With many moving parts, quick serve restaurants (QSRs) can be challenging to operate efficiently. One thing is certain: strong teams are the foundation of successful QSRs. Strong QSR teams lead to many benefits, and three stand out: enhanced productivity, collaborative problem solving, and company loyalty.
First, studies indicate that satisfied employees are 13-20% more productive than those who report low morale. Second, through enhanced problem solving, businesses benefit from creative solutions generated by diverse groups of people. In QSRs, problem solving or teamwork leads to overcoming food production inefficiencies and improved customer service. Finally, team building enhances employee engagement and dedication to the brand. When employees feel valued by their team, they are more likely to invest in the business’ long-term goals. In short, QSRs that invest in team building are likely to experience higher employee retention rates and greater interest from prospective employees.
In this blog we introduce five free QSR team building resources that will help to enhance employee productivity and workflows. These resources include: work & vacation scheduling templates, manager checklists, opening & closing checklists, the 6 Laws of a Resilient Restaurant ebook, and a team building infographic.
Free Resource #1: Work & Vacation Scheduling Templates
Effective teams are built on trust, accountability, and transparency. In order to remain fair to, and build trust with employees, managers need to ensure that shifts are staffed appropriately. Employees value advanced scheduling and shift-timing consistency, so that they can establish an effective work-life balance. Alternatively, employees who face irregular scheduling may experience greater work-family conflict and higher work stress.
Zoomshift’s downloadable work scheduling template allows managers to explore different schedule configurations based on employee-preferred hours and wages. Scheduling software allows a manager to consider employee input and determine which employees to pair based on demonstrated skills. Different shifts throughout the day require diverse strengths and skill sets. Managers can enhance employee strengths by partnering workers with similar skills, or promote knowledge-sharing by pairing a new employee with a more experienced one. A scheduling tool helps managers ensure that staffing needs are met, but not exceeded.
While it is important to make sure work scheduling is organized, it is also crucial to ensure employees take time to rest and recharge. Here is a free employee vacation tracker to help your team track days off.
Free Resource #2: Daily Manager Checklist
Restaurant checklists set standards of service, health & safety compliance, and operational efficiency. Since managers are accountable for these performance areas, manager checklists can boost organization and accountability for all employees. When managers take compliance seriously, employees will follow their example.
Research indicates that “management practices” account for 70% of variation in employee engagement. Much of this variation is tied to management inconsistencies. If employees do not believe that their manager is routinely assessing employee or location compliance against brand standards, they may become lax about their own task completion. Enter digital checklists, which allow managers to identify workflow disruptions related to specific tasks or employee roles. Checklists allow managers to resolve role confusion as quickly as possible, improving overall team camaraderie. Explore Squadle’s free downloadable manager checklist here!
For a more extensive overview, check out Squadle’s ultimate guide on digital checklists.
Free Resource #3: Opening/ Closing Checklist
In addition to promoting transparency between employees and managers, checklists aid employee accountability to each other. Digital checklists help employees prioritize tasks and reduce human error. In QSRs, opening and closing checklists outline tasks that the employees on the first and last shifts must complete in order to have a successful day of business.Digital checklists also help QSR employees prepare for the following day. Checklists ensure that employees on opening shifts leave the QSR in a suitable condition for the closing employees, and vice versa. Completing checklists ultimately builds trust between employees and increases reliability. Building trust leads to great business results, as employee productivity increases by 50% in high-trust organizations.
The benefits of opening and closing checklists go beyond preventing compliance oversight. Digital checklists encourage a mindset of teamwork towards a common goal of maximizing restaurant efficiency. Increased proactiveness in food prep, refrigerator display stocking, and cleanliness can reduce stress for incoming employees. When these tasks are complete, employees can instead prioritize maintaining brand standards in customer service, order fulfillment, and general compliance.
Download Squadle’s free opening and closing checklists here, and consider how the digital versions may benefit your QSR business.
Free Resource #4: 6 Laws of a Resilient Restaurant
Squadle, MarketMan, and Tenzo teamed up to create the “6 Laws of a Resilient Restaurant” eBook. The eBook covers six effective ways to ensure the longevity of your foodservice business. Tips include cost management strategies, marketing initiatives, and other approaches for increasing engagement. This eBook stresses the importance of customer retention rate as a key performance indicator (KPI). Driving this KPI reflects heavily on the bottom line. Increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost restaurant profits up to 95% (pg. 10). How can your QSR achieve high customer retention? Start by building a strong company culture.
Company culture is a key element in enhancing the customer experience at every touchpoint. This eBook discusses building a company culture through “empathetic leadership”: leading by example to make a lasting impact on staff, customers, and brand image. Empathetic leadership is effective through three methods:
1. Keeping an open door policy encourages employees to propose ways to improve operational efficiency. Employees can provide valuable information of where workflow disruptions occur based on experience.
2. Reducing human error by building an environment based on trust. With an empathetic leadership strategy, employees are more comfortable addressing mistakes, and actionable steps can be taken to avoid them in the future.
3. An empathetic leadership strategy drives employee retention. Ultimately, employees who feel supported contribute to lower turnover rates.
Free Resource #5: Team Building Opportunities in QSRs Infographic
In a recent survey by Deloitte, 79% of organizations said that fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace is important for their businesses’ success in the upcoming year. However, only 13% reported that they are ready to implement necessary team building strategies. Explore four no-cost team building opportunities for QSRs in Squadle’s Guide to Effective Team Building (below). This infographic highlights four actionable methods for boosting camaraderie in the workplace: ensuring clear understanding of employee roles & responsibilities, bonding through competition, creating shared goals, and implementing an open door management policy.
Strong QSR Teams Spark Quality Service
Quality service in the QSR industry starts with effective communication and teamwork behind the counter. Investing in team building for foodservice employees builds an environment of trust, reliability, and innovative problem solving. With the right resources, your QSR team will be unstoppable!