How successful on-boarding improves training retention

How well a new employee retains training is directly dependent on the success of your on-boarding program, according to a recent article in Restaurants & Institutions (R&I).

Even outside of the food service industry, both formal and informal on-boarding programs are vital to the training process. When businesses conquer on-boarding and new-hire training, new employees are more likely to make it through the first weeks of a job and start thinking long-term.

“Dean McSherry, an Addison, Texas-based restaurant consultant, suggests a multipronged strategy that covers much more than basic job training. Introducing new employees to key people, providing them with the right tools and integrating them into the company culture quickly will help ensure that they enjoy their work and succeed.”

Here’s how some of the most successful food service companies achieve success in on-boarding and training new employees:

• Ongoing training opportunities. As employees move up the ladder at Chipotle Mexican Grill, they take part in ongoing training opportunities to help them at each new step. The restaurant chain strives to make employees at all levels understand the meaningful opportunities at the company and all of the career paths they can work toward.


• Cool training tools. Embracing new technology has greatly improved on-boarding at the Atlanta-based Wing Zone. CEO Matt Friedman harnesses the power of new technology and the Internet to make training “modern, quick, consistent and effective.” New hires are put through a simple online course complete with videos on the history of the company and quizzes that introduce employees to the company and prepare them for the hands-on training to follow.


• Stars and training mentors. New hires at the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain work their way through the company’s “Rising Stars” program where employees earn apron stars as they complete each step of the training program. During their first 60 days, new employees are also matched with a manager in a buddy program to check in with trainees throughout the on-boarding process.


• An eye on employee health. Because some people will be at the company for decades, Cal Dining at the University of California, Berkely, has new hires work with ergonomists to learn the best ways to work without injuring themselves. Additionally, new hires receive a preliminary health screening to identify any potential injury risk.


• Focus on brand value. The casual-dining restaurant Houlihan’s trains new employees to understand how the restaurant’s brand image plays a key role in customer experience. Employees are trained to “sell the brand” in their on-boarding program. The company’s philosophy: “Treat managers well, and they will be happy. Ultimately, happy managers create happy employees, and happy employees, in turn, create satisfied customers.”

With the right tools and support at the very beginning, employees will be more likely to enjoy their work and succeed. How does your company successfully implement on-boarding and new-hire training to improve retention?