16 Sep
Do you know what it takes to create quality training with the right content, style, and delivery? Fire it up by giving your workers an engaging training experience with these 5 practical tips!
Steps To Fire Up Your Restaurant’s Employee Training Program
Quick service restaurants (QSRs) must provide the proper employee training in order to grow and run efficiently. When it comes to creating content that’s effective and appealing, turns out you don’t have to break the bank to do it. Here are 5 ways to jumpstart your restaurant’s employee training program.
1. Get Ready-To-Go Courses
One of the easiest ways to jumpstart your training program is to implement off-the-shelf training courses. Look for a vendor that is willing to let you modify their course content so that you can include images and videos from your own restaurant.
2. Incorporate Video (Without Expensive Equipment)
Video is a popular format for many online courses. While it may be a great means to deliver information to the learner, it can become a passive activity if you’re not careful. You can avoid this pitfall by customizing the content. For instance, try incorporating pictures of restaurant locations, food from the restaurant and actual employees. The content will become more relatable to employees and will help reinforce the company’s identity and mission. Make sure the audio is also easy for listeners to connect with; the narrator should sound as if they actually work for at the restaurant.
Because this isn’t going to be a Hollywood production you don’t need to purchase expensive A/V equipment to produce quality video and audio. Common smart devices such as the iPhone can yield surprisingly good results. You don’t need sophisticated editing equipment, either. Software tools such as Camtasia or Storyline are simple, inexpensive resources you can use to edit your audio and video.
3. Include Quizzes And Rewards
To ensure employees retain what they’ve learned, test them with short quizzes throughout their courses. Towards the end of a course you can include a longer exam. To promote even more engagement, provide rewards for employees who complete their training on time or score a high score on the final exam. You might be surprised at how much a gift card can help motivate people to follow through with their learning.
4. Keep Lessons Short
When it comes to online learning, it’s important to keep lessons short and succinct. You might want to consider microlearning, a condensed, responsive delivery of information that helps employees meet learning objectives efficiently. Lessons are made up of short-term activities and generally kept at a maximum of 15 minutes. This makes it easy for employees to apply what they’ve learned on the job right away.
Keep in mind that online restaurant training is often interrupted due to other urgent tasks on the job. Make sure the solution you pick has the capability to pause the course so that the employee can easily resume where they’ve left off.
5. Do A Pilot Version Prior To Official Launch
Developing a training course is similar to creating a new recipe—you need to test it often and make adjustments along the way. Make sure to get employee feedback early on by launching a pilot version or organizing focus groups before introducing it widely throughout the organization. Training courses are built for employees so it makes sense for them to be involved in the process. Test your pilot at one or two restaurants and observe how the employees are doing through the training process and get feedback from them.
Conclusion
Employee training programs are critical for today’s fast-growing QSRs. However, finding the time to develop a robust program can be a challenge. By leveraging existing systems and course materials, you can make the development process easier while avoid the costly oversights made by other companies.
Quality course content is also key when it comes to building a workforce that possesses the heart and values of your organization. Remember, quality doesn’t necessarily mean always going the expensive route. I’ve seen numerous customers spend ample time and money to create high quality videos and animation in their online lesson, only to find it doesn’t sit right with the learners they are targeting. Make sure you have an understanding of your employees and their perspectives while developing courses. Get their insights through trial versions before the official launch.
