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How to retain staff and save money on onboarding and offboarding
How to retain staff and save money on onboarding and offboarding
You are not alone in struggling to keep staff for the long term, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Svenskt näringsliv, has taken the pulse of the industry and found the same response: Hotels and restaurants currently face difficulties in finding the right personnel and keeping them in the profession.
This article is taken from a downloadable white paper on the 8 restaurant trends not to be missed in 2026.
Jobs such as kitchen staff, waitstaff, head waiters, bartenders, chefs, and pastry chefs are skilled trades, and many are professionally trained with extensive work experience. However, everyone wants to develop. One tip for retaining staff is to assist them in further development and training, and to help them feel secure in their roles. This way, staff will continue to deliver the best possible service to guests.
Regularly discuss what service is
One suggestion is to hold weekly meetings where you discuss what service means. Allow your staff to express their thoughts and concerns and discuss situations that have arisen over the past week. Discussing these situations helps staff understand how to handle similar scenarios in the future, and it can also strengthen team spirit.
Also, let your staff know that they can always turn to their nearest manager if something happens or if they have something to say. By building a team spirit, you create a more supportive environment for your staff, which can help improve guest service and satisfaction.
Offer complementary training
Most people who work within the restaurant industry have trained in restaurant programs as well as culinary and hotel schools in their home country and abroad. They are loyal to their profession, and many feel immense pride in the industry. Therefore, continuous training is important and can help retain staff.
For example, a newly hired employee can be assigned a mentor – a person to turn to with any questions that may arise. Also, evaluate how onboarding for new employees is conducted; allow all new hires to express what can be improved in the onboarding process.
Feeling seen, heard, and appreciated fosters a good working relationship between staff and management, and well-trained staff creates a safer working environment for everyone.
Build strong teams
A strong team that knows each other has more fun. Happy employees often give more of themselves, and service towards guests increases. High service levels are crucial for the restaurant’s survival.
Create a strong team spirit
Build a cohesive team by organizing social activities, team-building exercises, and shared meals. When staff feel like part of a team, it becomes more attractive to stay and work together. Happy employees often perform better, are friendlier towards guests, and the atmosphere becomes more personal.
Have a communication channel
Ensure that all employees feel they can communicate their thoughts and problems. Open and honest communication pathways, where feedback is taken seriously, help build trust and prevent misunderstandings. Utilize weekly meetings, a Slack channel, or a social channel exclusively for your team.
Salary and benefits: Offer salaries that are at or above industry standards. Provide benefits such as health insurance, paid leave, and retirement plans.
Career opportunities: Create clear pathways for a career within your restaurant, offering training and promotion opportunities.
Benefits: Offer employees meals or discounts. Consider additional benefits such as gym memberships, travel reimbursements, or educational scholarships.
Continuous training: Ensure that employees feel confident in their roles. Conduct regular check-ins and feedback sessions, so employees feel valued and heard.
Use smart solutions: By allowing the service staff to use a mobile ordering and payment solution, you can free up personnel and reduce the number of waitstaff needed to take orders and payments from customers. You can then use runners to serve the food.
Recognized user-friendly – Trivec’s POS + staff system
At Trivec, we offer a wide ecosystem of partner integrations. Managing tips digitally and with full transparency can further strengthen team spirit. With a staff management system, you can easily set up fair distribution rules together with your team, ensuring that everyone feels included and valued. Employees also get a clear overview of their earned tips directly in the app, which boosts both motivation and engagement. Learn more about our integrations.
Noema – how they save time and money – Trivec’s POS system and Caspeco Staff system
New staff enjoy working with Trivec’s POS system because it’s so easy to learn and helps them get up to speed quickly. At Noema, they work with Trivec and Caspeco Staff system a complete solution keeping track of sales as well as staff schedules. For X one of the owners of Noema, this set up has become a competitive advantage. Read more about Noema here.
- Noema
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