'People can do amazing things,' insists a speaker at the NRA Show. Several work force retention experts offer ways to go about helping operators accomplish that.

'People can do amazing things,' insists a speaker at the NRA Show. Several work force retention experts offer ways to go about helping operators accomplish that.

It's no secret that turnover is a common issue plaguing many restaurants, but methods of confronting the issue might be less complicated than many may think.

At the National Restaurant Association Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago this past spring, a panel of experts discussed some tried-and-true methods of improving employee retention while creating a culture of success.

According to panelist Morreen Bayles, president of Creative Restaurant Solutions, reducing turnover can drastically improve the bottom line.

As reported by Nation's Restaurant News and People Report, she said, turnover costs per manager can amount to more than $25,000. But, by implementing exit interviews, restaurants can gain insights needed to increase retention.

Effective exit interviews, however, must go beyond a manager's reason for leaving. According to Bayles, successful interviews must include:

• Feedback on topics such as salary, benefits and communication
• Standardized questions that include quantitative and qualitative data
• Feedback from all departing managers – whether in voluntary or involuntary terminations – to get a true picture of the organization
• Policy adjustments based on interview feedback

Attractive culture
Brian Cowley, senior consultant for CorVirtus, said developing a culture to attract the right people to the business is key to reducing turnover.

“This takes hard work, and there's no silver bullet answer,” he explained. “But, there are targeted ways to create this culture of retaining the right people.”

The key is to provide new hires with realistic performance expectations. Before signing on the dotted line, employees need to experience the job first-hand and “self-select the job,” Cowley said.

“People can do amazing things if they understand the position and what's expected of them,” he added.

Additional tips outlined by Cowley include establishing standardized interview questions, performing background checks and designing comprehensive training programs.

Training options
Training programs are valuable tools for retention, but designing the right system is key.

Bayles recommends a variety of on-the-job and classroom-based strategies, but adds that post-training interviews can provide insight into areas of weakness, as well.

“These interviews, which should be completed two to three weeks after the program has been completed, can enable managers to develop better, more effective programs,” she said.

To appeal to the younger generation, Jeffrey Curtis, senior vice president of marketing at Helius, suggested taking advantage of technology, including videos and interactive Web-based training programs.
Interactive certification and training programs allow management to monitor employees' progress and modify the program as needed.

“Interactive, Web-based training is a great tool, because corporate can easily measure who is certified and who needs additional training,” Cowley said.

Although technologically advanced training programs may especially appeal to younger workers, Bayles suggested offering an alternative hard copy version of the lessons involved in each program.

“Training programs must cater to all ends of the spectrum,” she noted. “Interactive training might be great for the younger generation, but there should be alternatives for other employees.”