10 Aug Hope is not a training strategy – How to Build a Training Plan That Actually Works
Once a new employee has completed their onboarding, the real training begins.
Often, your new team member is given a mountain of information on day one, then thrown into a busy shift and expected to somehow work it all out.
Or
At the other extreme, they’re given a uniform, a section and a vague instruction to “let us know if you need anything”.
Or
‘Ok, it’s your first shift, just shadow Sarah’.
If this sounds like the way new hires are trained in your business, I think you’re leaving way too much too chance – service standards, selling skills, the consistency of both product & service, productivity, profitability, customer perception, accountability for staff performance, workplace health & safety obligations – to name just a few areas.
There is a better way – a structured, progressive on-shift training plan.
1. Start with the destination
Before planning the first shift, managers and supervisors need to be clear about what “good” looks like in the role. What should this person be able to do independently by the end of week one? What should they be able to do by the end of week two? And what skills, knowledge and behaviours should they demonstrate by the end of their first month?
Once you know the destination, you can design the roadmap to get there.
2. Build the plan around priorities
A new hire doesn’t need to learn everything at once. And you certainly can’t train everything at once.
The first few shifts should focus on the essential skills and knowledge they need to work safely, productively and with some level of independence.
3. Give them something productive to do
Training shouldn’t mean keeping a new employee permanently on the sidelines. The goal is to find tasks they can perform productively while they learn. Start with simple, repeatable tasks. As their confidence and competence grow, gradually increase the complexity.
Here’s two examples of what entry level role training plans might look like for a front of house (FOH) and a kitchen (BOH) role.
FOH
Early shifts: Learn how to be on the floor
Before teaching a new team member how to take orders, carry three plates or use the POS, they need to understand the basics of being in a customer environment.
Appropriate verbal & body language in front of customers:
• Personal hygiene and handwashing
• Uniform and personal presentation standards
• Not leaning on counters or walls
• Not standing in groups chatting
• How and when to use a phone
• How to move through the dining room
• Making eye contact and acknowledging customers
• What to do when a customer approaches
• What we do (and don’t) say to customers – the difference between “I don’t know” and “I’ll find out for you”
These are simple skills, but they establish the basic standards of professional behaviour.
Productive tasks:
• Folding napkins
• Polishing cutlery and glassware
• Restocking waiter stations
• Setting tables
• Clearing and resetting tables
• Refilling water
• Clearing plates
• Cleaning and resetting service areas
• Restocking condiments and consumables
All while observing the flow of a service period – how experienced staff greet customers, take orders, manage questions, deal with complaints, communicate with the kitchen and prioritise competing demands.
Next stage: Build technical skills
Once the basics are established, training can progress to:
• Greeting and seating customers
• Explaining the menu
• Taking simple orders
• Using the POS
• Carrying plates and trays safely
• Serving food and beverages
• Clearing tables efficiently
• Handling common customer questions
• Managing simple service problems
The key is that the new employee isn’t expected to master all of this on their first shift.
BOH
The same principle applies in the kitchen.
Early shifts: Learn how to work in the kitchen
Before expecting a new apprentice, cook or commis chef to execute complex dishes or hold down a section during a busy service, they need to learn:
• Personal hygiene and handwashing
• Uniform and personal presentation standards
• Safe movement around the kitchen
• Knife safety
• How to communicate on the line
• Calling “behind”, “hot” and other relevant warnings
• Where equipment, ingredients and tools are located
• Cleaning as they go
• Basic workstation organisation
Again, these are foundational behaviours that allow someone to operate safely and effectively within the team.
Productive, simple tasks:
• Washing and sanitising produce
• Peeling and chopping basic vegetables
• Portioning ingredients
• Labelling and dating products
• Restocking fridges and dry stores
• Preparing garnishes
• Making basic sauces or dressings
• Setting up a workstation
• Cleaning and sanitising equipment
• Completing basic prep lists
These tasks allow the new team member to contribute almost immediately, while observing the pace, communication and priorities of a professional kitchen.
Then, progressively increase complexity. Once basic tasks are being completed consistently to standard, the training can progress to:
• More complex preparation
• Following recipes and specifications
• Understanding yields and portion control
• Working to prep lists and deadlines
• Executing simple menu items
• Working during quieter service periods
• Taking responsibility for a small section
• Managing prep independently
The important thing is the sequence. A new employee should not be asked to absorb the entire operation on day one. But neither should they be left standing around waiting for someone to decide what to teach them.
4. Don’t leave it to chance
The biggest mistake is assuming your experienced employees will automatically train new hires effectively. Without a plan, training becomes inconsistent. One supervisor teaches one thing, another teaches something different, some critical tasks get missed entirely and the new employee is left trying to piece it all together.
A simple shift-by-shift training plan creates clarity for everyone:
• Clear performance standards with a logical training progression.
• The new hire knows what’s expected.
• Shift supervisors know what to teach and observe.
• Managers can track progress and ensure accountability.
And you have a much better chance of turning a new employee into a competent, confident team member—without overwhelming them or leaving it to chance.
If you’re interested in learning how to create and deliver your own skills training plan, consider our 2-day How To Train workshop.
