With so much focus on the customer and controlling costs, it’s tricky for restaurant executives to find time to manage their teams skillfully. But Next-Gen tech can make the difference.
Every team has its star players — the Ronaldos of the restaurant trade — in front of house or back of house. Everyone can see they perform well and need zero prompting to do the right thing. It all comes naturally and seems effortless.
But the bulk of staff need encouragement, clear instruction, targeted training, incentives, and sometimes a quiet word of correction as restaurants strive for operational excellence. Good communication from managers is essential.
Finding time to do all of this effectively and consistently can prove challenging for leaders in the hectic world of the restaurant. But here’s where Next-Gen tech from Syrve can streamline and automate areas of employee management — to help everyone.
Here are three examples:
#1: Making communication easier
It’s always hard for managers to communicate with staff effectively when people work different shifts. Not everyone can attend the same team briefing, messages get lost and emails may be overlooked. Staff may claim they are “last to know” and feel under-valued. The rumour mill may even whir into action.
But with Syrve, every employee has a personalised page when they log in. They can see their work schedule, plus company updates — such as news of staff promotions — and support. It’s all in one place, so everyone feels part of the same team — and on the same page. Employees can also check their pay and performance over the past 12 months, alongside targets and incentives to get to the next level.
#2: Supporting staff as they do a great job
The best restaurant tech provides in-the-moment guidance for team, helping them to stay focused and motivated. It can enable them carry out inventory checks in moments, sort prep plans for them, and use kitchen display screens to keep production moving.
Meanwhile, the best tech can also be used to support delivery drivers. An app guides drivers to the right delivery locations and keeps track of their map location and delivery status.
Across your restaurant operation, alerts and reminders can help to keep everyone on focused — without one of your managers having to be “hands on” and coaxing people to keep going. Staff are empowered to take responsibility and their performance is recorded digitally.
#3: Monitoring and rewarding performance
With Syrve, managers can identify their best salespeople instantly.You can check revenue per waiter or waitress because the system keeps a digital record. It’s also possible to create incentive programmes based on values or specific targets , such as “sell 20 desserts and earn £20”. Alternatively, the whole restaurant team could be working towards a revenue target for the shift.
The systems keeps score and awards the bonuses automatically for staff in front or back of house, also including kitchen teams and delivery drivers. You can set the targets, thresholds and rewards.
If problems arise with some staff, then you can view the attendance log to see if anyone is showing up late repeatedly. You can even get the system to apply deductions automatically if people are late, absent from shifts or clock out early.
You’ll improve quality and revenue
With Next-Gen restaurant tech from Syrve, great employee performance is easier to identify and reward. And if there’s a problem with staff, you’ll have actionable evidence.
Overall, this standout tech helps to drive up productivity, whether you’re a small and bustling independent, or a national chain trying to raise standards across all of your locations — in a manner that’s true to your brand values and ambitions.
What’s so revolutionary about Next-Gen tech is that it enables the real-time capture and sharing of information across the restaurant operation. This means there are no disconnects between front-of-house and back-of-house, which avoids mistakes and eases frustration. People work as one team, supported by ultra-responsive tools they can trust.
