10 Tips to Prevent Restaurant-Employee Poaching

Restaurant employee poaching – stealing the competition's talent – is running rampant throughout the industry. Shining stars in the kitchen find themselves courted by competitors with thicker wallets, larger dining rooms and more modern kitchens.

Unemployment may be a serious problem, but there are still opportunities for quality professionals. Unfortunately, those opportunities may be at the restaurant down the street. With many restaurants struggling to meet payroll, and some can't even consider giving employees raises, other restaurants are spending big bucks in order to poach great employees. 

Here are 10 tips to help keep your own team out of the hands of culinary poachers:

1 Create an enjoyable work environment. Caring about the way your employees feel about their environment makes the employee reciprocate those feelings. When employees care about a company they care about staying with it.

2. Build a team. Building a team automatically helps to keep employees together. Often the camaraderie of other employees holds a team together. 

3. Separate the emotions of the "other business." There are two businesses in every restaurant: The restaurant and the business behind the restaurant. Do not ever let the stress of the business spill into the restaurant. I know that it's hard not to carry the weight of losing money on your shoulders when you walking through the dining room, but it's vital to leave these problems in the office. Nothing makes an employee consider leaving more than the seeing an owner struggle with businiess-induced stress.

4. Bring the employees into the company. Many employees want to contribute ideas, suggestions, and talent to the company. Openly accept that and let them share your dream. But also protect them from the nightmares.

5. Fair and equitable salaries are the cornerstone of your company. You have to be on a competitive level with yor competitors or you will continually be losing staff. You need to give yearly raises no matter how small. It the gesture and perception that counts.

6. Performance reviews. Even though you run your restaurant as though it's "one big family" you need to give yearly performance reviews. And they should seriously address each employee's assets and liabilities.

7. Perks are important. Perks make people feel needed, and create strong ties and memories. Company functions work well for this. I used to take the entire company bowling every time blizzard conditions closed our restaurants in Minnesota.

8. Communication is key to keeping employees happy. Connecting with employees is vital to a solid working relationship.

9. Initiate their ideas and let others know where the idea came from. Being a part of a business is different from simply working there. Prompt employees for ideas and suggestions. When using them let others know where the idea came from. Nobody likes an idea poacher.

10. Lead the team, bus a table. Lead by example. Wash a dirty dish, pick up a piece of paper on the floor, or clean a bathroom. Suddenly, you will refresh your staff's memory of where you came from and how you became a leader. It's hard to poach employees from somebody like that.