Tips aren’t considered as an impressive incentive for restaurant staff – you know what is? A workplace incentive program. By creating one you can motivate your staff to want to work harder and be the best they can be, even during the slow parts of the day.
A well-thought-out employee incentive program can improve restaurant’s sales, boost profit margins, and improve the overall customer experience.
Here are four incentives to keep your restaurant employees happy:
Free-Style Friday
Restaurant uniforms are important – they showcase a unity between your team members and helps customers identify your employees. But why not make Friday a casual day? It doesn’t cost you anything and gives your staff the chance to showcase their own personal style.
Reward Attendance
You can’t run a restaurant without staff. Let’s face it, you can’t cook, serve, and run the business all by yourself – no matter how impressive you think your skills are. Being short staffed can put a lot of pressure on the employees who did show up. Keep track of staff attendance and at the end of each quarter, give them a small cash bonus or gift card. Your staff will be motivated to show up knowing extra money is attached to their attendance.
Certificate or Plaque
Nothing feels better than receiving an award. Why not give the server who sold the most in check sizes or the employee who never missed a day of work a certificate or plaque of some sort. You can even give a plaque to the person who was mentioned the most in positive customer reviews on Yelp or Google Reviews. A simple certificate or award goes a long way.
Tuition Reimbursement
Did you know that 79% of employees reported tuition assistance is a key factor when joining a company? Investing in your staff to further their education and professional development is one of the greatest incentives you can offer. This gives employees the chance to increase their industry knowledge and develop advanced skills to help your restaurant succeed.
Ask your employees what kinds of incentives they are interested in. Make it inclusive to everyone and personalize them to your employees unique interests. Employee incentives offer a chance of recognition so be sure to promote your incentive program into your company’s culture.
