Gaining an Edge in Attracting and Keeping Staff
By: The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation
The National Restaurant Association's ServSuccess Program
Even before the COVID pandemic, it was tough for industry operators to fill open roles and keep talented staff. Now, as the industry re-opens, the challenge has become even more pronounced.
Your managers felt the pain when great employees gave their notice right before the pandemic hit. Just as it did then, our industry suffers because it fails to sell itself as the long-term career opportunity it could and should be.
The key to attracting workers to our industry is clear; they need to understand the career path and lifelong success available to them. In-depth training and providing the opportunities for professional growth is how you can show job candidates you are invested in them.
Sara Nickel, Senior Director of Workforce and Business Development for the National Restaurant Association (NRA), cites research from Gallup Inc.’s How Millennials Want to Work and Live, which reports that 87 percent of millennials across all industries feel that training and development is crucial to job satisfaction. According to the 2018 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, 93 percent of employees say they would stay with a company longer if it invested in their careers long-term.
Even before the COVID pandemic, it was tough for industry operators to fill open roles and keep talented staff. Now, as the industry re-opens, the challenge has become even more pronounced.
Your managers felt the pain when great employees gave their notice right before the pandemic hit. Just as it did then, our industry suffers because it fails to sell itself as the long-term career opportunity it could and should be.
The key to attracting workers to our industry is clear; they need to understand the career path and lifelong success available to them. In-depth training and providing the opportunities for professional growth is how you can show job candidates you are invested in them.
Sara Nickel, Senior Director of Workforce and Business Development for the National Restaurant Association (NRA), cites research from Gallup Inc.’s How Millennials Want to Work and Live, which reports that 87 percent of millennials across all industries feel that training and development is crucial to job satisfaction. According to the 2018 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, 93 percent of employees say they would stay with a company longer if it invested in their careers long-term.
ServSuccess, the National Restaurant Association’s online training and certification line can train, test and certify your current employees as foodservice professionals, foodservice supervisors and foodservice managers. It is simple to implement (through flexible online courses) and provides a powerful way to invest in employees, both future and current.
“ServSuccess focuses on developing experienced employees — those already working in your operations,” says Nickel. ServSuccess validates their professionalism. It’s the industry’s first formal certification program to train employees for specific restaurant career paths and it builds a strong case to stay.
For smaller operations, ServSuccess provides vetted learning suites and courses so they can build a training-and-career development program without starting from scratch. “Smaller, independent operations often don’t have the brand recognition for effective recruiting or the resources to create robust training programs that big, multi-unit operations might have,” adds the National Restaurant Association’s Daniel Ray, Senior Product Manager, Career Development. “They need professional development offerings that will attract and keep those employees,” he adds.
For operations that have established training programs, ServSuccess products can close content gaps around leadership skills and operational efficiency so that employees can progress to supervisor and management roles within the organization.
“Investing in employees through training shows them it’s possible to have a true career within the operation,” says Ray. “When employees advance from within, businesses benefit. Not only do you save money on turnover, recruitment and retraining, you keep the people who already know the basics, know your operation’s policies and procedures, and know the culture. That’s a win for everyone.”
“ServSuccess focuses on developing experienced employees — those already working in your operations,” says Nickel. ServSuccess validates their professionalism. It’s the industry’s first formal certification program to train employees for specific restaurant career paths and it builds a strong case to stay.
For smaller operations, ServSuccess provides vetted learning suites and courses so they can build a training-and-career development program without starting from scratch. “Smaller, independent operations often don’t have the brand recognition for effective recruiting or the resources to create robust training programs that big, multi-unit operations might have,” adds the National Restaurant Association’s Daniel Ray, Senior Product Manager, Career Development. “They need professional development offerings that will attract and keep those employees,” he adds.
For operations that have established training programs, ServSuccess products can close content gaps around leadership skills and operational efficiency so that employees can progress to supervisor and management roles within the organization.
“Investing in employees through training shows them it’s possible to have a true career within the operation,” says Ray. “When employees advance from within, businesses benefit. Not only do you save money on turnover, recruitment and retraining, you keep the people who already know the basics, know your operation’s policies and procedures, and know the culture. That’s a win for everyone.”
