Article

4 questions restaurant employees ask after Day 1

Socializing on the job used to be frowned upon; now it's a critical component of employee engagement.

October 22, 2013

By Eric Chester

You invested a lot of time, energy, and money bringing on that new frontline employee.He shows up on that first day ready for your orientation doing his best to disguise his nervous anxiety.

Feeling a bit anxious yourself, you want to get him up and running as quickly as possible so as to maximize your ROI. After all, you need to prove to yourself that you made a great hire.

As the shift draws to an end, you begin to reflect on how things went, but it's important to realize that he, too, is reflecting.

In fact, there are four questions rolling around in his head that will determine whether he will be with you for more than a few weeks.

1. "Why did they hire me for this job?"

You know why you selected this applicant over the others. It's essential that they know, too. So tell them, e.g. "I hired you because you made a great first impression with the way you dressed for your interview, and because you showed such enthusiasm throughout the interview. I felt that you weren't just looking for any job, but that you really wanted to join our team. I believe you have what it takes to succeed here and eventually grow into a management role!"

This kind of feedback is not only a very positive way to begin an employment relationship with you, but it will reinforce how they've already demonstrated the values and behaviors that you and your brand hold sacred. This also allows you to create a benchmark to use for comparison when you conduct that first performance review.

2. "Will I enjoy working here?"

You told them that this was a fun place to work. (C'mon. Admit it. Every restaurant uses the 'f' word' to increase application flow.) So, were they too occupied with cleaning tables and mopping the lobby to have any fun on their first day?

If they haven't had a good belly laugh—much less a chuckle or two—they may feel like the fun you promised was a recruiting gimmick and the job is going to be drudgery.

3. "Are any of my coworkers "friend" material?"

Back in the day, socializing on the job was frowned upon. Now it's a critical component of employee engagement and retention. Young employees are much less likely to leave a job if they have a few good friends working with them.

If all you do is walk your new hire around the workplace and introduce them by name (e.g. "Angela, meet Hunter. He'll be working behind the grill. Hunter, Angela usually works the register."), you're not making any real connections that could forge a friendship. Instead, try this kind of introduction. "Angela, meet our newest grillman, Hunter. He's a senior at Kennedy and is the photographer for the yearbook and the school paper. Hunter, Angela is not only an awesome front-counter person, she's taking some fashion design courses at Fairmont Community College and has run her own fashion show. Maybe she could use a good photographer?"

4. "Who can I talk to about...?

...the dress code? And where should I park? Is it okay if I bring my lunch and eat in the back room? Who do I see about getting my check direct deposited? If it's slow and no customers are around, is it okay to check my Facebook on my iPhone?"

Just because they haven't asked you a barrage of questions doesn't mean they don't have a barrage of questions they want answered. The sooner you can answer all of those questions, the sooner you'll have engaged employees performing at their best. But don't throw them the Employee Handbook and tell them to read all the policies. Instead, link them to a carefully selected mentor, who will proactively engage your new recruits on a daily basis, pull them aside and make them feel at ease, and then help them find answers to every question they have.

First Impressions count

Armed with the knowledge of the questions they are going to be asking themselves, you have an opportunity to transform the "first-day-is-the-worst-day" experience that most employees have into an "I am going to love working here and give this job my very best" mindset.

If employee engagement and lowering turnover is something you're serious about, remember that you will never get a second chance to make a critically important first impression on the people you bring into your restaurants.

Eric Chester is a keynote speaker for the 2013 Fast Casual Executive Summit. He's the author of "Employing Generation Why and Getting Them to Give a Damn" and "Reviving Work Ethic."

Cover photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia