Want to be a great fast food manager? It's not only about getting along with your team, you need to show excellent results too. If you're looking to impress your senior management and be respected by your staff, then you should follow these tips.
- Avoid waste
- Cleaning control
- Be there
- Oversee product quality
- Train staff to the correct instructions
- Reduce staff turnover
- Provide one-to-ones with your team
- Dress the part!
Avoid waste
Especially when you're working as part of a corporate chain, there will be a lot of pressure on you to ensure you bring in the estimated numbers and profits. One of the best ways you can meet your targets is by avoiding waste. Train employees on the correct method of cooking and preparing food to help decrease the amount of food and ingredients that are thrown away.
Many fast food managers get stressed about meeting their targets and feel like they're working alone. You can get your teams more involved by having weekly or monthly meetings with your team and encourage them to reduce waste. If they help meet the company's target, think of an incentive they would all enjoy.
Cleaning control
Along with checking stock levels, ordering more ingredients and creating weekly work schedules, managers have to ensure the restaurant is clean and meets health and safety regulations. Make sure your cleaners are cleaning the tables and floors properly, and regularly emptying the bins.
There are some managers who refuse to pick up a cleaning cloth and help clean tables. Those type of managers aren't great at their jobs. The best managers work as part of a team and help keep the restaurant running efficiently.
Be there
Many managers have a habit of hiding in their offices and at the back of the kitchen. But they should be seen everywhere. It's your responsibility to be seen throughout the restaurant, assist crew members who need help and deal with customer complaints.
When the counter is busy with orders, chip in and help or make sure the restaurant tables are clean and tidy so customers have somewhere to sit and eat. By being a team player, you will easily be seen as a great fast food manager.
Oversee product quality
It's your responsibility to ensure food is stocked and prepared correctly. In most fast food restaurants, food is brought pre-made and employees are trained on how to prepare it. You need to check the storage and oversee that food is stored correctly.
If food is thrown away then it will be counted as 'waste' and will reduce how much your store is making. Have a regular routine to check the trays and storage so you can order more ingredients when necessary.
Train staff to the correct instructions
In the fast food industry, many crew members are young and inexperienced, and they need to be trained properly. Many mistakes can happen if staff are not 100% sure on how to use grills and other machines. Give plenty of time to teach your new starters and be available to show them again.
If you teach them correctly the first time, it reduces the chances of accidents happening in the workplace. A general rule in fast food restaurants is; if everyone is properly trained then the restaurant will run itself.
Reduce staff turnover
Having high employee turnover is a natural fact in many fast food places. Many people see it as an in-between job while they look for something else. Or, they want a part-time job while they are studying. Don't be surprised that the turnover rate over three months in some restaurants is 50%. Corporate understands turnover can be high but there are ways you can help reduce it.
Ways you can help reduce turnover:
- Give your crew members more say on what hours they want to work (make it clear that you will try and accommodate other out of work responsibilities but keeping the restaurant staffed is the highest priority)
- Encourage team building activities
- Provide additional training
- Hire reliable employees: in the interview process, take the time to find staff who are interested in staying longer
- Promote career opportunities
Provide one-to-ones with your team
You have many different jobs to juggle and manage but as a manager you need to be available for your team. If your crew members feel like you're there for them, they will be more inclined to work harder and stay longer.
Every month you should be trying to schedule one-to-ones with each of your employees but as some fast food restaurants can have over 25+ staff, it can be hard to achieve. You can ask some of your team leaders to help or have one-to-one meetings every 2-3 months.
Dress the part!
As a manager, you need to be an example for your team. You need to be dressed smartly for work and wear appropriate manager safety shoes. There are many work hazards in a fast food restaurant but by wearing slip-resistant shoes you can greatly reduce the chances of slipping or falling while on your shift.
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