The importance of on-boarding your cafe staff
Employee onboarding is the process of introducing new employees to your cafe or coffee shop business and helping them transition into their new roles.
Onboarding new hires with the support and resources they need to succeed, you can improve employee retention, increase productivity, and drive business growth.
There are many benefits to having a planned and repeatable onboarding process for new hires. Here are the top three reasons for having onboarding in your coffee shop business:
1. Improved employee retention
Providing new hires with the support they need to succeed in their roles, can improve employee retention and reduce the likelihood that staff will leave your business prematurely. This can save your business time, money and resources that would otherwise be spent on recruiting and training new employees.
2. Increased productivity
Effective employee onboarding leads to increased productivity by ensuring that new hires are up-to-speed on your business’s policies, procedures, and systems. By providing new hires with the knowledge, equipment and other resources they need to succeed, you improve your business’s over all performance to achieve your goals.
3. Business growth
Employee on-boarding also contributes to business growth. Happy staff help you attract and retain other top talent. By investing in your employees’ development, you create a positive company culture which supports the growth of your business.
What’s needed for cafe staff onboarding
To effectively onboard employees in your cafe or coffee shop, there are a few key steps you can take:
- Plan your onboarding process: The first step in effective employee onboarding is to plan your onboarding process. This could involve creating an onboarding schedule, identifying the resources and support that new hires will need, and involving key stakeholders in the process.
- Introduce new hires to your business: During the onboarding process, it is important to introduce new hires to your business and provide them with the information they need to succeed in their roles. This often includes providing an overview of your business’s policies and procedures, introducing them to key stakeholders, and providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
- Provide ongoing support: After a new employee starts and to ensure that new hires are retaining the knowledge and skills they have learned. It is important to provide ongoing support. This may involve offering additional training or resources to help new hires stay up-to-date on industry developments and best practices. Support with flexible working hours to attend workshops or training that advances their use of equipment and skills. Having a ‘buddy’ system where experienced staff coach and care for newer staff.
- Monitor and evaluate onboarding: To ensure that your employee onboarding is effective, it is important to regularly monitor and evaluate the process. This could involve tracking the progress of new hires and seeking feedback from staff and customers to identify areas where additional support may be needed.
Make your onboarding unique to your coffee shop business
Before you go out and just copy what big brand franchises do for employee onboarding. Recognise that you’ll get the same results they do too… both good and bad.
To maximize the value of employee onboarding in your cafe or coffee shop, create onboarding that is unique to your cafe – can be a competitive advantage and add to the value of your business (when you choose to exit).
Customise onboarding to meet the needs of Your Business
To ensure that your employee onboarding is effective, it is important to customize the process to meet the specific needs of your cafe business. How you assess the skills and knowledge new hires already have. How you tailor the onboarding process to address any gaps or weaknesses. These need to be what’s right for your type of cafe.
Use a variety of onboarding methods
Just like in school, where everyone learns differently in the class room. The same exists in the workplace. Make sure you’re helping all different types of learners to shine at their best when they’re just starting out with you.
Keep new hires engaged and ensure that they are retaining the knowledge and skills they have learned. Use a variety of onboarding methods – this could include on-the-job training, workplace manuals, explainer videos, industry workshops, online courses, or other methods that are suited to your business’s needs.
Make onboarding a priority in your cafe business
In hospitality your staff are there to serve your customers and make a positive lasting impression on them so they’ll become regulars.
That’s why employee onboarding is so important.
If you want a popular, profitable coffee shop with great loyal staff; employee onboarding has to be a priority in your business.
Allocate resources and budget to onboarding, set aside dedicated time for onboarding, and involving senior staff in the process.
Encourage employee development beyond onboarding
Support the growth and development of your employees. Encourage them to pursue additional training and development opportunities. This benefits both your staff and your business.
Offering incentives for employees who complete additional training, or providing resources and support to help them pursue their professional development goals. Fostering a business culture of continued improvement where you acknowledge the success of your staff makes a happy workplace that people want to be part of (including your customers).
Effectively onboard employees in your cafe or coffee shop and maximize the value of your investment in employee development.