The food service industry is projected to soar with a forecast to reach $997 Billion in 2023. Those numbers will also impact a larger workforce by more than 500,000 jobs. Many restaurant owners and managers strive to provide a unique and memorable dining experience for their customers. But not all of them realize that as a service business, their employees are the key to delivering that experience and restaurants should invest in providing a great experience for their staff as well. If employees are happy in their roles, they are much more likely to create a positive experience for the people they’re serving.
What’s more: satisfied employees are more likely to stick around, which means improving the employee experience is key to reducing costly turnover.
How can operators elevate the employee's experience using technology?
Here are key technology solutions that can make your staff happier, more motivated, and productive:
BACK - OF - HOUSE INTERACTIVE SIGNAGE
“Research shows that companies with effective communication strategies are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their competitors, while 97% of employees believe communication has an impact on their task efficacy”.
Communication, interactivity, and collaboration are essential components of any successful workplace, including restaurants. With increased communication between staff members, the overall productivity of the restaurant increases significantly.
Employee engagement using Interactive displays enables collaboration and communication between staff through simple and effective touch interactions and versatile connectivity. Such displays provide a space where ideas can be shared and discussed, while also providing an opportunity to visually present information in a way that is more engaging than traditional ones. The staff can quickly and easily share any ideas on improving customers’ dine-in experience, restaurant news, or coming holiday preparations in real-time. Moreover, restaurant managers and owners can instantly connect across devices and different locations and navigate through a variety of content and formats. Interactive displays can also be used for training purposes to provide instructions to a new employee in an easier but more effective way.
BACKGROUND MUSIC
According to a recent study, an impressive 81% of employees performed better when listening to music. The cause for this productivity boost, according to additional studies, is attributed to the mood-enhancing of music. It is therefore not surprising that 74% of music-loving employees report enjoying their work more when good music is played. You also need to keep it updated and fresh.
Hearing the same song for the 5th time on a shift will not improve mood or well-being, and studies show it greatly produces cognitive fatigue which can lead to mistakes both in the back of the house or in the dining area with guests. The right background music in the restaurant can decrease stress and increase concentration for employees and put customers more at ease.
This rather small investment into a good commercial music service can greatly impact your employee work experience.
ALL-IN-ONE CONTROL SYSTEM
Do you have multiple media sources such as TVs, digital signages, and sound equipment in your bar or restaurant that create a complex web of technology, causing inconvenience for your staff to operate? Now with automation, management of technology can be scheduled to turn on/off at times including lighting.
A solution to this hassle is an all-in-one Control System, which can centralize all your media sources into a single hub with just one click. By bringing everything together in one place, this system can make your employees’ lives easier and improve the efficiency of your business by solving all your media-related issues. Restaurant staff can manage all the media sources from a wireless remote or access the control app on a smartphone or tablet for added convenience. With just pushing a single button all the TVs in the restaurant turn on, each playing a specific channel you’ve programmed. The sound system turns on your getting-ready music, which automatically transitions to a patron-oriented playlist once the doors open.
This technology will definitely improve the workspace for your staff and keep it more organized.
KITCHEN DISPLAY SYSTEMS
Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) is another technology that you can consider for improving the employees’ experience at your restaurant.
This solution integrates directly with the restaurant POS, getting order information in real-time and displaying it digitally for kitchen staff to execute. The KDS system has the capability to automatically assign orders to their respective stations, while the system allows for manual changes to reflect available resources and different levels of dining room traffic.
Any guest requests or modifications, as well as allergy alerts, are highlighted in the order. Additionally, orders can be color-coded to indicate specific specifications, and to-go/carryout tickets can be marked accordingly.
It is no doubt that this technology can provide valuable support to the kitchen staff during busy periods, facilitating prep, prioritization, and organization. By simplifying the workflow, a good KDS reduces tension in the kitchen and minimizes the likelihood of order mistakes.
SAFETY & SECURITY IN THE WORKPLACE
It’s crucial for the employees to feel safe going to work and for customers to feel secure while dining at your establishment. Enhanced security in the restaurant helps make this possible. Strategically placed speakers and microphones in addition to the security cameras can provide a virtual security blanket for the restaurant staff and guests. CCTV cameras will also help identify any suspicious activities or behaviors among employees or customers which could lead to an accident or injury. In addition, when security cameras are equipped with video analytics, it enables the continuous monitoring of visitor traffic in the restaurant.
Research confirms, that workers who feel safe on the job are more likely to work harder and be more productive.
To sum up,
Your employees are your greatest asset. While automating and digitizing restaurant operations can be a strategic play when it comes to saving time and cutting costs, choosing the right tools can benefit restaurant employees too, and make them happy and more productive.
For more information about these technologies, contact us.