You won't let us lie: constant staff turnover involves high expenses for any company, but how serious is the problem in our restaurant sector?

The National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (CANIRAC) considers that, as of 2013, this "phenomenon" began to be more frequent *, due to the large number of new restaurant entrepreneurs.

According to the Chamber, the high staff turnover is directly related to the novelty of the establishment: employees tend to think that, being a new restaurant, pay and tips will be high.

A problem as serious, as common

Whether it is a new restaurant or not, many entrepreneurs often do not pay the necessary attention to their own training as managers and thus have tools that prevent turnover.

Many employees don't spend a month in the restaurants where they are hired. This affects operating expenses, because a lot of time is usually invested in the training of these new personnel, as well as in the legal procedures related to hiring.

If you feel identified so far, read on to find out what you can do immediately to avoid expenses and reduce the dreaded staff turnover: we share 3 tips for this!

Tip # 1: Competitive wages and hours

The reasons why restaurant staff leave their positions are very varied but, as we have been telling you, the first and strongest reason is salary.

Even when the position requires relatively little skill, a first strategy is to offer a salary that is above that of the competition in your area. This can motivate even the youngest employees.

The question of hours is key for, above all, small restaurants: many of their employees seek flexibility, either to study or to be able to have two or even three jobs. It is of the utmost importance that the restaurant entrepreneur takes this into account, and thus designs schedules where the employee can have free time for their other responsibilities and / or rest.

Tip # 2: career potential and boss retention

Even if it is a small business, the employee must be able to visualize themselves growing with you in order to stay motivated and engaged. To "spread" this vision to new employees, you have to talk to them about the possibility of making a career from the beginning: whether they are acquiring new responsibilities, in higher-ranking positions, or even taking over new branches.

In the case of Managers or Supervisors, the employer must pay special attention to their needs and concerns. Another recommendation is to promote "creative" thinking: seeing your ideas and solutions applied in your workplace is a constant satisfaction.

Tip # 3: Staff Training

This is the most complex tip of all because, although training motivates any employee, it involves an investment of time and resources that you could lose if the employee leaves.

We regret to inform you that there is no magic recipe. Many employers prefer to wait for 3 months to "put all the meat on the grill" and formally train the personnel who have been working for that long. However, there are also many employees who, if from day 1 they do not receive this training and constant attention, they lose interest.

So now you know, even if it is a common problem and a risk for new restaurants, constant staff turnover is an issue that you can avoid if you pay attention to the details in your dealings with new staff, and if you attend to their needs strategically.

Sources:

* http://diario.mx/Economia/2015-02-17_3e9e6060/pega-a-restaurantes-rotacion-de-personal/
** https://pyme.lavoztx.com/formas-de-prevenir-rotacin-de-empleados-en-los-restaurantes-de-comida-rpida-11333.html

*** https://www.gediscovery.edu.pe/blog/rotacion-de-personal-gestion-restaurantes/