What do you do if your Food & Beverage Operations lack employee engagement despite technology?

Assess employee needs and concerns through open dialogue. Engage in two-way communication to understand their perspective. Find out if any implemented technology is not user-friendly or hindering their daily work. Technology should aid, not hinder employees. Identify gaps between employee requirements and the tools/technology provided. Look for mismatches that could be disconnecting or disengaging employees. Bridge the disconnect by addressing gaps and mismatches between what employees need and what's available. Focus on solving actual problems hindering their work. The overall goal is to reignite employee passion by ensuring the tools and technology support, rather than hinder, their ability to do their jobs effectively.

If your FOH us not engaging with the parameters needed for success, consider more involved training. A server is way more likely to sell a menu item, if they have physically tried the food, just as a bartender if they have tried and enjoy a drink option. Empowering your staff is the key. It's not to simply sit them in front of computer screen for their training. In the hospitality industry a comprehensive, hands on approach will garner a more thorough staff interest.

If your team isn't using the provided technology effectively, it may indicate a need for more thorough training. Make sure your employees understand how to use the systems and the advantages they provide. A targeted training program can boost staff confidence and competence, leading to higher engagement. Ongoing workshops and refresher courses can ensure everyone stays current and comfortable with the ever-changing technology in the food and beverage sector. Investing in comprehensive training is a win-win, as it improves efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction in this competitive industry.

Why are people so engaged in watching sports like Football or Tennis? Because of the scoreboard. It's very clear at a simple glance who is winning. Feedback is key for employee engagement because it tells them when they're winning. Detailed feedback is like coaching the team in sports. If we detail the pitfalls and opportunities, it will greatly help individual players to see how they can improve their own performance, and move the needle across the team.

Foster a collaborative work environment where employees can share ideas, solve problems, and work together towards common goals. Encourage cross-functional collaboration, team projects, and knowledge sharing initiatives to promote engagement and creativity.

I think a largely misunderstood part of employee engagement and team motivation is the presumtion that the most potent motivation is financial. I agree that a suitable and generous remuneration is important, but without the satisfaction of the impact of their own work, the sense of belonging to a cause, and the general culture of an organisation, it doesn't necessarily motivate in the right ways. A culture is an alignment in purpose and mission, as much as it's about work style and flexible working formats. Build a mission. Make that mission clear. And make that mission matter.

Mainly within Operations function, there is a large population employees despite high technology is used. To sustain large population performance, frequently manager perform what I called "collective feedback and recognition" as they jugling with all technical day to day issues resolution, alignment with other function or manage ad hoc project which in often consume almost all day time. By having collective feedback during i.e., production meeting and amplifying collective recognition on the wall or announced during specific event, will save manager's time to address 1 to 1 approach. Nonetheless, 1 to 1 approach may still be required for special case i.e., coaching for talent or poor performer.