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Bed and Breakfast Industry News |
Thursday January 8th, 2009 |
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How to Cut the Fat and Keep the Sizzle - By Roberta Chinsky Matuson |
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It seems like everyday a friend tells me they have to lay someone off. Is this a sign of the times or simply poor management? Surely there must be a better way to slice costs in the restaurant business, without leaving a sour taste in everyone's mouth. |
Here are five ways to cut the fat and keep the sizzle:
Dump the non-performers
We both know who they are and so does everyone else in your organization. These are the people who have been on probation for the past year and in some cases, since the day they started. They are the ones who show up late for a shift and in some cases, fail to show up at all. They are not making it, nor will they ever. Dump them, before your customers dump you.
Ask the staff
No one knows better how to reduce costs than the people on the frontlines. Before lowering the quality of your ingredients or reducing service levels, ask your staff for suggestions on how to trim the fat. Acknowledge their ideas and implement those that are feasible.
Analyze turnover
The cost of employee turnover can be devastating to restaurant operations that operate on slim profit margins. It is important to closely examine employee turnover. Are good people leaving? Or are you losing bad hires? If good people are leaving, you may be having a problem with management. If you are losing poor performers, then the issue is directly related to your hiring process. Figure out ways to cut employee turnover and watch profits soar.
Invest in your people
This may seem counterintuitive when economic times are tough. However this is exactly what must be done to retain the people on your team, who carry more than their share of the work load. Pay them competitive wages and provide incentives so they feel valued. In turn they will make your customers feel appreciated.
Reduce the layers of management
Larger organizations tend to have a few extra layers of fat in between workers and senior management. Is it any wonder why it can take months for senior management to learn about problems that could have been readily fixed if only they had known earlier? A middle layer of management may have been necessary before you invested in technology. Is this still the case?
Restaurants are fighting to survive in these economic times. Those that cut the fat, without cutting the sizzle will do more than survive. They will thrive in any economic climate.
(C) 2008 Human Resource Solutions. All rights reserved.
Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions (www.yourhrexperts.com) and has been helping companies align their people assets with their business goals. She is considered an expert in generational workforce issues. Roberta publishes a monthly newsletter 'HR Matters' http://www.yourhrexperts.com/hrjoin.cgi which is jammed with resources, articles and tips to help companies navigate through sticky and complicated HR workforce issues. Click here to read her new blog on Generation Integration. She can be reached at 413-582-1840 or Roberta@yourhrexperts.com.
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Online source for hospitality industry trends. Part of the Nevistas network of travel and hospitality industry web sites. |
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