One of the largest impacts on any restaurant is not supply chain problems or customer retention programs. Instead, the restaurant service industry sees an employee turnover rate well over 70%. In comparison, the average private sector business has a turnover rate of 46.1% That means that the single biggest problem to most restaurants is in training and retaining staff. However, many locations still adhere to older ways methods of training. These older methods include paper or quiz based training. This method is extremely slow and quiet contrary to the way most people learn.
How People Learn
According to a recent study, moving pictures and sound allowed students to build better learning autonomy. In other words, students felt less forced to learn when video was involved. Our brains are actually hard-wired to focus better on video. Another advantage is how video allows us to move forward and backward at our own pace. That can be key to learning as it can allow an individual to replay a key bit of information. This method can also help individuals avoid redundant information that they may have already trained on.
Where to Start with Video-Based Learning
The worst problem when starting anything is that you don't know, what you don't know. That leaves many restaurant owners ignorant on what they should look for in a video-based learning environment. A great video environment often has these features:
Easy to see performance boost
It should be obvious that you are getting your money's worth. That includes running students through actual best practices and traditional scenarios. That value should then link into performance measurements for staff. The idea is to verify how effective, or ineffective, specific video training can be.Make the training desirable to complete
Another important factor with any video based environment is making staff want to complete the training. That can be done by including relevant material combined with recognizing employees. Any good video system should inspire employees to ramp up as quickly as possible.Build content that is reusable
A staff member may learn something on day 1 that they need on day 400. However, if training hasn't re-occurred, they may forget that key piece of information. Any good video system should be used to retrain employees or even help them upgrade their career path.Sync with what you already have
A lot of times, good information exists in a bad format. For example, an unused book might find new life if it was rebuilt into an audio book. The same is true for paper forms and assessments. Once digitized, these can be easier for employees to adhere to.Build a two-way form of communication
Just as schools need teachers, any good video system should have two way communication. Many times we learn best when we can ask specific questions about a section. Any good video training system should have an ability to ask questions.Speed to the right information
It is inefficient to have to spend a lot of time digging through a system to find the correct bit of information needed. Any good learning system should include a method to quickly get what you need and get out. That may also include offline components in case an internet connection goes away (or is spotty).Easy to update
Finally, any learning based system needs to be easy to update. If it becomes difficult to add information to, then the system becomes avoided. Instead of becoming a central knowledge repository, the learning system becomes a pit stop. Making the system easy to update is crucial to the success of any video learning environment.The ultimate goal to any training system is to on-board staff quickly and retain quality staff. The restaurant industry is especially vulnerable to high turnover. To avoid a revolving door of staff, please read our guide on building a future-proof learning ecosystem.
