Yesterday, I had planned to take my family to the movies. As I woke up I received a text message (you can refer to my post on texting in sick) indicting that one of my staff members would not be coming in. I mentioned to my sons how our plans may need to change. Overall, I am fortunate to have an understanding family as we have all pulled together at times to cover shifts. I quickly made phone calls and since we have our staff members cross trained I was quickly able to take care of the situation.
In any type of business you will have unpredictable scenarios that will arise. In the restaurant business you need to be prepared for a variety of situations. One of the most valuable tools that I have used is to cross train my staff. There are five reasons why cross training is beneficial.
Provide Staff with More Opportunities: In having the staff learn the different roles in a business they can move into other positions or be able to attain extra hours if someone calls in sick. We have moved our staff from different areas of the restaurant as they have acquired more skills.
Prepare for Emergencies: If you are short handed, your staff can work together to fill in the position. Also, you have a larger pool of people to ask to cover the shift and not just the ones who are designated in that area.
Improve Teamwork: As each person gets the chance to do other jobs they realize the amount of time it may take to do something or the difficulty in it. This ultimately allows for more understanding and cooperation between all involved. For instance, when our staff is cross trained in the kitchen they have a better knowledge of the time it takes for food to come out. This in turns allow for them to better coordinate the timing of the food coming out. The pizza, pasta, and calzones can all come out together at the same time more efficiently.
Limited Quantity of Staff: If your staff is cross trained you can run a business with the best amount of staff workers. This could possibly eliminate part time positions that may not be needed if the staff you have can working together and produce the same results.
Increase Morale: Employees can feel a better sense of appreciation for their position and others. Sometimes it is nice just to be able break out of the routine of a job.
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