Over the last 12 months more than 300,000 new jobs have been created in the hospitality sector and the Office for National Statistics reports that there are a further 174,000 positions to be filled. As pubs, restaurants, holiday parks and hotels now enter their busiest time of the year, it is likely that more temporary and seasonal workers are being employed. Are you recruiting new team members now? If so, read on for our tips on how to make sure you do it safely and stay on the right side of the law.
- Getting your ducks in a row – new starter training is a process and requires planning and preparation. From choosing the appropriate courses to organising materials and trainers, it all needs to be prepared for when a new team member starts. This preparation shows new starters you are committed to creating a great working environment and investing in them
- On the first day – make sure that sufficient time is set aside for the new team member to be familiarised with the workplace. This includes understanding action to take in an emergency, first aid provision and evacuating the premises. Also make sure they know where to take a break, access drinking water and if they smoke, the designated place to do so
- Be clear on tasks – make it clear what jobs the new team member can and cannot do. They are likely to be keen to impress and may try to complete tasks that they are not trained to do so. It is engaging and motivating for new team members when a clear plan is set for when they will learn new tasks and bring further variety to their role
- Know the basics – certain roles will require knowledge of food safety and health and safety. A great way to ensure the team has the foundation knowledge in these areas is through eLearning. Completing training online is flexible, efficient and can be completed at any time.
- Dressed for work – if the role has specific uniform requirements, for example, flat shoes with good grip, make sure the new employee knows this before starting on day one. Slips and trips are the most common accidents in hospitality and appropriate footwear is one of the most important controls
- Speak up – if they have a concern, who do they go to? All employees should be comfortable in reporting concerns or asking for help. Make sure new team members are comfortable asking questions or sharing concerns
- Back up the message – posters, team briefings and chat groups are all great ways to reinforce the safety message. The first few days in a job can be frantic and things shown on day one can be easily forgotten
- Write it down – a record of induction and ongoing training is important to demonstrate that you have taken reasonable steps to ensure the employee was competent to do their job. Shorts tests are a great way of demonstrating their understanding. Even better is supervising and signing off to say the new team member demonstrated how to do the job well and safely
- Ongoing education – Continuing staff training is the key to keeping hospitality skills fresh. When you invest in your staff’s professional development, you make them feel like valued members of your team, which decreases employee turnover. Give staff access to an online database of the best hospitality training courses from Shield Safety to let them gain new expertise anytime, anywhere
- Monitoring performance and progress – use the RiskProof training module to identify the training needs of every staff member, assign training courses with ease, receive alerts about out-of-date training and see who might need some extra support or encouragement
So, if you are recruiting more staff and temporary workers then make sure you do it safely and stay on the right side of the law. If you need any assistance with your training requirements – from training plan design and course selection through to tracking training performance and progression – simply contact our expert training team who are here to help.
