The success of any cafe or restaurant is largely dependent on the quality of their team. As a business owner, you might be wondering how to attract the best talent and create a positive work culture that keeps your staff motivated and your customers happy. This blog post aims at providing some insights on how to achieve this.
The Importance of a Positive Work Culture
Every business owner that is not a sole trader, knows a positive work culture is vital. But not every business owner understands all the reasons why and some don’t understand where they’re going wrong.
A positive work culture not only attracts top talent but also, and most importantly, retains them. Employees who enjoy their work environment are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover rates and recruitment costs. They are also more likely to be more productive and provide excellent customer service, which can significantly boost the business’s reputation and profitability.
How to Attract Top Talent to Your Business
Attracting top talent starts with creating an appealing job advertisement. Highlighting the benefits of working for your business, such as opportunities for career advancement, competitive pay, and a friendly work environment is indisputably more important than the job description. Do you expect top talent to be very well aware of what the job entails? They are. A job advert has to have a job description, but it’s secondary, the role title says it all (almost, almost always).
Also, consider the platforms you use to advertise your vacancies. Online job boards, social media, and recruitment agencies like Marshall Agency are all effective ways to reach potential candidates. Where do your potential top talent gather and socialise? Be there, your advert that is.
Creating a Positive Work Environment
What creates a positive work environment? Pay salary on time? Imperative, but expected and although it can destroy any work environment if not adhered to, it does nothing or very little to build a positive work environment. Have clearly defined tasks and responsibilities? It’s important no doubt if you want an operationally sound business but secondary when it comes to the work environment. Have an open door policy? That’s great (if the door is actually open, literally and figuratively), as long as it’s not just a performative act meant for optics rather than real engagement and problem-solving. An open door can’t mean only that employees are free to enter, it means that whoever is inside does come out to meet and communicate with the employees. Many business owners hide behind an open door and wonder why there’s a bad work environment. So what can you do then?
Communication is a two-way street
Promoting open communication is crucial for any business owner to understand what goes on in their business in terms of environment rather than just the numbers. When the numbers tell the business owner that there’s a potential work environment problem, the damage can be irreversible (your top talent left and your problematic staff remains with their toxic behaviour and/or poor performance. Implement an honest open door policy where your staff can enter but you can and do get out to meet them.
Recognising employee achievements. If you think you’re recognising your staff contributions (particularly when they go above and beyond their duty or deliver exceptional results / make a significant impact to the business) by paying them a salary, re-read this section of the blog. Do you think you should reward a team member with a salary increase or a bonus for instance? By all means do it, it will be very appreciated but it has to be preceded by a thank you for “insert here what the team member has done and its impact to the business”. If you have to choose between a monetary reward and the latter, always choose the latter. If you can (and it’s appropriate) do both every time.
Can Only Grow Together
Provide opportunities for professional development. Reasonable businesses train their staff to carry out their job efficiently. Great businesses create opportunities for growth by continuing training their staff for the next roles they may come to take on. Great business owners focus primarily on making themselves unnecessary for the business success.
Aim to have regular team-building activities. This is a tricky one since you can’t please everyone every time but if you treat it responsibly, put time and effort into it, involve the team in the decision making and communicate openly about current and future activities you can foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork that no working hours will be able to create.
Handle Conflict Effectively
In any workplace, conflicts are bound to arise. And in many workplaces, managers/owners are quick to dismiss/ignore or take sides. How do you handle these conflicts?
It’s important to address issues promptly and fairly, ensuring all parties feel heard and respected. Your top talent can make mistakes and be in the wrong sometimes and your weaker team member may be in the right (not to mention they’re a top talent in the making). Handling conflict effectively can help maintain a harmonious work environment and prevent minor disagreements from escalating into major problems. It can also improve the work environment to a more positive environment than it was before the conflict. Have a conflict in your team? Grab the opportunity to make your business’s work environment better than what already is.
A Balancing Act
Finally, promoting a healthy work-life balance is crucial in the hospitality and catering industry, where long hours and high-stress levels are common. Encourage your employees to take regular breaks and ensure they have enough time off to recharge. This can help prevent burnout and keep your team motivated and productive. Have you asked your team if they would prefer to have an extra day or shift off or do you assume they prefer to get the money? Have you asked them anything at all? What would they like to have in order to improve their work-life balance? If you think you can’t afford it but continue to see your staff leaving and having to recruit and train new staff, maybe you should start thinking about what you’re affording with the current situation.
Successful businesses understand that fostering a positive work culture is a multifaceted process that requires ongoing effort and looking not just at the costs of doing something but also at the costs and the missing opportunities from doing nothing. The benefits from improved employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and increased profitability make it well worth the investment.
Hope this blog resonates with you, but even if it preaches to the choir, we hope you’ve found valuable insights to propel your business forward.
Don’t forget to visit marshallagency.co.uk for more insights on hospitality and to discover more about who we are and what we do. Follow us on Instagram @marshallagcy for the latest updates and tips.
