Your employees are the lifeblood of your restaurant no matter which way you look at it.  They’re your biggest expense, your biggest money maker, and your biggest headache all rolled into one.  The restaurant industry can be one of the most frustrating places to hire and manage a good staff.  Turnover is high, the workforce is much younger than average, and at the same time good service is paramount to your success.

Behind every successful restaurant is a loyal and dedicated staff.  That kind of staff doesn’t just materialize on its own – it is built from the ground up by an effective manager.  That process starts with the hiring and training of employees.  Screening candidates and getting new hires off on the right foot is the most fundamental step to developing a good workforce for your restaurant.

However, even the best hiring and new employee training program isn’t going to make your restaurant successful.  Ongoing training for all staff is essential, not only because everyone in your restaurant can stand to learn more, but because creating a culture of steady learning helps you improve retention rates and make your employees more effective at what they do.  Serving alcohol safely, cross training, and food safety are all areas where ongoing training is a must for any restaurant.

That’s not to say training has to suck up a lot of budget.  It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking “I just can’t afford to train my employees right now.”  An effective training program can be implemented for very little cost, as long as you’re willing to put in the time.

Great training doesn’t do you any good without effective management.  How you handle labor allocation through scheduling, compensation and promotion, and deal with issues like employee theft will set the tone for your staff.  In the end, good leadership and an inspiring example are probably the most effective methods for attracting and keeping a great staff.