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How measuring employee workload can improve retention.

Jim Taylor
Jim TaylorPublished on May 11, 2022

Everyone knows that there is a labor shortage in the restaurant industry, that's no secret.

There is also a bit of a culture shortage, as companies all over the world are scrambling to stay current, understand what their current workforce is looking for in a workplace, and how to add benefits that will improve retention.

I also believe that our industry has a workload problem. Restaurant staff everywhere struggle with their hours, scheduling inconsistencies, overtime, and of course the affects of the labor shortage.

Our people have to work very hard to earn their living, and often find themselves incentivized to work longer, work harder, work split shifts, and "clo-pen" shifs. If workload is too high, stress rises and employees may consider looking elsewhere.

I talk a lot about this and how it affects retention rates within The Restaurant Manager's Guide to Labor Cost Management"..

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Now consider this... you are a factory worker, and your job is to put bottle caps on bottles as they go by on a conveyor belt. There is an optimal speed for the belt, in which you can both ensure that every bottle gets a cap, and the company is making money. However, if the speed of that belt is set too high you cannot keep up with the bottles, and you start to miss some. This would also likely increase your level of stress, and potentially even impact how your employer views your performance.

You may even end up leaving your position as an employee in search of something else. Not a result that anyone wants.

So what about measuring workload in a restaurant environment? It is possible, and in my opinion, it is necessary.

We can connect employee workload data to retention rates, employee performance, individual employee profitability and job satisfaction.

If you are an employer, consider how hard your team has to work in order to provide optimal service. If you are a manager, consider how fast you have set the "conveyor belt" for your team, and if they can keep up!

Find more detail on how to measure, manage and leverage employee workload with us.

BenchmarkSixty Subscription Plans

“The Restaurant Manager’s Guide to Mastering Labor Cost Management” Plan

$39 /(3 months)
Details

One to One Coaching for Passionate Restaurant Leaders

$299 /month
Details
Subscribe

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