The Role of Coaching in Restaurant Workforce Development

In the 20-plus years that I have been studying the best practices of independent restaurateurs, the topic of staffing always rises to the surface. According to many owners, successful workforce planning and management seem to be the most significant key success factors, as well as the greatest source of frustration.

If you have ever grumbled aloud about the difficulty of finding and keeping good employees, you likely realize that you are not alone – particularly in the current labor market. “Today’s operators have difficulty finding any employees and are thankful for just warm bodies,” says Arthur Gordon, the founder of Irregardless Café, an iconic independent restaurant in Raleigh, NC, which opened its doors in the 1970s. Gordon sold his concept in 2019, after 45 successful years in business at the same location. Some of his employees were employed with the concept for decades. “I think this is a time when employers must go far and above normal hiring practices,” says Gordon, who summarizes the staffing process neatly. “You have to identify potential employees and overtrain and overpay them and hope to hold onto them.”

Theoretically, the A, B, and C employees model makes sense; however, restaurant workers are not grades of beef. More often they are works in progress.

Of course, this is much easier said than done. If you are like many independent operators, you do not have a dedicated human resources staff. When you break down the process into each step, it is complex, although you might not look at it in such detail.

The first step in building your workforce is sourcing talent. Where do you find suitable employees? Do you lean on referrals from your staff? Where do you place your employment advertisements?

Once you figure out where to look for talent, the next step is recruitment. How do you attract suitable candidates to apply for the job? What makes your concept a desirable place to work?

The next step is selection. How do you choose the best applicants for your business and convince them to accept your job offer? Once you have hired an employee, you must onboard and train them. Even if they have experience, they do not have experience in your concept or unit, including your business culture.

A step that is often overlooked by small businesses, is deployment. That is, finding the best role for your employees to contribute meaningfully to the business, based on their strengths and talents. All these phases of workforce creation are critical to creating an effective staff, let alone retaining employees.

Ideally, you optimize each step in the workforce planning process. Yet, regardless how well you have assembled your current staff, you need to cultivate it. That is particularly true when you are in what Gordon described as the “thankful for warm bodies” mode.

“It’s kind of like building a winning professional football team,” says Gordon. His sports analogy is appropriate. The term “coaching” is most often applied to athletes. Ideally, we can source, recruit, hire, and train reliable employees who give 100% to their jobs. In the restaurant business, as in professional athletics, some players are stellar in every aspect. As we all know, however, superstars are rare.

Getting Staff to Bring Their “A” Game

Among even elite athletes, players have strengths and weaknesses. Some have the natural athletic ability but find themselves hampered by their attitude or teamwork. Some have tremendous desire, motivation, and skill, but need to improve their strength and speed.