Remember
that feeling of starting a new job? Trying to impress the boss by getting to work
on time, showing off all your skills and waiting in line for that pat on the
back?
When
was the last time your staff acted that way? If it's been a while, they may be experiencing
employee burnout. But it's not too late to turn things around.
Paul
Diaz, a former restaurant manager and small business owner, shares his 6 tips for handling employee burnout with The Pizza
Insider below.
1.
Communicate Effectively and Often. You won't know whether or not one of your team members is burned out without
effective and regular communication. Don't wait for a performance review
to see if there are issues; reach out to your team daily, or at least weekly.
Take 15 minutes out of your schedule a few times per week and sit down with one
or two staffers. Ask them how they're holding up and what you can do to help
them. This small time commitment can lead to long-term benefits.
2.
Add Responsibilities. Got fry cooks who've had it with whipping up the same French fries and calamari
every night? Give them other responsibilities. If they're well organized, they
might be able to take on a nightly produce order or help with scheduling. Any
time you can give a staff member more to do, you combat potential burnout and
make your job easier at the same time.
3.
Cross-Train. If your grill people can't stand scrubbing off the grill and cleaning the hoods
every night, consider cross-training them in another area. They might do well
on the appetizer station or one of your sauté stations. Restaurant workers tend
to be pretty versatile, you just have to unlock their potential. Don't forget
that a server who's feeling burned out might also make a decent bartender or host.
4.
Promote. While you don't want to move someone up randomly just to satisfy a burned out
employee, promoting from within can be an effective way to keep your staff
happy. Just make sure the move makes sense; the last thing you want to do is
put workers in jobs they can't handle.
5.
Systematize Your Review Process. If your performance review process has historically been inconsistent, get
yourself on a schedule. Your team members want to know how they're doing on a
regular basis and they also want to know what they need to do to get better.
Set a goal to deliver performance reviews at least every six months and make
sure you stay on top of any employee concerns.
6.
Recognize Your Team Without Breaking the Bank. Cost is always an issue in a restaurant, so there's no need to take out a radio
ad every time a team member goes above and beyond the call. What you can do is
recognize them during meetings, and if your organization
has a social media presence, shout-outs there can be effective (and free), as
well. Make a big deal out of any accomplishments; the benefits can be
far-reaching.
If
worse comes to worst and you can't find a fix, it's important to know that
sometimes it's OK to let employees go.
Find more tips for handling employee burnout here.
Find more tips for handling employee burnout here.
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