Take Care Of Your Employees And They Will Take Care Of You

This article was inspired by the reaction of Steve Maresch, owner of The Local Grill, to winning The Wolftrap Steakhouse Championship award for the second year running. Steve walked up to each member of his staff to thank them personally and individually before accepting the award and addressing the media.

In the restaurant and hospitality industry, your staff are what will make or break you. It doesn’t matter how good your food is or how pretty the decor is, if your staff aren’t up to scratch then your business is sure to fail.

Below are listed 5 key reasons you need to look after your staff if you want to run a successful business:

1) Lead from the front to create a positive team environment:

Any business involved in the hospitality industry is inherently a team environment. You need all parts of your team to be working cohesively together or your ability to serve your customers will be severely impacted.

As the leader of your business, you need to lead from the front. Your example will be copied, meaning that if you don’t look after your staff, they won’t look after each other or your customers. Create a positive culture at your business and you will see the benefits.

2) You need your staff to be happy and positive:

Your staff are the human face of your business. They are the ones your customers see first when entering your establishment, and they are the ones who your customer will associate with your business. You need your staff to be positive and helpful and the only way to achieve this is to create a positive work environment.

Happy staff will mean happy customers because the vibe given off by your staff will be picked up on by your customers. It’s important to recognize that this can’t be faked; you can’t simply demand that your staff look happy. Even if they pretend to be when serving customers and put on a fake smile, most people are able to tell when someone is just pretending to be friendly and this will actually put your customers off.

3) Badly treated staff are inefficient:

There is a reason companies such as Google invest so heavily in creating fun and enjoyable work places. It’s because they recognize that their workers do their best work when they are put in a fun and positive environment. The same is true in the hospitality industry, the happier your staff are the more efficient they will be and the better eating experience they will create for your customers.

4) Well treated staff are more likely to stay with your business:

Retention rates in the hospitality industry are very important for any businesses’ bottom line. The longer a staff member stays with your business, the better they will be at their job which means it is very advantageous to retain staff for as long as possible. Conversely a high turnover rate means you have to continually invest time and resources into training new staff. Treat your staff well and they are more likely to be loyal, it’s that simple.

5) Actively look after your staff and they will actively look after your business:

If your staff sees that you are investing in them then they will want to invest their energy in your business. You need your workers to really want to succeed for you and this obviously won’t happen if you don’t treat them properly. If you give a little, then so will your staff, and when that happens, everyone wins.

Summary:

In summary, it’s vital that you take good care of your employees if you are in the hospitality industry. Your relationship with them is symbiotic, meaning that if you look after them then they will look after you and your business will prosper.

Now it’s your turn. How do you keep your employees happy in order to run a successful business? Share with us below.

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