Member Blog

As September came to an end, the back-to-school season welcomed a new group of students to each class, and a future group of employees to our workforce. The hospitality industry has been and remains a bellwether of employment trends to come. As I reflect on the “back to school” season, I realize that I am fascinated by 6th graders.

For many of us, there are certain words or phrases that we find truly annoying – I don’t mean anything explicit or controversial, but rather ordinary things that bother us more than they should. Sometimes it’s because these words have been really overused (“break the internet”), sometimes it’s because they trigger unpleasant memories (almost anything that makes us think about junior high), and sometimes we just don’t like the sound they make when running across our lips (“moist”).

According to a 2014 report by TDn2K and the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, 28% of hourly employees in restaurants are Hispanic. Spanish is the primary language for many of these workers, but quite often training materials are only provided in English. In order to properly prepare Spanish-speaking employees to work in a restaurant environment, it’s important to offer training in Spanish.

Does your body language properly reflect the message you are trying to communicate? Thankfully, I had a boss who trained me on how I could better impact guest relations just by adjusting my posture. Since face-to-face is still the main form of communciation, I wanted to share some examples you could use yourself and with your team so everyone is putting their best foot forward. Watch my 12-minute video from my CHART Talks session in Charleston as I offer some tips, with lots of visual examples, on eye contact, safe distance, standing in the elevator, and the important 'belly button and feet rules'.

Early in my career, I learned something which has been extremely valuable as I have moved up the ladder. In order to have a successful relationship with your boss, there are several steps you need to take. Watch my 7 minute video to better manage your boss and make him/her shine.

Returning from CHART’s recent conference in beautiful Charleston, I was reminded in conversations with CHART past-presidents that hospitality training professionals don’t get paid for what we know. We get paid for what we do with what we know.

At each of the sixteen CHART conferences I have attended, I have always brought back several nuggets of great information to implement at our company in NH. Ideas which make us stronger or more efficient. Ah-ha moments where a light will shine on how this idea can work for our team, and help us to achieve that WOW experience for our guests. Recently, while I was at a conference I had a profound revelation while listening to our speaker.

What ideas are your peers using to find and retain qualified employees in the hospitality industry? At the May 2016 National Restaurant Association show in Chicago, Jason Lyon, Boondocks Hip Management and CHART immediate past president moderated a panel session with members Michele Lange, The Habit Burger Grill, Jeff Drozdowski, Little Caesar’s, and me (Patrick Yearout, Ivar’s Restaurants) titled “Strong Recruiting For a Shrinking Workforce,” during which we offered some best practices on this topic.

Turnover is increasing. The war for talent is heating up. Competition for resources is advancing with year-end budgeting processes. It is no wonder that e-learning and blended learning have taken center stage in training and development discussions. Whether training teams are exploring the option in their organizations, or are evaluating their existing processes, insights and best practices are in demand.

On March 31, I received many texts, tweets, and Facebook posts wishing me a happy 48th birthday, and a staggering two-thirds of those messages came from people I’ve met through the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers. As I read through them all, it was a terrific reminder of how my CHART membership has had an impact on my life both professionally and personally.

This interview with Patrick focuses on the importance of training, even if you don't have a huge budget. The benefits of connecting with like-minded people in the industry is also covered.

To quote my friend Bob Dylan, "There is nothing so stable as change."