Concepts for success: March 2014

Hiring and training your employees properly is a must-do for any
successful business, especially in the foodservice and retail
industries.

Hiring and training your employees properly is a must-do for any successful business, especially in the foodservice and retail industries. Today, many foodservice operations are turning to online training to help in this area.

By training your team of staff digitally, you eliminate the cost of print introductory packages.

There are a few different ways to set up online training for your bakery. You could either build your own training website from scratch or use a web-based service called a learning management system (LMS) that allows customers to upload their own training materials to a proven platform.

Training staff members online also eliminates a great deal of expense, as there is no need to constantly print and reprint training materials.

Online learning platforms, however, should never replace the need for person-to-person guidance. It is still essential to your bakery’s training program to create a dialogue and relationship with all of your employees, and offer praise and constructive criticism at all times.

Here are five reasons why training your employees online might be the way to go in the future.

1. Convenience
People are always on the go. Online training allows your new employees to train on their own time using their mobile devices. This is especially important if you are hiring young people to work in your bakery, as youth are now attached to their digital devices. It makes sense to train them digitally as well.

2. Consistency
With an online training program, you can ensure that all of your employees are learning the exact same materials. It is especially ideal for teaching technical skills – such as how to use the POS system, how to prepare products and how to set up displays – since trainees can review the material over and over again until they understand and pass the test. Visual training components are also very handy, especially in the foodservice industry. Online training also allows you to use videos, which can be much more effective especially when training on how to use new equipment, new products and safety issues. With consistent training, it is easier to maintain certain levels of standards that you may have in your bakery operation.

3. Timeliness
It is also much easier to update materials using an online training program. Any addendums, changes or additions you want to make to your training program can be done within seconds, keeping it relevant at all times. If you have any new materials you wish your employees to see or review, you can send them a text message to let them know that there is new information they need to review.

 4. Interactivity
A computer-based training program offers immediate results since all of the testing is completed online. This allows for employees to remedy their errors right away instead of waiting hours or days for results to come back in. Your training program can also include interactive games that could make the training more fun and entertaining.

5. Accountability
Owners and operators can monitor each employee’s training and receive test results automatically. Most training platforms have a reporting mechanism that allows managers to monitor the progress of each employee’s training and has the ability to see employees’ scores and results. Some platforms will also show which areas each employee had difficulty with. This allows owners and operators to work on that area with the individual employee on a more intimate basis.

It may be an initial investment in time and/or money to get a customized online training program set up for your bakery, but the results could mean a better-trained staff.

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for more than 25 years. She provides innovative food and retail merchandising programs, interior design, marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or at chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com .