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Articles
Train in the Language They Dream In
June 1, 2007
Originally published in the Service That Sells! Newsletter
An interesting quote from Hard Rock Café Director of Training, Jim Knight. Today's generation ‘dreams' at breakneck speed yet we often train and recruit them the old-fashioned way. Creating a buzz about your restaurant from a recruiting and training standpoint can help attract great employees. So how can you be cool and cutting edge?
Start with your recruiting strategy. No, not lengthy text-heavy newspaper ads. Be where today's generation ‘dreams'. If you don't have a recruiting presence on MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, a blog or Second Life (ask your employees what these sites are if you do not know), you are not recruiting where today's applicants spend countless hours of free time. Don't forget to leverage the power of hourly recruiting sites such as http://www.snagajob.com/ as well.
Once you have hired the applicants, how are they trained? Manuals? VHS tapes? DVD? Today's generation does not want to know information, they want to know where to find it. Put them in control of learning by providing small doses of high-energy, content-rich video or audio clips followed by immediate skill practice. Portable video devices are ideal for this training approach. Use them to constantly reinforce training by showing a clip-a-day or using them for on the spot review to keep items top of mind.
Finally, don't forget about the customers. Want to hear or see what your customers think? Search your restaurant name on YouTube, Yelp or other feedback sites. Customers post comments and compliments. Read something regarding a bad experience? See if you can contact that guest to win them back.
Be where the action is and ‘train in the language they dream in' by leveraging the power of technology for your operations, recruiting and training activities.