How to Cultivate a Mentorship Culture in Your Restaurant to Combat Quick Employee Turnover

You’ve likely heard the phrase, “Give a person a fish, and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to fish, and you feed them for a lifetime.” Most service workers will agree that this concept proves true in a fast-paced, ever-changing setting like the restaurant industry. 

When enjoying your job comes down to fully understanding the most efficient ways to do it, mentorship is key. A culture of mentorship supports overall job retention, worker satisfaction, general skill development, and collaboration. In this post, we are covering how to create and maintain a culture of mentorship and a successful mentorship program that will fuel a growth-oriented environment.

What is Mentorship?

Mentorship is defined as the guidance provided by a mentor, especially an experienced person in a company or educational institution. In a restaurant setting, a mentor could be an experienced chef, or a seasoned server comfortable with many aspects of running a restaurant. Mentors are typically talented in multiple areas of the hospitality industry so that they can offer feedback, guidance, and support to less experienced staff members. 

Who in the restaurant industry didn’t start as a host, a line cook, or another entry-level position? Everyone has to start somewhere, and having access to people who truly care about your success and that of the restaurant can make all the difference in sticking out some of the harder early days. Furthermore, mentorship has been proven to help in several areas, like job satisfaction (of both the mentor and mentee), retention, career progression, and more. 

The Benefits of Mentorship in Your Restaurant

Mentorship is helpful in almost any organization. That being said, a culture of mentorship is particularly crucial in the hospitality industry, where turnover is much higher than the average rate, and companies often depend on entry-level employees to service patrons. Right now the UK and the USA are seeing an all-time high in restaurant turnover, hovering around 75%. Plus, research shows that 51% of restaurant operators name staffing as a top challenge to success. Naturally, savvy business owners are going to do what they can to combat those startling statistics – and a mentorship program is a simple place to start. 

Mentorship: Enhancing Employee Growth and Leadership

Mentorship helps employees to help each other – and themselves. One of the unique characteristics of mentorship is that employees who mentor others are likely to learn more – about their industry and themselves – making them better leaders. The person mentoring and being mentored will likely experience a higher degree of satisfaction, a better view of their potential career path, and more friendships at work. According to Gallup, having a “best friend” at work is essential for social and emotional support and is closely tied to positive business outcomes. In short, people do their jobs better when they feel supported by people who care about them at their workplace. 

Mentorship: Key to Skill Development and Reducing Turnover

Mentorship is also key for learning new skills, both hard and soft. Whether learning new tricks for completing closing work faster or getting advice on how to deal with difficult customers, there is so much knowledge to be gained from people who have done the job before. Sharing that knowledge is key to a cohesive workplace. At this point, the future of restaurant staffing is almost squarely in Generation Z’s hands, and the costs of high turnover are putting a serious strain on restaurants all over the globe. The more that leaders can transfer knowledge and support from seasoned workers to new staff, the happier employees will be – and the more money restaurants will make. 

How to Create a Mentorship Program at Work

Currently, many culinary schools offer a mentorship program, but they are sparse in restaurants. Changing that will be key to the future of the general hospitality industry’s success. Here are five steps to take to create a culture of mentorship in your restaurant. 

  1. Choose a mentoring model. Start by figuring out how you will pair individuals. It’s recommended that the mentor and mentee have some distance – meaning they are not already close friends or required to work side by side. It’s essential that both parties can have candid conversations without fear of reprimand. 
  2. Match mentors and mentees. Once you’ve determined how to match people, go through your staff and pair people up. Ensure they have an active role in listening to each other. Remember, the relationship is actually beneficial for both parties. Everyone should have one dedicated mentor, but it’s not a bad idea to keep some “backups” in mind in case some pairs don’t hit it off as well. 
  3. Set goals together. Each employee should have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and the mentor should work with the mentee to talk about their specific goals and how they align with the larger company. Is their long-term goal to become a chef? Or are they trying to pay their way through school serving? Regardless, their hopes should be kept in mind by the mentor when offering advice. 
  4. Offer ongoing support. We all know how hectic restaurants can get. What can you do to ensure the mentorship pairs can actually converse? A good place to start is by implementing Harri’s solution, which encompasses a single place to organize communication, conversation, and requests. With custom message groups, you can create two-way communication between specific individuals or groups so that they can converse privately, with ease. They can even upload forms of media, like videos that are relevant to topics they’ve been discussing. 
  5. Provide opportunities for community and engagement. Employees that are more engaged are not only better performers, but more likely to share their talents with others. Increase engagement with Harri’s Engage solution, which provides extra support to new hires and shares important updates and milestones. A mentor knowing what’s happening in their mentee’s life can go a long way in fostering a positive culture, and with Harri solutions, managers can share targeted communications, news, and updates and even share public recognition to make people feel great. You’ll find several tools in the Harri arsenal that can give mentors what they need to engage with their mentees and boost their job satisfaction. 

Empower Your Restaurant with Harri

Foster Mentorship, Reduce Turnover and Retain Top Talent 

A culture of mentorship is also a culture of learning, essential for the ever-evolving restaurant industry. Harri’s solutions help you adapt and engage your workforce, reducing turnover and retaining top talent. Empower your team today and secure a thriving future for your restaurant.

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