staff training

The importance of good staff training

Our Managing Director, Shane McLave featured in Drinks Industry Ireland to explain how the small details in hospitality can make or break the customer experience, which is why it’s vital to invest in staff training

When it comes to pouring the perfect pint of Guinness, as a nation we are extremely critical and rightly so as it is our national drink and no one wants to see it being poured too quickly with a bishop’s collar or running down the outside of the glass. The basics are important to the whole experience and must be right or the drink will be sent right back by any self-respecting stout aficionado.

So why is it when it comes to another hugely popular drink, the gin and tonic, we so frequently get it so wrong?

The answer is simple; we need to invest in training people. So what are we doing wrong and what should we be doing differently? Let’s start with the ice; a perfect G&T should have four large cubes in it but scrapping out the bucket with loads of tiny shards will result in a watery drink. The ice should also be put into the glass first to both cool the glass and prevent the gin from being bruised or cloudy as can happen when the ice is dropped into warm gin as opposed to being poured over ice. The next critical step is to have the correct tonic. With over 70 Irish gins alone as well as 20 or so gins from other locations it is foolish to have just one tonic to pick from as some just simply clash with the gins and become flavourless or cancel each other out. Perhaps the most important thing that can be done to improve quality is to chill your mixers as this will do two things; it will reduce the time that it takes for the ice to melt and water down your drink and it will keep the drink carbonated for longer as room temperature mixers will go flatter quicker.

The style of glass and garnish will always come down to personal taste. My own favourite is An Dulman Irish Maritime Gin with regular Schweppes tonic water served in a copa with a slice of dried lime but if the correct processes are followed then no matter what combination people ask for, quality should be assured.

Junior staff knowledge gap

The workforce has changed since Covid and the industry needs to be mindful that junior bar staff may not have the same knowledge and expertise of more senior staff as they are just starting out in the hospitality industry.

Many bar staff are working part time while planning other careers outside of hospitality. With this in mind and the higher than ever turnover in staff, it is more important than ever that training and upskilling are done on a daily basis so the customer experience is a good one. One or two poor comments on the likes of Instagram or Facebook can so quickly go viral and be extremely damaging to any establishment when it comes to hard fought for clientele.

If you don’t have the knowledge base in your current team that can implement daily training of staff then perhaps a monthly masterclass would suit better and there are several places you can go for this such as your wine and spirits distribution company or onsite training specialists like Future Proof Training, that can come on site or train in a classroom setting in areas such as HACCP and manual handling, upselling and customer service, barista skills, introduction to wine and essential bar. Check out www.futureprooftraining.ie for more information.

You can check out this feature in the Drinks Industry Ireland magazine here

hotel & catering

Hotel & Catering Outlook For 2022

Hotel & Catering Key Trends

For many industries, 2021 has been a year like no other… but for the Hotel & Catering industry, it’s been one of the hardest and strangest years of all time. The hospitality industry essentially closed for over a year and we’ve seen firsthand the huge impact it’s had on Hotels, Bars, Restaurants and Corporate Catering sectors.

When the time finally came to re-open (some doors are still closed and may never re-open) those that were lucky enough to still be in business faced a number of challenges with staffing being the most critical issue of all.

Let’s start with front of house:

A large proportion of people working as Bar staff, Waiters and in Accommodation come from countries outside of Ireland. Travel for the most part has been off the cards for many people for quite some time, and we simply don’t have the numbers of people available to fill the amount of jobs that we have.

What about hiring local staff?

Since March 2020, the industry has been virtually closed and we no longer have the interest from people who are finishing up in schools or colleges. This is mainly because the Hospitality Industry is now seen as a precarious one that could be closed again within a few weeks or months at best.

Looking for experienced staff?

A lot of people coming into the industry work part-time or during holidays while in college, but the industry has been closed more than it’s been open which has led to a massive shortage of people that have a year or two experience in the market.

What’s happening in the kitchen?

The Chef crisis is still in full swing, but the big issue of the moment is where are all the kitchen porters and the reply is simple… there are none!

As with front of house, we simply do not have the people coming into the country that we used to. The English Language Schools are back open, but we’re seeing people making the choice to study online. This is mainly because they can now do this from the comfort of a warmer and cheaper climate. Candidates are also realising that the salary and conditions are better in the manufacturing or distribution industry.

In addition to all of the above, many people who were only working part-time in the past and who earned circa €200 to €400 per week are now getting the PUP payment at €350 per week. So, with no questions being asked for staying at home and receiving (in some cases) higher wages, this brings another massive challenge to the Hospitality Industry.

Solutions – Can We Throw Money At It?

With many establishments not being able to operate at full capacity, it leads to a high proportion of events, weddings and conferences getting cancelled or being put off for the foreseeable future. Money is in short supply, so the emphasis is put on ‘what else can we offer’.

Working from home is not an option for most roles, so the industry can’t jump on this bandwagon. However, they can take a look at what else is important to the people they employ like flexible rosters, job sharing, or ongoing training and development.

The feeling that workers are being valued is the most important thing that we are hearing from candidates. But of course, supply and demand along with more increases to the minimum wage have also played their part and we are seeing a lot of movement in the traditionally lower paid positions. For example, Kitchen Porters and Accommodation staff along with Bar and Waiting staff have all seen increases. The new normal wage is close to €12 and €13 per hour for Kitchen Porters / Accommodation staff while Waiting and Bar staff positions are moving closer to €13 and €15 respectively.

Chefs have also taken a huge leap forward with €34,000 now being the standard salary paid by the 3 & 4 star Hotels for Chef de Partie and increases in the Commis rates all down the line.

The only place we are not seeing much movement in is the area of Head Chefs, but our Director Shane McLave believes that when the corporate catering sector fully re-opens without closures, there will likely be more competition in this area.

What’s Next?

Between the combination of an uncertain future and the over heated market that we are currently seeing, a lot of companies are moving towards the temporary and contingent workforce. This is particularly evident in traditional areas such as Waiting staff, Chefs and the emerging trends of Accommodation Staff / Management.

The industry is now seeing the benefits of having a recruitment partner that both understands their business and has the ability to flex up and down when required. This leaves businesses in a much better position as they will be more equipped to deal with staff shortages.

Get In Touch

If you’re looking for a recruitment partner or you wish to find a job in Hotel & Catering, please visit our Hotel & Catering section on our website by clicking here. Alternatively, you can email us at info@excelrecruitment.com.