RFDC: What We Learned

HCM tech investment

#TeamHarri spent last week at the Vegas strip with industry peers at RFDC exploring the “business” side of the restaurant industry. Upon their return to Harri HQ, they shared the following takeaways regarding HCM tech investment: 

  1. Training and development is key. The labor market is more cutthroat than ever. As such, operators must think outside the box when thinking about the benefits that they want to offer their employees. Employers that provide development benefits such as tuition coverage or mental health benefits are ahead of the curve in the challenge to improve employee engagement and increase retention. 

  2. People always come first. Operators that believe that turnover is a sunken cost of the labor operation need to refocus. Not only does that belief system substantially affect the labor cost of the company but it also has an effect on brand image and culture. Companies that care about people are poised to recruit engaged employees and, ultimately, boost their bottom line via employee performance. 

  3. Talent should drive wages. Restaurant operators who started at the entry level believe talent should drive wages, not the law. Government-mandated wage increases are causing menu price hikes and layoffs, while using talent as the wage driver would increase employee engagement and enrich brand culture & brand loyalty. 

In conclusion, it is imperative for operators to invest in technology and programs to boost retention and offset the costs of labor, onboarding and training. Harri is the platform that provides all these solutions in a streamlined and nimble matter, empowering managers to train their employees, increase employee engagement, mitigate labor costs,  and, ultimately, drive the bottom line. Click HERE to schedule some time to chat with #TeamHarri and learn more about how to optimize your people operation using one platform.