How to Effectively Onboard Your New Employees

Among the most critical and challenging steps for any startup or growing restaurant concept is staffing. Finding and hiring staff can test the skills of even experienced owners and managers.

That's why this magazine and RestaurantOwner.com have dedicated significant content and resources to the subject from legal and operational perspectives.

Onboarding, the process of integrating new employees into an organization, is perhaps less talked about than recruiting; however, it is no less crucial to the success of a restaurant. Lasting anywhere from 30 to 90 days, onboarding "lays the foundation for all new employees," says Maggie Wisner, owner of the multi-unit concept Squid Lips Overwater Grill in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, and Sebastian, Florida.

Wisner adds: "Having a clear understanding from the start on the company's vision and standards helps the employees know what the expectations are, and what kind of company they are going to be working for."

Other operators and consultants echo Wisner's views on the subject. After completing background checks and other due diligence in the hiring process, onboarding is "the critical next step," says Jay Bandy, president of the Goliath Consulting Group in Atlanta, Georgia. Done well, he continues, it sets both employee and employer up for success. "All government documents are completed. The guidelines of how the restaurant is run and what the expectations are of the employee and employer are covered in detail. Training schedules are set up."