When it comes to colleague engagement and retention, every hotel is unique in its own way, with different challenges and opportunities for improvement. This means that no one-size-fits-all solution exists and that more than one approach can be taken to create a positive work environment in commercial kitchens of hotels and restaurants.
And with commercial kitchens being a relatively demanding and challenging environment to work in, it’s important to have a strong strategy in place to keep your staff happy, motivated and engaged.
How to improve employee engagement and retention in commercial kitchens?
While the strategies for employee engagement and retention in a commercial kitchen may vary from company to company, there are certain steps that every business can take to improve these two areas. Here are some ways you can minimize employee turnover and create a positive work culture in commercial kitchens.
#1 Encourage Employee Feedback
It’s important to encourage your employees to offer feedback. Feedback is a two-way street, and if you want to improve your commercial kitchen’s employee engagement, you need to make sure that your employees feel valued. If employees feel that their opinions matter and are being heard, they will be more likely to stay with the business.
Set up a system in which employees can easily submit their opinions and suggestions without feeling like they’re wasting their time or being reprimanded.
All feedback is good feedback
Employee engagement can also be improved by encouraging both positive and negative feedback from employees themselves as well as their managers. Both should have an outlet through which they can provide advice on ways that their working environments could better accommodate them.
#2 Provide Adequate Kitchen Tools and Appliances
Commercial kitchens in hotels and restaurants are busy, fast-paced environments. In order to keep up with the demands of the job, you need to have the right tools and appliances on hand. A commercial kitchen should have a wide variety of knives, utensils, and appliances for its employees to use. Having the right equipment can make all the difference in terms of efficiency and productivity.
Better tools mean better outputs
When you provide your employees with the right tools for their jobs, they’re more likely to feel like they have everything they need to do their work well. And when employees feel like they can do their jobs well, especially if it’s something that matters deeply to them, they’ll be more engaged, which leads to better employee experience and higher retention rates.
#3 Leverage Training and Development
Providing employees with training and room for development and growth is one of the most important things you can do to increase employee engagement and retention in commercial kitchens. When employees feel like they have room to grow and that the company cares about their development, they’re more likely to stay.
Whether it’s through regular training, mentoring programs, or simple on-the-job learning from veterans, companies that invest in their employees are more likely to cultivate a positive work culture with minimal turnover rates.
Growth opportunities inspire loyalty
When you provide training and development opportunities, not only do you help your employees advance professionally but also improve their confidence in themselves as a person and as an employee. The more confident they are, the more likely they are to stay devoted to their role and contribute to the company.
#4 Communicate With Employees
Communication is an important part of any workplace, especially in busy work environments like commercial kitchens of hotels and restaurants. It’s important that team members regularly communicate with one another, especially in an open floor plan or environment with close proximity.
Make sure your employees have an open line of communication between themselves and with you as the management team, this means making time for regular check-ins on progress toward goals so things don’t get overlooked or forgotten.
Make responsibilities clear
It is also important to ensure that everyone in the kitchen knows what’s expected of them. This means giving clear instructions for tasks, as well as providing some food waste consulting or sanitation training to employees when necessary.
Effective communication throughout the workplace ensures employees are aware of each other’s tasks and responsibilities, which helps reduce any potential conflicts or misunderstandings. It is also important to make sure that your employees feel comfortable asking questions or bringing up ideas or concerns. This can help you to identify any issues that may be developing in the kitchen, and give you the opportunity to address them before they become serious problems.
#5 Implement Open-book Management
Open-book management is a system for sharing information about the company’s performance with employees. It provides transparency and insight into the business, which helps workers understand their employee benefits and how they can best contribute to the company’s success. The idea is that if you give employees access to this information, they’ll be more invested in their jobs and more motivated to do them well.
Measured progress is key
Open-book management also helps employees understand what they need to do in order to be successful in their role, and this can help them feel more engaged with their work. This helps increase productivity and efficiency which leads to higher profits and an overall better work environment.
Final Thoughts
With the right employee engagement strategies in place, your hotel commercial kitchen can be an enjoyable and engaging place to work. And while there are plenty of tips to increase employee retention and engagement, the ones mentioned above are some of the essential ways to get started.
The benefits of a positive work culture will not only help attract new talent but also allow you to keep your current employees happy and engaged. And when you have happy and engaged employees, you can expect better results in the long run.