The Importance Of Training Your Frontline Restaurant Workers

Investing in frontline restaurant workers is your catalyst for growth.

The competition for a slice of the consumer food spending pie is intensifying. New concepts, new brands, and flourishing independents are challenging the ability of restaurant chains to increase — or even hold onto — their share of the consumer food dollar.

More than ever, a positive customer experience is critical for a chain to meet its KPIs. That positive experience depends on crisp coordination of operations to ensure order accuracy, excellent preparation, consistency, and adhere to brand standards.

The key to executing this level of customer service? High-performing frontline team members. Operators that prioritize the critical role of their workers by investing in their performance are better positioned to increase traffic and sales.

The good news is that the investment is worth it. Contrary to conventional wisdom, team members care about their jobs, want to perform well, and do not possess a “temporary job” mindset. But a number of gaps can inhibit associate engagement and performance.

To continue to thrive in the restaurant space, operators should recognize the value-add their employees represent. A growing number of thought leaders and industry experts — including bestselling author and researcher Eric Chester — agree that underinvestment in workforce development and engagement can drag down the performance of a chain. According to Chester, “Your ability to achieve sustainable success is determined by the customer experience. And that experience, no matter where technology takes us, will always be directly tied to the performance of your frontline workforce. If that experience is anything less than desirable for your patrons, then all the resources you invest in your location, menu, food quality, ambiance, and even your marketing won’t be enough to bring them back.”

This report draws on newly published research from the Center for Research and Public Policy, and other sources, that reinforce the position that investing in frontline worker engagement and performance makes business sense. Just as importantly, this report presents ideas for maximizing the return on such an investment.