What Does Empowering your Staff Mean to Biz
What Does Empowering your Staff Mean to Biz

No matter how obscure a guest’s order may be, getting it right is paramount. Sure, sometimes guests are just extraordinarily picky eaters. Often though, guests make special requests because of an allergy or sensitivity to a particular food. Order accuracy isn’t just about providing great service, it’s also about protecting guest safety. And, all that is done with the help of great staff and team.

“A strong brick never lets a building fall”. Staff is the biggest asset for a brand without which nothing is possible. The key to happy and productive employees is to make sure they feel important in their role. Empowering the staff means handing them responsibilities, sharing authority, deciding together and thus leading to more sales, improved morale, boosted enthusiasm, loyal staff, smooth functioning and happy customers. For the asset that they are to a brand, rewarding them definitely makes them more efficient and productive. By regular staff meetings, personal one to one talks, training workshops, staff parties and their feedback helps in their empowerment.

Globally, it is believed that 90 per cent of the most successful restaurants have the best team to work with. Empowering staff means a lot as it makes the overall business smooth and happening. “Employee empowerment means turning over decision-making responsibilities and authority to front-line employees. In the hospitality industry, enabling your sales, service and kitchen staff to make decisions can improve morale and increase customer service in responding to problems,’ says Siddhartha Sarmah, Executive Sous Chef , Novotel Pune by adding that it is very important to reward effective decisions.

 

By clearly defining service standards, role play training and discussing alternatives, restaurants can surely look up to their staff to grow and build their businesses.  There is no denying that building your brand starts with your team. Their overall training and behaviour can determine whether you’ll get repeat business or a poor review. That experience goes beyond just the food, too.  “If you as a brand always look for more and better, the secret lies in empowering the staff. Unlike many businesses, the staff at restaurants are the face of the brand seconding the food they are served. Thus making sure they are as good as the food and drinks, is always a good decision. An empowered staff represents a fine brand and also helps in maintaining its image and vision,” points Umang Tiwari, Owner, LIV Bar.

 

From demonstrating your trust in them to defining a clear brand vision, all is important. Encouraging them, defining clear channels of communication, supporting their feedbacks and views, delegating more than just work, allowing flexibility and inspiring creative thinking are some of the important legs of any successful and empowered staff which leaves more room from the brand to grow successfully and consistently. “ Growth and excellence in the staff is a strong sign of development. For a sector that the hospitality industry is, staff i.e. the chief personnel plays an important role. Staff empowerment not only make the brand big but also fastens its growth as well,” adds Dinesh Arora of Unplugged Courtyard.

 
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