Picture this: a kitchen bustling with fresh ideas, delicious dishes and a team that’s truly on fire. It’s a vibrant atmosphere that’s possible to create, and it starts with one simple ingredient: motivation.
The key to retaining your top talent is ensuring your staff feels inspired, excited, and ready to bring their A-game every day. But how do you do it?
“In my opinion, the challenge these days is not to attract young people to the industry, but to retain them,” says Chef Emil Minev, Culinary Arts Director, Le Cordon Bleu, London. “Our profession has never been more popular thanks to all the culinary TV programmes and the publicity many of my colleagues receive from social media. Young people are genuinely attracted to the industry. However, the number of young chefs who burn out and leave the industry every year is high, very high.”
But you have the power to change this. Restaurateur Asma Khan compares passionate young chefs to a flickering flame that needs to be protected, saying: “I always talk about...being the hands around the flickering flame. You need to keep that flame stable. We need to find systems to hold that flame.”
New recruits need to be nurtured in an environment that feels safe and fosters growth.
Get the Onboarding Right
When a new team member joins the crew, it's essential to make them feel right at home. Creating an inclusive environment helps them build meaningful connections with their colleagues and truly settle into their new role.
“When you find the right person, onboarding them and looking after them is as important as the [recruitment] process, and it’s so often missed,” says Ben Purton, executive chef and founder, Thyme and Plaice. “It’s like, ‘Ah fantastic, you’re here, let’s get you on the stove’, rather than taking the time to say, ‘this is who we are as a company, these are the people you’re going to be working with, this is how we’re going to look after you.’ The early stage of that relationship is key.”
Get creative with your onboarding process. Need ideas? Sagar Massey, Senior Sous Chef and MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 Runner Up, shares his advice: “Create a harmonious atmosphere by using icebreakers to encourage introductions, celebrating achievements and sharing meals. Pair newcomers with veterans who can help them set goals and give feedback. Be clear about expectations and rotate people through roles.”
Need help setting your team up for success? Check out our Onboarding guide and download a handy checklist.
Invest in Training
Allocating some time for training not only elevates your business but also enriches your staff on a deeper level. “Training is a great opportunity for team building,” says Alex Hall, previously Executive Chef and Culinary Team Leader of Unilever Food Solutions. “It doesn’t need to be formal. Take an ingredient and challenge your team to come up with new ideas for it. Go back to basics, be creative, and celebrate doing things together.”
Offer training programmes that fit your employees’ needs. Give them chances to build skills, learn new tech, and stay on top of industry trends. Encourage them to join workshops, seminars and conferences to keep growing and learning.
We can help you get your team upskilled and up to speed. Browse our free training resources at UFS Academy.
Make Room for People to Grow
Loyalty to the kitchen improves when employees see that you want them to develop their skills and grow. “We often have six-month plans of where we see people today and where we think they’ll be in six months,” says Amanda Fuller, Group Executive Chef, Sam Prince Hospitality Group.
She adds: “We create positions for people who need that extra promotion, even if they don’t exist, because it helps us retain them. And it helps them feel rewarded and they see that we care.”
Give Valuable Rewards
Make sure your team feels valued by offering fair pay for their hard work. Provide competitive salaries, great benefits and chances to earn performance-based rewards. Keep your finger on the pulse of the industry by doing regular market checks, so you can stay ahead and make any necessary adjustments to help make your team feel valued.
There are many other ways to reward your chefs too. Anna Williams, Senior Sous and Head of Pastry at Fallow, shares her tips: “If any of the staff are mentioned in comments online, or if a certain number of specials are sold, they get a reward. We do ‘employee of the quarter’, which is voted for by all of the staff. There is a winner from the kitchen and a winner from front-of-house.”
Offer Flexible Work Schedules
Giving your staff the option for flexible scheduling can ease stress for your team and improve retention. It allows people to manage personal commitments and have more control over their work-life balance, helping to prevent burnout and boost productivity.
Kimberly Brock Brown, President of the American Culinary Federation, believes that staff retention goes up when the business is fair about schedules. The way to ensure things run smoothly when a team member needs some time off? Cross training. “PTO now really means Prepare the Others!” Brock Brown says.
Quick tip: Download our ROTA template to take the hassle out of scheduling.
Give Employees a Sense of Ownership
“As chefs, we can sometimes suffer from imposter syndrome. The only way to overcome this is to allow your staff to develop and hone their skills,” reveals Pinky Maruping, Culinary chef experience advisor, Unilever Food Solutions South Africa. “Don’t micromanage staff, you need to allow them to grow. Let mistakes happen, this is the way we learn.”
Encourage Open Communication
Communication is the secret ingredient to a smooth-running kitchen. When you improve communication in the kitchen and your team knows they can speak up, the result is a happy, thriving workplace.
Frank-Jan Mutsears, Chef and Team Manager, Novotel Amsterdam City, believes that a positive working environment is where everyone can be their authentic self: “A ‘speak up culture’ is vital to make everyone feel safe. Always encourage team members to express themselves, no matter what it is that they have to say.”
Paul Hawkins, Business Development Chef, Unilever Food Solutions, shares a few easy ways to improve communication and create a healthier, more positive environment: “Simple things can make a difference to your staff. Engage with them about how they are doing. Set aside time to give and receive honest feedback about their performance. It will show you what your team needs and help you build the best environment for them.”
Get Everyone Involved
Consider involving more people when you’re planning and developing your menu to help the team feel involved in the entire process.
“I find that taking a team approach to the menu helps keep everyone engaged,” says Bri Campbell, Head Chef at Restaurant May. “Senior team members get to be creative and learn menu development alongside junior team members who may not always get to see that process. Developing the menu together helps create more ownership and consistency within the team as well, which ultimately leads to staff retention and a smoother running kitchen.”
Provide Mental Health Support
Looking after your team’s mental health helps them avoid burnout and stay motivated. Help them by offering resources and guidance on healthy eating, exercise, stress management, and mental health support to keep everyone feeling their best and performing at their peak.
Here are some resources to help you:
Read: Looking After Your Team’s Health and Wellbeing
Download: Mental Health Guide
Be the Mentor You Wish You Had
“‘People embrace guidance’ is one of the first significant recollections I have of my mentor, who strongly influenced me when I was 21 years old,” says Chef Markus Glocker, Owner and Chef, Batard Tribeca, New York. “If my initial experience had been any different, I would probably not be here now. So, when I hire new staff, I offer each one of them the same opportunity for development that I was given.”
Take the time to make your staff feel appreciated, understood and heard. “Treat them how you would have liked to be treated when you were in their shoes,” says Mara Stylianoudaki, Transformational Coach to Chefs, Athens. “Remember each and every team member contributes to the outcome we want to achieve, and everyone matters.”
These retention methods aren’t always easy to implement in your kitchen, but they can make a big difference for your team. When your staff feels valued, respected, and happy, they’re more likely to keep contributing to the success of your hospitality business.
To find new strategies and get expert advice on being a stronger leader, sign up today for our free online leadership training.
