The Turnover Cycle

Having the proper number of staff on hand is important but outdated recruiting methods, high turnover, low retention, and high replacement costs make it hard for businesses to find the workers they need. Being properly staffed is important for a number of reasons. First, having enough staff ensures that all tasks and responsibilities can be carried out efficiently and effectively. This can help to improve productivity and customer satisfaction. Second, having enough staff ensures that there is always sufficient coverage, so that the business can continue to operate even if some staff members are absent or unable to work. This can help to prevent disruptions and ensure that the business is able to meet its obligations.

And not having enough employees can negatively impact the customer experience at a restaurant in several ways. For example, if there are not enough employees to adequately cover all of the necessary tasks and duties, the restaurant may not be able to provide timely and efficient service. Customers may have to wait longer for their food or drinks, and they may not receive the level of attention and care that they expect.

In addition, not having enough employees can lead to a decrease in the quality of the food and drinks that are served. Without sufficient staff, the restaurant may not be able to maintain high standards of cleanliness and food safety. This can lead to a lower-quality dining experience for customers.

Furthermore, not having enough employees can create a chaotic and stressful environment for both customers and employees. Customers may feel rushed or ignored, and they may not enjoy their dining experience as much as they would in a more relaxed and attentive environment.

But finding and retaining workers is more difficult than ever. The competition for workers is intense and goes beyond competing with other restaurants and foodservice operations. Outdated recruiting methods, high turnover, low retention, and high replacement costs make it hard for businesses to find the workers they need. Foodservice and hospitality businesses are especially impacted and are in need of dependable, skilled workers. But due to burnout these workers have looked outside of the restaurant industry for more suitable work environments.

The Turnover Cycle:

• The restaurant does not have enough staff to cover all of the necessary tasks and duties
• Employees working the shift take on extra work to compensate
• These employees become fatigued and less productive as a result
• The restaurant continues to be short-staffed, leading to a cycle of overworked and resentful employees
• The employees become frustrated and easily agitated, leading to burnout and turnover
• The cycle continues because turnover, exacerbated by employee burnout, causes further strain on remaining employees, leading to more resentment and burnout, and being under-staffed more often.

Overall, not having enough employees can significantly affect the customer experience at a restaurant by leading to slower service, lower quality food and drinks, and a less enjoyable dining atmosphere.

When a restaurant is short-staffed, it means that they do not have enough employees working to adequately cover all of the necessary tasks and duties. This can lead to a chain of events where the employees who are working become overwhelmed and overworked.

As a result of the extra workload, these employees may become fatigued and less productive. This can lead to a decrease in the quality of service and the overall customer experience. In addition, the employees may become resentful of the situation and the extra work that they are being asked to do.

As the situation continues, the employees may start to burn out, which can lead to more turnover. This can create a cycle where the restaurant is constantly short-staffed, leading to overworked and resentful employees, and ultimately, high consistent turnover. This cycle can be difficult to break without addressing the root causes and can have serious negative effects on the overall success of the restaurant.

Having the proper number of staff on hand is important and should be a focus of the management team. Proactively addressing this issue has far reaching effects on the health and longevity of the business. Taking a page from the best run businesses in the industry, mangers should consider adopting a labor model that includes “flexible staffing”, which has proven to be a reliable way to reach the necessary staff levels to operate effectively, support existing employees, deliver to customer expectations, and stay in business longer.