Take Care of the HR Prep Work with Restaurant Onboarding Software

Restaurant management technology has come a long way since order wheels first appeared in kitchen windows. Today, the restaurant industry rewards efficiency over nostalgia. One place where restaurants can further improve efficiency is welcoming and training new employees with efficient and easy-to-use restaurant onboarding software.

Only 12% of American employees say their company does a good job of onboarding (source: Gallup) 

The ever-evolving restaurant management industry demands new and better HR solutions. Learn more how restaurant onboarding software can help your restaurant can help not only recruit, hire, and onboard new employees, but also improve the overall employee experience and retain workers. 

Why is Onboarding So Complicated in Restaurants?

Increased operational complexities

Savvy restaurant owners improve their profit margins by managing suppliers. They also reduce wastage and forecast demand. Restaurant payroll software with the right features can be integrated with all HR functions, including onboarding, scheduling, benefits administration, training, and more.

Demand for efficient staff management

It’s not just customers that expect instant gratification. Your more experienced workers will remember the perks at their last employer. They’ll get nostalgic about online schedules and user-friendly portals for staff. These days, even the best managers can’t compete without HR tools resolving issues.

Integration of modern technology in HR practices

HR software improves the efficiency and accuracy of the most tedious, repetitive tasks. Automate payroll and withholdings, removing opportunities for human errors. The most frustrating and time-consuming routines can be simplified with HR technology, including restaurant onboarding software.

Why is Restaurant Onboarding Software Important?

For all the talk about robotic burger flippers, human staff will continue to cook, wait tables, and manage restaurants for the foreseeable future. Likewise, your onboarding process demands to be people-centric.

For onboarding specifically, a great onboarding process converts new hires into an efficient part of your team quicker and more effectively. Great onboarding makes all the difference in company culture. Reduce turnover and set the pace for day-to-day operations. 

Help new employees hit the ground running

When your restaurant is short-staffed, you don’t have extra hours to devote to training. Onboarding determines how quickly your new hire is able to get to work. HR software opens up new options for pre-onboarding. Key paperwork (and even training videos) can be completed remotely and beforehand.

Clearly define job expectations, responsibilities, and performance metrics

Communication sets the tone for all human relationships. That includes the dynamics between employers and employees. Use restaurant onboarding software to ensure the essentials are communicated as clearly as possible. You can track each trainee’s progress through the training material.

Streamlined administrative lift

Payroll, benefits, and other administrative tasks come at you like a dinner rush every pay period. Automate your hourly pay calculations, withholdings, and other burdensome tasks. The right restaurant onboarding software simplifies management and lets your leaders focus on the actual restaurant business.

Comprehensive training

Training is a must-have in the restaurant industry. New hires will need to learn your menu and the quirks of your unique process. Go beyond the bare minimum to close skill gaps. Plus, professional growth plans will give experienced staff another reason to stick around, reducing turnover. With training for multiple roles, flexible workers make the whole restaurant more adaptable.

Intro to company and workplace culture

Every restaurant has its own unique flavor and culture. You get the chance to shape company culture during onboarding. Restaurant onboarding software makes it easy to introduce your company’s values and mission. If it doesn’t achieve the desired effect, training programs are easy to swap around with different training cycles. 

Establish communication channels

How do employees request time off? Do employees have a way to give feedback anonymously? Or are customer complaints the only opinions that seem to matter? If workers have to text and call the personal phone of their manager, then your restaurant is leaving itself open to a world of liability. Establish your own communication channels to keep things professional and automatically documented.

Sharing required and helpful resources

Paper handbooks have their place, but electronic resources don’t disappear into a pile behind the bed. Provide online access to your employee handbook, and you won’t have to deal with the hassle of veteran staff having older versions. Quick guides to new menu items and new policies can also be easily shared electronically.

Introduce scheduling procedures

Availability is a huge factor in hiring decisions. Nevertheless, even the best workers will eventually have scheduling conflicts. HR scheduling software makes it easy to compare the schedules on job applications. Train new hires on your policies and expectations around scheduling.

Prioritize safety and compliance

Restaurant onboarding software doesn’t just gather employee information and distribute handbooks. Track each trainee as they move through the material. Do your due diligence during onboarding to cover required safety and compliance material.

Discover how Netchex can help improve your new hire process with industry-specific restaurant onboarding software: