IN DECEMBER, JUICE DADDY UK COMBINED FORCES WITH MIKE BARRETT FILMS TO PRODUCE WHAT COULD QUITE POSSIBLY BE THE BEST "HOW TO ROLL A BURRITO VIDEO" EVER.
The above 1:20 teaser is a prelude to a series of short "Training Vignettes" which demonstrate the power of Video based learning in a retail/ hospitality environment. You can see the project homepage www.mexicanrestaurantlegend.com
Each year globally many millions in Sterling are spent on training in the Hospotality Industry. It would seem reasonable to establish just how effective this training has been if only to help justify the budget.
When it comes to evaluating training effectiveness, the Psychological Community typically falls into two main camps. The narrow focused approach being attributed to Donald L Kirkpatrick in the early 1960s and the somewhat broader model advocated by P. Warr et al (The Evaluation of Management Training) known as the CIRO model. The CIRO model looked at context evaluation, input evaluation, reaction evaluation and outcome evaluation. Personally I have found Kirkpatrick's methods to be the most widely adopted in the Hospotality Industry.
This model uses four separate stages for the evaluation of the effectiveness of a training program.
The four stages are:-
The first stage is about the reaction of the trainee to the training. This sort of measurement is concerned with how the trainees "feel” about the course. The usual course feedback sheets are an example of the Kirkpatrick level 1 evaluation. Most organisations do not do any more than this type of measurement and analysis. The drawback is that we do not really know if the trainee has actually learnt anything.
The second stage is about answering the question, did learning occur? We can test this by using a pre-test and post-test and comparing the results. The questions need to be objective and closely related to the course objectives. In this way we can determine if the training actually delivered knowledge and this was understood by the trainees at the time. Weather or not the trainee remembers the training 3 weeks later is answered in the next stage.
The third stage is about measuring if behaviour has changed. By that we mean the measurable change in an individual as a result of their attendance on the training course. While a behaviour may change during a training session, or even for a few days immediately after that, it is critical to revisit the trainee with a post training assessment at least 1 week after the training has occurred. In the Hospotality Industry this could mean a visit by a district manager or a feedback form completed by a direct supervisor. A sustained change in behaviour must me observed.
The fourth and final stage is about looking to our KPI's to determine if the training was ultimately successful. We need to look at our KPI's to determine if the training has actually been translated into tangible benefits to the organisation. These are metrics which really have an impact on the "bottom line” and for that reason feature in the companies balance sheets and KPIs.
Training has to make a real difference in performance and effectiveness. Training has to deliver measurable results. If you are running training programs at your restaurant organization, and you, like most companies are not measuring effectiveness... you may have one or more of the following problems:
High-turnover of staff, low morale, consistency issues, cleanliness issues, performance issues, quality issues.
If this is the case, reach out to us, let us help you.
In many cases, people attend a training session and do not get a chance to apply what they learn straight away and when the time comes to apply the learning they cannot recall the solution in detail. By having videos kept online, employees can access the training videos just before they need it in real life rather than attending training class weeks/ months before they need it to complete the job.
By using video-based training, companies can also limit and track the time employees spend in training, i.e. a 2 minute training video will take only two minutes, not more than that. This permits better organization of the trainees time.
Videos make it easy for a trainer to demonstrate how a product/ procedure works in the real world. Photos and animation can always be helpful but a video can bring the product/ procedure to life for learners. A video showing how to handle an angry customer is substantially better than reading about it.
According to a study conducted by Cisco, 90% of users, who use video conferencing technology very often, reported that a lot of cross-cultural and language confusion can be avoided with the help of this technology. Surely a picture speaks a 1,000 words!
In conclusion, video-based training is a powerful tool for any organization to train their staff and allow them to learn in-house. It will allow for saving resources while delivering a superior result.
To learn about the 4 Key Benefits of Video Based Training, click right here.
Training through Video is quickly becoming the medium of choice for many restaurant organizatios because it is cost effective, has long lasting positive effects and allows everyone to learn at their own pace. The result is a more productive, proficient and profitable work force. [You can watch a sample restaurant training video here.][1]
1. Video based Training is Cost Effective – Traditionally, staff need to travel from one site to another to attend/ conduct training and this generates a lot of investment for the organization in terms of cost and time. This investment could be a huge loss for the company given the high attrition rates in the hospitality segment. This is the reason that video based training, is preferred compared to traditional face to face training. Once created, the video training is available at any time and any place. Trainers can create materials that can be centrally housed on the web so employees can access it any time they need. This allows an organization to save a lot of time and expenses and invest the same in any other activity (John C. Boling).
2. Video based training has long-lasting effect on motivation and learning – People watch television / video on a daily basis for entertainment or educational purpose and can easily remember what they have seen. One of the main advantages of video based training is the ability to connect with trainees on an emotional and cognitive level. Visuals and graphics used in a video training can have a long-lasting effect on trainees. Trainees can connect themselves with videos on an emotional level and it can have solid effect on trainees’ cognitive learning as well as motivational learning. Training videos with legends and self-explanations can improve the trainees’ confidence to learn and imply the same on work (Lin, 2003).
3. Allows everyone to learn according to their speed of learning – Each individual has a different pace of learning and understanding. Individuals need a certain amount of time to understand the training material and this differs from person to person. Video training allows the individual to go through the training material at a pace which is most appropriate for their learning.
4. Increase employees’ productivity and profitability - According to a whitepaper written by Dave Boggs, founder of SyberWorks, online / video training programs help employees to increase their knowledge and skill levels. These video trainings will help them to become better at their jobs, more productive and efficient.
There will always be a need for face to face or one on one training in any restaurant, but solely relying on this traditional training format would be detrimental to the organization. It would be down right negligent to ignore the areas where Video based learning delivers a stronger result.
Senior and Middle Management must realise that they are there to support the folks who are working day in and day out in the restaurants. If you support your restaurant teams, you will increase their chances to be successful. If Restaurant Teams are successful, the organization is successful. Don't let the organization become “Head Office vs. Managers”. It is not Us vs. Them. If we do our jobs properly; they can do their jobs properly. Nothing demonstrates an organization doomed for mediocrity then Head Office Staff who think the people running their restaurants are below them. #myopinion
In any medium sized company, the Organisational Structure is roughly the same. Bigger and smaller companies have more or less members of each group. While everyone works hard to make a startup company successful, only a handful of people will actually realise substatial financial upside should there be an liquidity event. Senior Management: 3 - 5 people - This are the key stake holders. The Founders, the Officers, the People who stand to make Millions if there is an exit event such as IPO or Accusation. These are the people running the company, they seldom have much connection with the details of how the business operates... they are too busy running the company.
Middle Management: 30 - 50 people - These are the people running the business. Directors of departments who moving forward initiatives, lead large teas of people and generally slaying dragons. Less than 10% of all Middle Management will ever be considered for a Senior Management role. These people stand to gain a Million or less if there is an exit event such as IPO or Accusation.
Managers: 300 - 500 people - These are the workhorses of the business. General or Department Managers who are responsible for executing Middle Managements initiatives. These people deal with the bulk of the business's problems, customers and day to day activities. It generally sucks to be a Manager and any =one in this position should be pushing and fighting to be promoted to the next level. Less than 20% of all Managers will ever be considered for a Middle Management role. If you Middle Manager is one of the 90% who are going nowhere, it may be best to transfer out of that department into one with better growth potential. These people stand to gain 100K or less if there is an exit event.
Staff: 3,000 - 5,000 people - You have to start somewhere. Basic, routine and repetitive tasks for a low hourly wage sum up this role. If you are fortunate you will work for an excellent Manager who is going to grow in the organization. This will mean opportunity for you. If your manager is one of the 80% who are going nowhere, best to transfer out of that department or consider another job. You will be very lucky if you receive any upside from an Exit Event.
Everyone who starts at Staff has has the a chance to break into Senior Management, most of them will not.
Know the company culture. All companies promote based on the same two criteria: Performance and Politics. Philosophically I believe the correct combination for a successful culture is: 80% Performance and 20% Politics (or soft skills). Some organisations run on a 50/50 breakdown, some 20/80... identify this. Have a look at your performance reviews, bonus criteria or the types of people who get promoted. What a company tells you and how a company operates can be two different things. Defer to the compensation structure to understand how an organization values performance.
More tips for breaking into Management:
When Senior Management talks about hiring "Great" people who "Fit" the Culture and will perform well, what exactly are they talking about? A lot of them do a poor job clearly defining the aspects of performance so I am going to do it for you. I will be citing finding from a Psychologist named Jeff Johnson who looked into this and in 2003 published a paper called Toward a Better Understanding of the Relationship Between Personality and Individual Job Performance (2003). In general terms, performance has three major components which can than be further broken down into more specific components:
Job Performance - Refers to being effective in tasks that make up one's job. Every job (Chef, Server, Accountant, Director) can be defined by the tasks performed in that job. This component may be further refined into such factors as: adhering to procedures, oral communication, knife skills, recipe execution, etc. This dimension of performance is clearly JOB orientated and refers to performing ones job effectively.
Organizational Performance - Refers to being a good organizational citizen and helping make the organization run smoothly by contributing in ways that go beyond ones particular job. This component may be further refined into such factors as: conscientious of others, not showing up hung over, not getting stressed out and being committed to the company. This dimension of performance clearly goes beyond ones job and refers to being effective in contributing to the overall welfare of the ORGANIZATION.
Adaptive Performance - Refers to the ability and willingness to cope with uncertain, new and rapidly changing conditions on the job. This component may be further broken down into such factors as: adjusting to new equipment/ procedures, working under different managers, changing restaurant environments and continuously learning new skills. An environment of change often requires the organization to work around projects rather than well-defined and stable jobs, which in turn requires workers who are sufficiently flexible to be effective in poorly defined roles.
This is not the black and white, task-focused work environment our parents lived in. Gone are the days when an employee could say "That is not in my job description" or "you pay me to cook, not do dishes" or "why should I do the inventory, I do not get paid to do the inventory". Drawing a line between your job and the organization is career suicide in todays work environment. Today the effective performer must make additional contributions that go beyond their job description. Task Performance will always be relevant because that is the job we are hiring employees to do. But the expectations now are for employees to go beyond their jobs, to help the organization in whatever ways present themselves and to adapt to rapidly changing work conditions. To be a top performer in todays work environment, one must exhibit a wider range of skills than our parents had to.
Customers expect more and more value for their money. Operating in this environment means being forced to make lots of tough Invest vs. Return decisions. Should you invest lots of cash Toilets? Faster CC machines? Social Media? Seating? Music? Kitchen? Packaging? Discounts? What will your customer find most rewarding? Where will they feel the investment the most? The answer is obviously - everything.
Todays customers expect everything to be perfect, wonderful and tasty for their hard earned money… and they rightly should. #myopinion
Solving for what your customers value is so important to do in the start up days of the business. If you can figure out your customer early on, you can build the brand with them. You may spend years trying to make the perfect burger, only to find out your customers love you for your home-made ketchup. All you had to do was bottle it.
What we need to do is share some of the profit back with them or to better word it, run with higher operational costs. We need to spend more money then we are comfortable with on Ingredients. We need to pay more than Minimum Wage. Do not try to squeeze extra profit by cutting your Maintenance and Repair budget… nope your restaurants need to be refreshed every 5 years, the brand every 7. We need to spend more than the guys down the street because today’s customer can tell the difference.
When you get it right and give your customers a Brand Experience that exceeds their cost of acquisition, your giving great value for money. When we do this, the business prospers. When the business prospers, we grow in volume. When volume grows, we get better pricing on controllables. With better pricing, we can make more profit. When we make more profit, we invest some of it back into the Brand Experience to make it more valuable. We keep the price of acquisition the same. The business prospers...
