4 Tips for Hiring and Improving a Food Concession Staff
Posted on: 22 February 2016
When you decide to start a food concession business, one of the toughest aspects is hiring and managing staff. While operating a food concession trailer is not as difficult as some other jobs, choosing the people with the right qualities to help you run the business may be more difficult than you think. This is why it is important to put policies in place that will best help you hire and improve your staff.
Choose the Right People for the Job
A concession business is very high-stress and fast-paced, so it is critical to find employees who can cope with this type of work. Reliability is one of the first qualities you should look for. Being friendly and outgoing are additional qualities that can be an asset to your business. The ability to multi-task while remaining customer oriented should also be a priority when hiring workers for your business.
Be Straightforward with Your Staff
When you are addressing your staff, ensure that you are honest about specific expectations that you have for your business. Also be clear on what would constitute a reason for termination. Emphasize your standards for cleanliness, service quality, and customer service. Also, personal appearance and hygiene policies should be clearly communicated to your employees, since they will be working directly with food.
Provide Rewards on Occasion
While a regular paycheck is a form of reward for performing a job, providing rewards for going above and beyond is a great way to inspire your staff. Let them know that they are appreciated. You can provide them with vouchers for other booths at an event you are working that they can enjoy when they take a break. You can also place a tip jar near the register and divide it among the employees each day. Think about some things that your employees will enjoy and appreciate.
Defend against Theft
Unfortunately, not everyone is as honest as they set out to be. Since the work is so fast-paced, it provides a way for dishonest employees to pocket money from the cash register when you are not paying attention. This emphasizes why it is so important to know the approximate revenue your food business generates each day. Keep the type of event you are working in mind, as larger events will almost always generate higher receipts. If you begin to notice a downtrend in the daily revenue, it may be time to investigate to see if you have a dishonest employee. Even better is to keep track of your inventory. If a certain amount of inventory is used during a day but the proceeds don't match up, you may have a problem with honesty, or, at the very least, employees that need more training on prices and how to make sales.
These policies can help you develop your management skills, but more importantly, they ensure you have an honest and happy staff working for you. If you can, try to have the same staff work the bulk of your events. Hiring temporary workers has its benefits, but the rapport you develop with a regular staff can lead to a much more serene business.
If you're in need of concession trailer equipment, contact a company like CS Techs Inc.
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