Make sure your best employees remain your employees!

Once you have found and hired the right staff, the tough part is to keep them working for you. Here are a few tips on how to help ensure every one of your star employees is a long-term asset for your establishment:

Give Them the Right Tools

Nothing will go further in creating loyal employees than arming them with the skills, tools and knowledge they need to do their jobs brilliantly. There is simply no substitute for training. Even if you hire seasoned professionals to work in your operation, they will need to be trained in your particular style and indoctrinated in your culture. Every operation is different and there is nothing more disheartening for a staff member than to be thrust into a busy operation without being shown how to excel in their new environment.

Think About Their Needs

Remember that all good employees have needs that you must identify and help fulfill - and these needs will vary from individual to individual. For example, while some may place a priority on monetary benefits, others may be motivated more by the need to feel they are a part of a team. If you go out of your way to address each employee's needs and treat them with dignity and respect, great staff will be lining up for the opportunity to work in your restaurant.

Communication is Key

Evaluate your employees by providing frequent performance reviews. These reviews should focus on things like disposition and personality, cooperation, grooming, ability to make an extraordinary effort when required, punctuality and attendance, and willingness to accept assignments outside their normal duties. Great employees will welcome these reviews as a way to improve their work and achieve their full potential.

Add a Little Spice

Another great tool for keeping staff motivated and interested is to create a cross training program. Have all employees trained in every job from dishwasher to manager. This will not only give them a understanding of what their co-workers are faced with on a day-to-day basis, but will also provide you with staff who can confidently jump in when things get hairy. A little variety from the daily routine can also go a long way to keeping the job interesting and fun.

Take One for the Team

Creating a team atmosphere is critical to success. The best way to achieve a sense of teamwork is to create a bonus program based on profitability. Employee bonus plans should be achievable, easy to understand and easy to measure. They should be paid out in a reasonable period so that the impact is not lost over time. All employees from dishwashers on up to management should be eligible for the profit sharing program. You will be surprised how quick your great employees will be to straighten out their peers who might goof off or steal if it will actually deprive them of extra earnings.

Don't Forget to Have Fun!

Most people in the hospitality industry are "adrenaline junkies." They do their best work when things are hectic and the operation is going full tilt. Try to create a dynamic and fun atmosphere. Get your staff excited about the anticipated rush of business. Remember that enthusiasm is contagious. If you as the team leader are having fun, then your staff and guests will in turn be caught up in the excitement. And that kind of work attractive environment will ensure your best employees keep coming back for more - shift after shift, year after year.