How Gamification Can Help Restaurants Exceed Goals

How Gamification Can Help Restaurants Exceed Goals

by | Apr 29, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Gamification, you’ve probably heard this buzzworthy term more than a few times over the past year, and there’s a reason. From learning new skills to breakthroughs in scientific research, the use of gamification in business is drastically rising because of its effectiveness. Now, it’s time for the restaurant industry to take advantage.

Ameego, the premier online scheduling and labor control platform made specifically for the restaurant industry, recently published an article detailing how restaurants can use gamification to exceed their goals, and it explains gamification perfectly.

Boiled down, gamification is essentially taking an often boring activity, and transforming it into a fun game to achieve high productivity.

And, as of late, leaders in the restaurant world have been utilizing gamification to solve industry-wide problems from high turnover to low sales. Here are just a few that you might want to know about.

Improving employee performance

With the help of gamification experts Guest Engine, CARA, one of Canada’s leading franchise operations, developed a gamified program called #Connect in the hopes of increasing employee performance.

The program is based on the concept of “cooperative competition” in which employees work together to achieve individual goals such as exceeding sales numbers or receiving a positive review.

using gamification in restaurants to increase employee performance

When those goals are met, the gamification comes into play and employees earn points which they can then redeem for rewards, such as badges that signify an accomplishment, perks like writing your own schedule and monetary rewards.

The results: more sales, higher productivity and increased staff morale.

Boosting customer engagement

The use of gamification can extend beyond operations, and a great example is the Dominos ‘Pizza Hero’ app that, among other things, gamified the ordering process.

The app, which was a virtual pizza “slot machine”, would randomly generate a pizza for its owner after shaking the app. To top it off, the pizza could be ordered directly from the app.

using gamification in restaurants to increase employee performance

It was a hit amongst indecisive eaters and within just two weeks of its release, the app generated over 140,000 downloads, doing wonders for their engagement.

For more ways to leverage gamification in your restaurant, check out the Ameego Blog →

Attract Top Talent With Relocation Incentives

Attract Top Talent With Relocation Incentives

by | Apr 18, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Finding top talent to fill the vital roles of a company often requires hospitality management and operations to extend their recruitment strategies. Placement of career opportunities on a broad platform to recruit is good, but making a distinct effort to allure top talent to relocate could net even better results.

 

Selling the Reality Life Enhancement

There’s more to offer beyond salary and benefits.

Successful companies in the hospitality industry understand the positive impact of bringing quality individuals to the table. While offering a competitive salary and benefits is effective in many ways, even more important is to offer a holistic life enhancement opportunity.

Instead of this person being a tourist, desiring to be entertained and dazzled with the sites and events of a location, they’re going to respond better to clear picture of what day-to-day reality will be.

Finding the Employee Who Doesn’t Want to Relocate

The interest is not in relocating, but in working for the company.

See, the person who is immediately on board with relocating is likely going to be the person who then relocates again within a short time. The optimal candidate is the person who doesn’t have a mind to relocate but is the best fit for your company.

The point here is to expand the talent pool from which a company recruits by appealing to those who hadn’t considered relocation, but became open to it after the allurement strategy was employed.

Creating a Movement of Like-Minded Individuals

The world is a smaller place than before the Internet, yet is still large enough for even the most broad-minded people to become location-centered.

While it’s good to have an orderly, unified set of standards to compose the direction of your organization, ultimately a business is most effective when it appreciates and utilizes the innovative creativity of its employees. Holding on and letting go at the same time is a good analogy of the process of best using the diverse talents in your employees.

This culture of like-minded individuals can be an effective selling point during this allurement process. Prospective applicants need a reason beyond salaries and location benefits, and this culture of individuals can be the tipping point in their decision.

As a part of your unique recruitment process, designing a window of insight to show the unique philosophy of your organization will solidify an understanding of your company’s like-minded cohesiveness.

One in a Million is More than Enough

Create a culture of success with successful hires.

Taking advantage of the reach of your recruitment efforts is an effective strategy for finding top talent. With such a large prospective base of people looking for a career in the hospitality industry, finding the right ones for long-term commitment is more likely than ever.

Enticing talented individuals to relocate is worth the effort because finding that one in a million will bring innovation and positive energy to your workforce.

 

The hospitality industry is uniquely positioned to attract top talent who would, at least, consider relocating, but, by the same token, is subject to a shifting workforce. This trend can be reconciled by including relocation incentives in the recruitment process. By reaching those beyond the natural recruiting sphere, you’re tapping into a unique pool of talented employees by offering an unmatched opportunity.

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Tips for Hiring & Retaining Talented Service Employees

Tips for Hiring & Retaining Talented Service Employees

by | Apr 5, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Recent economic trends have led more and more talented individuals to seek employment in the service sector, which is great news if you’re looking to hire employees for your service-related business. Nevertheless, turnover in the industry remains high, which means that even if you score great talent, it’s likely they’ll leave within the year, but not if you know how to pick them, and keep them satisfied on the job. These are the tips to do just that.

1. Think long-term

You might need a restaurant hostess right now or a concierge for your hospitality business, but what will you need in the upcoming months or next year? Thinking more long-term, like investing in continued education and promoting from within, can help you hire someone who can fulfill the position you need right now and then move into another position later on down the road.

Talented employees, whether they’re working in a restaurant, hotel or corporate office, need to stay motivated not only with a sense of purpose but also mastery.

They’ll stay at the place that provides this; where they have a chance to work towards a goal, learn new skills, and grow professionally. So, next time you’re hiring, do so with the intention of future promotion and make it known that this is what you’re seeking in potential employees.

2. Offer good benefits

Many people look at service jobs as just that- a job, not a career. That’s because some employers don’t offer crucial benefits that more traditional offices and career-focused places do. If possible, provide high-level employees with health care, retirement savings, or, if you’re a public company, stock options, so they can remain in the industry instead of going corporate out of necessity.

If you can’t do any of these things, at least not right now, then think about what else you can offer for benefits because these perks can make all the difference. Paid time off, extra pay for holidays, or even a shift meal can make your place of business more appealing than the others down the road.

3. Define your culture

Workplace culture, from how a business looks to employee attitudes and communication, reinforces how an organization operates. It’s a fundamental element that can have a huge impact on the satisfaction of not just your customers but your employees as well.

Even the best employees are nothing without a supportive work environment.

Those who want to build a career in the industry will look to work somewhere that has clearly defined values, priorities and communication, otherwise known as an attractive and inviting culture. So, if you haven’t already, work on building a positive workplace culture that will improve customer experience and employee satisfaction.

4. Ask your best employees for references

Great employees probably surround themselves with people who have a similar work ethic. Take advantage of this, and make the most of your employees’ networks when hiring next. Ask your best employees if they have any references or know anyone looking for a job. This will show your staff that you trust them, value their opinions and could lead to an exceptional hire.

5. Appreciate your employees

Employees talk about their jobs, so it’s going to be well-known if you’re a gracious employer or a hellish one.

Keep your reputation rock-solid by showing your appreciation.

Hosting company events, giving praise publicly and even just being understanding when mistakes are made can go a long way in expressing gratitude.

Beyond what your employees say, customers can tell the difference between a well-treated staff and one that’s under-appreciated. If it’s the former, service will be great, customers will be happy and business will be good. If it’s the latter, at the very least, you’ll have some pretty bad yelp reviews to deal with.

Hiring is one of the most difficult aspects of the service industry, which is why spending the time to source talented employees and dedicating resources to maximize job satisfaction is crucial to the success of your business. And, we’re here to help. Find more info and tips in our Management section.

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New Overtime Rules Are Coming Faster Than You Think

New Overtime Rules Are Coming Faster Than You Think

by | Mar 30, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Restaurants could be forced to change the way they pay managers in just a few months as the federal government moves forward on new rules that dramatically expand who is eligible for overtime.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor sent its final set of overtime rules to the Office of Management and Budget, a mandatory step that precedes publication of those final rules.

“The OMB has 30 to 90 days to review the rules, after which they will be published,” said Elizabeth Washko, an attorney in Nashville, Tenn., with the Ogletree Deakins labor and employment firm. After that, employers will have 60 to 90 days to comply.

Add it all up and restaurants have three to six months to figure this out.

However, it will most likely be closer to the three-month mark. According to Washko, “they’re pushing to have that done earlier than expected.”

The rules do not require an act of Congress, but there is an incentive for the Labor Department to get the rules out sooner rather than later – the prospect that the November election could usher in a new administration that stops the change.

The final rules are not yet known. But, as proposed, they would dramatically increase the weekly pay threshold for those who can be classified as exempt, from $455 per week to $970 per week, or from $23,660 per year to $50,440.

That would make the lowest paid 40 percent of the workforce eligible for excess pay if they work more than 40 hours a week.

The rules could have a significant impact on employers’ costs and management strategies. The National Retail Federation has estimated that it would cost retail and restaurant businesses $745 million to comply with the new regulations.

“I think it’s going to cost money in the long run for most restaurants,” Washko said. “Some restaurant companies will handle it more effectively and mitigate costs.”

In a note this week, Piper Jaffray analyzed several restaurant and retail companies and listed their average pay for store managers, based on numbers from Glassdoor. The analysis listed several chains that pay their unit managers less than $50,000 a year, on average.

Those chains or their franchisees, which include Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King and Noodles & Company, could be required to hike pay for managers for them to qualify as exempt from overtime rules.

On the flip side, companies like Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group Inc. and Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc. that operate upscale concepts would be less affected because their managers are paid higher wages and would be exempt under the rules.

Washko said that companies could reclassify unit managers as non-exempt and then pay them overtime wages. The problem with that is that unit managers work a lot of overtime.

“Exempt managers work hard, and they work hard for good reason, because of incentives, bonuses and things to make the restaurant more successful.”

“They’re either going to have to bump them up to the new minimum or reclassify them as non-exempt, which may result in overtime,” she said.

The National Retail Federation expects that the new rules will affect 2.2 million retail and restaurant workers, and that 32 percent of those would actually be converted to hourly.

But 21 percent of the affected workers would have their base wages lowered to reflect the number of hours they work, so even though those employees will get overtime, they won’t be paid more.

Washko believes that such a move could impact a restaurant’s morale. “It feels like a demotion,” she said. “You’re having to clock in and out and watch your hours. It could affect morale.”

Another potential concern is that the final rule could say something about the type of work that managers do.

Washko said the final rule could include a “duties test” that would govern how much basic labor managers are doing. The idea, potentially, is that managers must spend most of their time managing and not cooking food or serving customers.

“It’s hard to know anything concrete until we know the final rule,” she said.

Still, in the meantime, operators can prepare for the rules by getting a sense of what managers do, their job descriptions and what they do during a typical day. She also said restaurants should collect data for exempt managers and figure out how many hours they work in a typical week.

This article originally appeared on Nation’s Restaurant News.

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Getting ServSafe Certified As Efficiently As Possible

Getting ServSafe Certified As Efficiently As Possible

by | Mar 16, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Food and beverage safety is the number one priority when running a restaurant, especially a successful one. That means making sure your managers, service staff and bar staff are trained and that their certifications stay up-to-date.

Enter ServSafe, the most popular food and beverage safety training program in the industry. Accepted in every state, it’s the obvious choice in terms of training resources. Now, you just have to figure out when and how to make sure your employees get ServSafe certified and that’s where we come in…

Here are the pro-tips to ensure your staff has all the training they need:

Create a schedule for everyone to get certified routinely

The ServSafe certificate is good for 5 years. In addition, many states mandate that you get re-certified once every certain number of years. For instance, California wants recertification once every 5 years, in Utah it is every 3 years, and Alaska is every 5 years.

No one expects you to keep track of all your employees hire-dates in your head, so have a schedule up in your break room that shows re-certification dates by hire date. For instance, if you hired 3 people in 2014, all three get a training day together in 2017.

Pro-tip: Make sure managers are also on the schedule, since many states (Rhode Island and California, for instance) mandate that a manager certified in safe food handling is always on site when food is being prepared.

Let technology be your friend

ServSafe has online courses that allow employees to take classes in the comfort of the break room or their own living rooms. Online courses make it easy to get new hires certified quickly and lets you work around everyone’s busy schedules.

To make things even more convenient, you can request eCertificates.

Students can request that the PDF file of the certificate be emailed to them immediately after they pass the exam, which means that you can have the proof of their training displayed right away.

Get all your certificates at once

ServSafe certifies in food safety for managers, food safety for food handlers, responsible alcohol serving, and allergen safety. Their website also has links to National Restaurant Association programs for food management professionals.

Line everything up at once so you don’t have to keep track of different expiration dates and which certificates you are missing.

Make sure everyone passes the first time by offering study help

Honestly, some people don’t take tests well. They may be fantastic Chefs and Managers, with sterling records regarding safety and sanitation, but they have a hard time taking notes or they freeze at the word ‘exam.’

Remind your staff that if anyone needs a little assistance in note taking or understanding questions, you’re more than willing to help, and that ServSafe has links to quizzes and other study guides.

This way, your world-class employees can spend more time doing their jobs and less time fretting about a test.

Food safety certification is mandatory in most states and counties. These tips will make complying with these regulations easy and efficient, and will keep your establishment focused on producing good food, instead of keeping up with paperwork.

 

5 Interviewing Tips for Smart Hiring in the Hospitality Business

5 Interviewing Tips for Smart Hiring in the Hospitality Business

by | Mar 9, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

The world is saturated with advice for job seekers in the hospitality industry about how to come out of interviews ahead when seeking new employment, and as any manager who has held more than one round of interviews can confess, that shows. However, smooth talk and instant likability during the interview don’t always translate to the workplace. So how can management see past the shine to choose the best possible person for a position? We’ve got the answer…

Here are five tips for smart hiring in the hospitality business:

 

Determine whether or not the candidate has done his or her research

Hiring managers often begin an interview by telling the candidate about the business, both its history and current positioning in the industry. Instead of going traditional, break the mold and ask the candidate to explain what he or she knows about the company.

Candidates who have put in the extra work to learn as much as possible about the company prior to the interview are more likely to go above and beyond when it comes to time to work. Not to mention, it’s a good sign that the candidate is interested in actually working for you and not just finding a job.

Ask interview questions about job-specific tasks

Hospitality is sometimes unpredictable, so it’s essential for employees to show overall good judgement, quick decision-making, and flexibility. However, a large portion of any hospitality job is predictable, which allows you to get a glimpse at how candidates would approach their daily tasks.

Start by asking general questions that touch on part of the position for which the candidate is interviewing. After a few of these, move on to more specific questions having to do with the same topic.

You’re not only testing their ability to handle the job, but also their sincerity by opening up the opportunity for inconsistent answers.

For example, part of a general manager position is firing employees, so start by asking questions about handling conflict in the workplace. Then transition to specific questions about firing responsibilities and handling confrontation.

If a candidate is either unable to answer your questions or inconsistent in their responses, it’s unlikely they’ll thrive in the position.

Test the candidate’s industry knowledge

Even the most experienced interviewers can’t weed out all unqualified candidates solely based on resumes, so count on some slipping through the cracks. Most often, these are enterprising problem solvers desperate for any job at all who have no prior experience in hospitality.

Thankfully eliminating these candidates can be as simple as quickly quizzing each person who sits in the interviewee chair on basic industry knowledge.

For example, nearly anyone will be able to explain what a server does during service, so skip to what’s behind-the-scenes. Ask about the post-service tasks to gain decidedly more insight about the candidate’s true level of industry know-how.Discuss industry trends

 

Discuss industry trends

Another type of candidate to look out for is the person who does have industry experience and is qualified, but who does not want a career therein for the long-term. While it may be more difficult to ascertain this than other factors, it’s an important piece of information. So how to tell?

A candidate who is serious about a successful future in the hospitality industry should be able to speak about current trends and latest news.

Ask which of latest industry innovations he or she is most excited about. But don’t stop there. Also inquire about what trade publications or events the candidate has found to be the most and least helpful in his or her career and which connections have been the most fruitful.

Someone who is unable even to name a trade magazine, for example, probably does not view hospitality as his or her permanent field. Finding this out now will save the company time and money on repeating the hiring and training processes in the future.

Ask Other Staff For Impressions

It is natural that every job candidate do his or her best to make an excellent impression during the actual interview. However, good behavior doesn’t always extend to the waiting room or with other employees not conducting the interview.

Asking other staff members who had a chance to interact with candidates before or after the interview can therefore provide valuable insight. This alternate perspective can reveal what would otherwise remain unknown and lead to more informed hiring decisions.

 

It is never possible to completely eliminate the risk of hiring someone who turns out to be ill-suited in the long-run. But, by following the tips above, every hiring manager can make the most of his or her time with each candidate and increase the likelihood of choosing the best possible person for the job.

 

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