Given how expensive and time-consuming it is to hire and train the right staff, you certainly want to hold onto them by making them glad they work for you and not for one of your competitors. Happy staff will work hard, which in turn leads to happy repeat customers.
This means ensuring that you view your daily operations through the prism of human resources. Do you make the effort to anticipate peak-volume times, such as big sports nights, so your employees aren't run ragged? Do you have sufficient staff to cover off breaks and lunches, so your employees will be able to provide the best service when on shift? Have you trained your staff to provide the service your customers expect, and how do you provide feedback when you see room for improvement?
As an example of someone displaying solid HR practices, take Shirley Hannah, co-owner with her husband David Hannah of the French Quarter Pub in Coquitlam, BC. For her, the answers to such questions start on a hire's very first day. The new employee, who must acquire Serving It Right certification, is given print-outs of the French Quarter's cash-handling policies and procedures and its general house policies and procedures. Employees sign that they have received the material, and then Shirley goes through it with them verbally. "This way", she says, "nobody can come back at you and say they didn't know."
Shirley doesn't wait until the standard 90-day probation period ends to then deliver corrective feedback in a single "good news/bad news" session. The reason for that is simple: She wants the employee to succeed as much as the employee does, and it's in both their best interests for the employee to get up to speed as soon as possible. Suggestions for improvement are given whenever required, although she is meticulous about doing it in private. Thereafter, a formal, annual performance evaluation is conducted confidentially as well.
That said, job openings at the French Quarter Pub are rare. Many of the 20 or so staff are mature employees, which gives them some perspective on the realities of the workplace. This also means they need Shirley to be understanding about the ups and down of family life. By being flexible, Shirley wins their loyalty. "Things happen suddenly in people's lives, and everyone here is very good at covering off for each other," she says. "I always tell them, 'If you need some time off, or if you know you're going to have a family issue, let us know as soon as you know, and we'll do everything possible to make sure you get the time off.' As a result, very rarely do people just not show up for a shift. If they're not here, I know why."
An owner or manager can go a long way in leading staff by role-modeling the appropriate behaviour first. During the shift or at the end of the night before the cleaning staff come in, Shirley will pitch in as if she's on probation herself. "They'll see me in there doing ashtrays, watering the plants, changing garbage at the bar. If somebody upchucks in the bathroom, I've been in there cleaning it up. I wouldn't ask anybody to do something I wouldn't do myself."
Role-modeling the appropriate behaviour includes not breaking the rules even though you're the boss. For instance, the French Quarter often features a chicken-wings special at such low prices that house policy precludes take-out orders. Regular customers who won't take no from the wait staff often buttonhole Shirley herself. "I say, 'You know what, guys, I'm sorry. If I expect the staff to obey the rules, how would it look to them if I made an exception for you?'"
As an employer, co-worker and friend, Shirley's management style is simple: Be thorough, fair and consistent. "We all have good days and bad days, and we have to work together. I tell people when they start, 'If you screw up or make mistakes, we can deal with that, if you’re honest about it'." As testament to the fact that her method works, 80% of those employees who do move on eventually return to the French Quarter and ask for their jobs back.
