How Do Employees Learn on the Job and Not Affect Your Service?

The hospitality industry requires a lot of on-the-job training. But guest experience cannot suffer while you are getting your people up to speed. How can you train new employees and improve the skills of veterans while maintaining your usual service standards?

Training new employees

People tend to learn faster by doing, especially in the hospitality industry. There are many things to remember and you must move quickly while keeping a smile on your face. Try to minimize the time employees spend off the floor reading documentation and keep them moving and learning.

Job shadow. Allow new employees to shadow your best people. By observing employees performing their duties, they can learn them faster.  Also, by spending time with various employees throughout your restaurant or hotel, they can get to know the entire organization better and gain an understanding of how everyone works together.

Put them in action. While “sink or swim” may not be the best strategy for success, at some point, training must move beyond the theoretical. This is good for the business, because you’re not paying for someone who is not contributing, and better for the employee, because they gain confidence quicker.

Pair them up. Partner each new employee with someone in the same role who can work closely with them and teach the ins and outs of working with the company. This gives them a person they are comfortable to go to with questions or concerns. New employees are sometimes afraid to ask questions of their boss, but they will ask a respected peer. This can prevent mistakes.

Improving the performance of current employees

Test them on the job. Consider employing mystery shoppers to see how guests are treated when you are not watching. Hire a professional organization or ask a trusted friend to help you out.

Establish standards. Provide clear expectations regarding service levels so that your employees know what is expected of them.

Reward great service. If your employees go above and beyond, acknowledge or reward them so that they will continue to achieve and others can learn from their example.

Looking for additional suggestions on how to train and develop your staff? Contact the hospitality recruiters at Horizon Hospitality. We can connect you with talented, motivated hospitality professionals for your restaurant, hotel or resort.

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