Methods For Training Restaurant Staff

Methods For Training Restaurant Staff

• Instructing
  This is a passive form of training. Employees are given instructions in verbal, written or audio format on how to accomplish a task, without any demonstrations. It is useful for reinforcing a portion of training that is hands-on at a later time.
• Demonstration
  It can be done in person or through video and it involves a demonstrator performing the tasks that new employees must learn. It is one of the best teaching methods because employees learn by seeing and doing rather than just reading or learning.
• Shadowing
  It consists of a trainee accompanying a more experienced employee and observing them as they perform their regular duties.It exposes the employee to real world scenarios. This can turn into a hassle for the experience employee so some restaurants tend to use this training method on slow nights.
• Mentoring
  In this method a peer mentor is assigned to every new employee. The mentor is usually an expert in the area and trains every employee the same way every time. This type of training takes off some of the weight of the manager ‘shoulder.
• Supervision 
  This method consists of the trainee performing work tasks under close supervision. It allows the trainer to correct on the fly and observe the trainees progress. It is a method usually employed before the trainees are deemed competent enough to handle tasks on their own.
• Role-Playing
  In role-playing employees perform their duties with the trainer playing the role of a customer. This method gives the trainee the chance to experience the pressure and potential behaviors he will encounter on the job. This technique helps build confidence and experience prior to having the trainee work on his own.
• Mystery Shopper
  This technique is mainly used for ongoing training and performance monitoring. A mystery shopper comes to the restaurant and after they visit they fill in a checklist about their experience. Usually the checklist details everything from the cleanliness to the lighting and the music. The results are reported later and discussed with the staff.