HR Tips For Professional Dining And Bar Businesses

Professional dining and bar businesses face a unique set of challenges regarding HR. There’s a lot to think about, from recruiting the right staff to managing shift patterns and dealing with customer complaints. Here are our top tips for HR in professional dining and bar businesses:

Train And Develop Your HR Team

Offer training and development opportunities for your HR team so that they can keep up with the current trends and best practices. These opportunities will also help to build their knowledge and confidence, so they can better support your business.

This allows you to identify potential HR issues early on and address them before they become a problem.

To develop your HR staff, engage in activities such as

• Taking your team to relevant conferences, seminars, and webinars
• Provide them with industry publications and online resources
• Encourage them to join relevant professional networks and associations

Strategic Recruitment

Take time and dedicate your resources to recruiting the right staff. This includes role-specific skills and personality traits that make them a good fit for your business.

It’s important to remember that hospitality is a people business, so finding friendly and outgoing staff is essential. They should also be able to think on their feet and deal with customer queries and complaints professionally.

When recruiting, be sure to

• Advertise the role in relevant channels
• Conduct phone interviews followed by in-person interviews
• Check references
• Do a trial shift (if possible)

Effective Shift Patterns

Managing shift patterns can be challenging, especially if you have staff working unsociable hours. It’s important to ensure that your staff is properly rested and has enough time to recover between shifts.

This means creating shift patterns that allow for adequate rest periods and avoiding excessive hours. You should also consider offering flexible working arrangements, where possible, to help your staff manage their work-life balance.

HR software can be a useful tool for managing shift patterns, as it can help you to create and manage rosters. This can take the hassle out of shift management and help to ensure that your staff is always properly rested.

Use Technology As A Tool

There are several restaurant HR software solutions available that can help you to manage your team more effectively. These solutions can automate various HR processes, such as performance reviews and shift patterns, saving you time and resources.

They can also provide valuable insights into your workforce, helping you to make data-driven decisions about recruitment, training and development, and much more.

When choosing an HR software solution, consider your specific needs and choose a solution that offers a good mix of features and is easy to use.

Communicate Effectively

Communication accounts for a large part of HR’s success. By keeping open lines of communication with your team, you can encourage a culture of transparency and trust when implementing new and best strategies for your dining business. This will make identifying and resolving potential issues easier before they become serious problems.

Understand the different communication channels that are available to you and make use of them all. These include face-to-face conversations, email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and more.

Regular check-ins with your team can also be beneficial, as they allow you to catch up on any issues or concerns they may have.

Make sure you communicate effectively by

• Encouraging two-way communication between managers and staff
• Using clear and concise language
• Listening to feedback and acting on it
• Keeping your team up to date with changes in the business

Handle Staff And Customer Complaints

In any hospitality business, there will always be odd customer complaints. It’s important to deal with these complaints professionally and efficiently, to maintain good customer relations.

First, listen to the customer’s complaint and try to understand their perspective. Once you’ve done this, you can decide on the best way to resolve the issue. This may involve offering a refund, a voucher, or an apology.

For a coherent workforce, staff complaints must also be taken seriously. Investigating and addressing these complaints swiftly can nip potential problems in the bud and maintain a happy and productive workforce.

Review Your Policies And Procedures

Ensure each policy and procedure is updated and in line with current legislation. This includes equal opportunities, health and safety, and data protection.

Government bodies such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) offer guidance on employment law, which can help you to ensure your policies and procedures are compliant.

It’s also important to ensure that your team knows these policies and procedures and how to comply with them. The best is to provide training regularly.

When reviewing your policies and procedures, be sure to

• Consult with relevant stakeholders
• Consider current legislation
• Ensure your team is trained on the changes

Offer Competitive Remuneration

To attract and retain top talent, it’s important to offer competitive salaries and benefits. This includes things like bonuses, commissions, paid leave, and pension contributions.

When setting salaries, it’s important to consider the going rate for your industry as well as the skills and experience of your employees. You should also review salaries regularly to make sure they remain competitive.

Timely payment of wages is also important, as late payments can cause financial hardship for your employees.

Keep Up With Industry Trends

The hospitality industry is ever-changing, so it’s crucial to keep up with the latest trends. This will help you to identify new opportunities and threats and ensure your business stays ahead of the competition.

Be creative in your approach to trendspotting. When you identify a new trend, consider how it could be applied to your business. This may involve changing your products or services or introducing new policies and procedures.

Some of the latest industry trends include

• The rise of digital ordering and payment systems
• The growth of online booking platforms
• The popularity of food delivery apps
• An increasing focus on sustainability

By following these tips, you can ensure your hospitality business runs smoothly and efficiently. Never skimp on quality, as it is the key to success in this industry. Also, keep up with current trends to ensure your business stays ahead of the competition. Finally, always aim to provide excellent customer service, which will keep customers returning.