How to Create an Effective Restaurant Training Program

An effective restaurant training program is the driving force behind your business’s success. But how do you build a program that helps your employees make fewer mistakes, perform their job with greater competency, and serve your customers better?

In this article, the workforce management experts at Sling provide tips for creating a restaurant training program that really works.

Restaurant Training vs. Onboarding

Restaurant training and onboarding may seem similar at first glance, but there are distinct differences.

Onboarding

Onboarding starts the moment you hire a new employee and begins to expose them to various aspects of your business, including:

• Culture
• History
• Mission
• Goals
• Vision
• Organizational hierarchy

These activities don’t stop after the employee’s first day, first week, or even first year. Instead, they continue for as long as an employee is part of your team, evolving into more specific instructions such as on-the-job training.

Restaurant Training

Restaurant training is a more focused part of the onboarding process, providing new employees with skills unique to their position. Once you’ve begun the onboarding process, you can single out specific positions for further training, including:

• Servers
• Front of House
• Back of House
• Managers
• Bartenders
• Human Resources

Tips for Effective Restaurant Training

Start Small

If you’re implementing a restaurant training program for the first time, start with the basics and let it evolve as your team and business grow.

Inclusivity

Build your training program to be inclusive, accommodating all skill levels and ages.

Set High Standards

Your training should revolve around your business’s high standards and test whether new employees can meet those standards.

Focus on the Right Way

Communicate what to do rather than what not to do to better help trainees remember and maintain high standards.

Include Training in Your Employee Handbook

Include training information in your employee handbook so everyone can access it when needed.

Make Learning Fun

Incorporate video training, gamification, tablet training, and team-based training to make learning engaging.

Hire a Certified Trainer

Hiring a certified trainer can make your learning process more fun and efficient.

Setup a Mentoring Program

Pair new employees with experienced team members to continue learning and build a support system.

Build Your Team

Incorporate team training sessions to improve teamwork and group cohesion.

Good Scheduling: The Foundation of Restaurant Training

Consistency is key in building a strong and effective team. Use Sling’s scheduling tools to manage training sessions, shifts, payroll, and more to ensure your restaurant training is effective and runs smoothly.

Visit GetSling.com today to take your employee scheduling and restaurant training to the next level with Sling.