Employee training is an art. Too often we see restaurants using training methodologies that are outdated, non-progressive, and, unfortunately, ones that simply don't work well. We get it; it's difficult to train employees in the fast-paced restaurant environment. Your employees have to be hyper-vigilant about multitasking many complex tasks while also focusing on your greatest asset, the customer. This article is going to cover the 4 most common restaurant employee learning mistakes that we see modern restaurants using.
Paper Training
We'll admit it; we are obsessed with progressive training. Cutting-edge technology and training trends are our bread and butter, which is why we think it's important to address paper training first. It's mind-blowing how many restaurants still use paper-based training as a primary source of training. Sure, in some situations it can be supplemental, but using it as your primary method of training is a surefire way to undertrain employees. Paper training doesn't allow you to track results, find areas of improvement, create complex training tasks that implement graphic media, or any of the other training tools that are proven to be more effective than paper-based training.
To simplify things, paper training affects your bottom line. So much so, that we wrote a free eBook over it; check it out if you would like some more information.
Outdated eLearning Technologies
Too often we see restaurants using outdated Learning Management Systems (LMS.) Remember, those eLearning courses should be more than online bubble tests with slideshows smashed in-between. LMS has come a long way since it's inception. Newer programming languages like xAPI have radically changed the way that LMSs interact, track, and engage employees. Failing to take advantage of this new technology is like using an old flip phone to attempt to surf the internet, it's slow, bogged down, and doesn't have all of the features that make browsing the internet intuitive.
Failing to Use Mobile
Of all of the modern restaurant employee learning mistakes we see, this one is the most common. Maybe you have a newer LMS, and maybe you have integrated it in fantastic ways with helpdesks, portals, and knowledge databases. That's great! But, if you are still hesitant to introduce a mobile learning environment, you are making a mistake. Mobile learning is intuitive, engaging, and promotes learning in a modern environment.
There are simply too many ways that mobile learning improves the work environment to discuss in this article. That's why we wrote a free eBook for those of you that are willing to give it a read. It's a little lengthy, but mobile learning is such a big deal that it takes quite a bit of time to discuss all of its benefits in length.
One and Done Training
Restaurants are a fluid environment. In all of our work with restaurants, we have seen just how fast-paced the restaurant environment can be. There is a massive amount of multitasking, customer service, and micro-jobs that come along with working at a restaurant. That's why it's important that training doesn't stop after the initial training period. Modern training requires a consistent ongoing approach to learning. Make sure that you provide your employees countless training opportunities and track them over lengths of time. This is especially true if your restaurant is consistently introducing new products. Learning on the job is just as important as in the classroom learning, and failing to track and utilize that opportunity is a serious offense in work-related education.
Modern learning should incorporate on-the-job and classroom learning into one learning environment. To see why this is important give our free eBook "Trust the Data: How Modern Learning Impacts Your Operational Performance" a look. We find that subjects as broad as ongoing training deserve a lengthier discussion, don't you?
