Employee training in the food and beverage industry is an ongoing challenge. Between high turnover rates and the need to stay compliant with food safety and labor laws, businesses are constantly under pressure to ensure their teams are well-trained and informed.
With constant onboarding and the need for consistency, an efficient and scalable training solution is essential.
In this article, we’ll explore the key challenges and practical solutions businesses can implement to overcome them.
Key Takeaways
- High turnover demands constant training, impacting consistency and increasing operational costs.
- Compliance with food safety and labor laws requires ongoing training to reduce risks and avoid penalties.
- A mobile-first training platform can streamline onboarding, reduce training time, and ensure employees stay compliant and engaged.
Challenge 1: High Turnover Rates
Challenge
The food and beverage industry is notorious for its high employee turnover, with annual rates ranging from 60% to 70%. For every 10 employees you hire, 6 to 7 are likely to leave within the year. This creates a continuous demand for onboarding and training new staff.
Impact
High turnover means spending significant time and resources training new hires over and over again. This constant need for training can lead to inconsistent service, increased operational costs, and manager burnout.
Solution
Businesses need a scalable training platform that makes it easy to onboard new employees while also providing ongoing training for current staff. A mobile-first solution ensures that training is consistent, standardized, and accessible to everyone, no matter how often new employees are hired.
Pro Tip
With Connecteam, you can set up automated training workflows for new hires, allowing them to start training as soon as they join. This helps speed up onboarding while ensuring a high-quality, uniform experience for all employees. Not sure how much turnover is costing you? Check out our turnover calculator
Challenge 2: Strict Compliance Regulations
Challenge
The food and beverage industry is subject to strict food safety and labor laws, such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and local labor regulations about breaks, tips, and minimum wage. Non-compliance can lead to heavy fines, lawsuits, or business closure.
Impact
Managers must ensure employees are trained on food safety and labor law compliance to avoid penalties and protect the business’s reputation. Without an efficient training system, businesses risk falling out of compliance, leading to costly consequences.
Solution
Ongoing training is essential to keep staff up to date with changing regulations. A mobile training platform allows you to easily create training materials, deliver the relevant compliance training, track completion, and ensure that employees are always up to date with food safety standards and labor laws.
Pro Tip
Connecteam’s built-in compliance tracking helps ensure your team stays current with food safety laws and labor regulations. You can set reminders for upcoming training sessions and track who has completed the necessary courses.
Challenge 3: Retention Through Effective Training
Challenge
High turnover often leads to employee dissatisfaction. Employees who feel they are constantly training but never settling into their roles can become frustrated and leave. A lack of thorough onboarding or insufficient training can cause employees to feel unsupported.
Impact
Employees who don’t feel adequately trained are more likely to leave. In an industry with such high turnover, investing in training to increase retention is essential for reducing costs and creating a more stable workforce.
Solution
Offering consistent and ongoing training not only ensures compliance but also boosts employee satisfaction. When employees feel well-prepared and supported in their roles, they are more likely to stay long-term. Providing career development opportunities through training can also help retain top talent.
Pro Tip
With Connecteam, you can offer professional development opportunities, such as customer service or leadership training, to keep employees engaged and help them grow within the company.
The Solution: Streamlining Training with Technology
Solution
Traditional training methods—like in-person sessions or paper-based handouts—can be time-consuming and inefficient. A mobile training platform is a more effective solution, especially in an industry with high turnover and strict compliance needs.
Why It Works
- Scalable: Whether onboarding one employee or a large group, a mobile platform can handle any volume of trainees. Employees can complete training on their phones, minimizing disruptions to daily work.
- Compliant: A digital platform tracks progress and compliance, ensuring all employees are up to date with the latest industry regulations, reducing the risk of non-compliance.
- Efficient: Mobile training is accessible at any time, allowing employees to learn at their own pace, which increases engagement and retention.
Did You Know?
Connecteam allows businesses to create customized training programs for food safety certifications, alcohol service training, or labor law education. You can track progress and certifications, ensuring compliance is always maintained.
Conclusion: Address Training Challenges with Connecteam
Training employees in the food and beverage industry can be challenging, especially with high turnover and strict compliance regulations. However, using a modern, mobile-first training platform like Connecteam can streamline the process, reduce turnover, and ensure compliance.
Ready to streamline your employee training?
Start using Connecteam for free today and see how our mobile training platform can help you tackle turnover, compliance challenges, and improve employee retention.
By leveraging the right technology, you can ensure your employees are well-trained, compliant, and engaged, ultimately reducing turnover, improving service quality, and succeeding in a competitive industry.