How To Maximize Your Onboarding Potential

It’s tempting to underestimate the time required for the successful onboarding of new employees. In an industry that often operates on quick turnarounds, it can be difficult to appreciate the time it takes to truly get an employee up to speed. By establishing a connection with your new employees from the get-go, you'll already be one step closer to building a good working relationship with them.

But first, you want them to be able to get through at least 90 percent of their day-to-day tasks on their own, without any additional guidance, by the end of the onboarding period. It’s frustrating to everyone — customers, coworkers, and new employees themselves — when a solid knowledge base hasn’t been created before letting them go solo.

Onboarding timelines will vary by restaurant and position. But it’s fair to say that at a minimum, the entire process should be no less than 90 days. While most employees will be able to work independently well before this point, this timeframe allows them the extra space to fully find their bearings, job shadow, train, and receive meaningful and targeted mentoring. Not to mention, make their fair share of mistakes, learn from them, and move on. It’s all part of the process.

If that seems like a huge commitment — it is! Just remember that this time and energy invested upfront will save you even more time, stress, and money later on. After establishing a connection with your staff, you’ll gain employees that are a lot more confident and satisfied. And happier customers to boot! A win-win-win!