5 ways technology helps maintain the best staff

Today is Employee Appreciation Day. (If you’re curious about it, Forbes has some good background on the day’s designation.) A successful manager knows that every day is a good day to show employees that their hard work and dedication is appreciated, so think of today as a reminder of why it’s so important to find and maintain your high-quality staff. A solid, well-trained, and productive staff is the backbone of a successful hospitality organization, and their happiness matters. As such, in celebration of employee appreciation: five ways that technology today can help you find, maintain, and reward a high-quality staff.

1. Recruit top talent.

Technology and its inherent connectivity has fundamentally changed the way people conduct a job search and the way that we, as hiring managers, find those employees. LinkedIn is great, but for the restaurant industry, Culinary Agents is better. It’s functionality is very similar to LinkedIn, but it focuses only on the restaurant industry, allowing employers to connect with prospective employees and learn about networking opportunities and important industry events. It’s a great way to stay connected, stay involved, and keep a finger on the pulse.

2. Streamline training.

A tech-savvy restaurant is only as good as the software that runs it. This also means staff must be properly trained to maximize any program’s ability. Implement an official training program to educate all employees so they’re able to use as many tools and access as much information as possible. For example: SALIDO’s next release includes a training mode. Managers activate this mode to allow staff to simulate orders and other POS workflows without affecting their reports.

3. Arm staff with all the best information.

Data — actual numbers and understanding — is one of the fastest ways to get a handle on your customer profile. With software that tracks everything from spending to orders to food preferences to favorite tables, your staff will remain well-informed and primed to succeed. The best information is also the most relevant information — all the data in the world isn’t helpful if you can’t interpret and apply it to the current situation. Collect as much as you like, but give each employee the appropriate information to succeed in his or her individual role.

4. Understand the unique pressures of the industry.

Just as Employee Appreciation Day is a day to show thanks, it’s also a good day to pay attention to the challenges your staff faces. Recently, former CNN editor and current Tasting Table editor-at-large Kat Kinsman started Chefs with Issues, a site dedicated to the mental health and happiness of those in the industry. The site features personal stories from those inside the industry, but perhaps more importantly, it contains resources for dealing with real and relevant issues. Just as important to an employee’s happiness is their health, so this certainly shouldn’t be overlooked.

5. Track performance and reward success.

Technology helps you easily track individual employee performance, making it even easier to recognize a contributor’s success. SALIDO’s Labor Management feature — currently in Beta, but stay tuned — keeps track of important milestones like reviews, day-to-day performance, and time and attendance. This provides quantifiable data so you can reward productive and hardworking staff members.