and dates of the training courses.
- Intranet or internal messaging: Send detailed announcements with easy signups.
- Training platform: notification, new career path, company news, use your platform to inform all your employees or only certain groups.
Involve managers in promoting training
Managers play a key role in motivating their teams. Ask them to discuss the benefits of training individually with their employees, in line with their specific needs.
→ By integrating targeted and multi-channel communication, while involving managers as motivating relays, you will increase the participation and commitment of your teams to training programs.
Facilitate access to training courses
To ensure that your field teams can fully benefit from training programs, it is essential to simplify access to these resources.
Taking into account the specific constraints of the restaurant sector, you can set up practical solutions that promote engagement and learning.
Offer schedules adapted to the constraints of the sector
Restaurant employees often work irregular hours, making it difficult for them to participate in traditional training courses. To meet this challenge, offer training sessions at flexible hours, such as at the beginning or end of service, or during off-peak periods.
🍕 Domino's Pizza has set up an e-learning platform that offers training sessions that are accessible at any time, allowing employees to train during periods of low attendance. The training completion rate increased by 23% following the implementation of this initiative.
Set up short and flexible training courses
Long training sessions can be difficult to fit into a busy schedule. Opt for short, focused modules that allow employees to learn quickly without disrupting their daily work.
🥐 Panera Bread (bakeries and cafes) offers 10-minute training capsules on specific skills, such as preparing a dish or providing customer service. These short modules allow employees to access the information they need without having to commit to a long session.
📲 Use microlearning, which is the delivery of learning content in small, easy to digest modules. A study conducted by Bersin by Deloitte revealed that employees retain up to 80% of what they learn through microlearning, because these short formats are more adapted to their pace of work.
→ For example, a series of explanatory videos on food hygiene procedures could be made available on a mobile application, allowing your teams to learn between two departments.
💡 By facilitating access to training through adapted schedules and short and flexible modules, you create an environment conducive to continuous learning. You improve the skills of your teams, but you also increase their commitment and job satisfaction.
Motivate and reward your teams
Value training efforts
Recognizing and valuing the training efforts of your employees is essential to maintain their motivation. When employees complete a training course, it is important to emphasize that Formal way.
For example, you can deliver certificates that attest to the competence acquired, or even mention their progress during annual performance evaluations. This type of action encourages us to consider training as a career lever and encourages other collaborators to engage in the same process.
🍴 Take the example of Sodexo, which awards digital badges to employees who have validated specific skills. These badges, visible on their internal profile, not only make it possible to highlight everyone's achievements, but also to create healthy emulation within the team.
💡 In addition, you can organize internal events to celebrate the successes of your employees: a team lunch or a dedicated meeting to congratulate those who have completed and successfully completed key training courses can strengthen cohesion and team spirit.
Put concrete incentives in place
Tangible incentives are a great way to boost engagement in training programs. They show employees that their efforts are not only recognized but also rewarded.
🏆 These incentives can be translated in different ways: performance bonuses, additional days off, or even career development opportunities within the company.
🍕 Pizza Hut offers incentives such as end-of-year bonuses for employees who have completed a certain number of hours of training. This type of direct incentive is effective in rewarding personal investment while strengthening adherence to the training program.
→ For the most committed employees, you can offer opportunities for internal development. For example, a room server who has completed team management training could be promoted to an assistant manager position, thus increasing motivation and a sense of long-term recognition.
💡 By combining symbolic recognition and concrete rewards, you create an environment where employees are not only encouraged to train, but also to excel in order to advance the entire team.
