Measure to show upskilling success

Showing employee retention data helps support ongoing training.

You do all you can to train, engage and keep employees, but in a fast-paced food and nutrition services program, how do you succeed and keep it going? The answer … measure results.

Day after day, meal after meal, it takes data-driven decisions to manage dining services. It’s no different for managing your staffing levels. 

Measuring is the final piece of your T.E.A.M. effort. “T.E.A.M.” stands for:
T = Training and development
E = Engage employees
A = Acknowledge progress
M = Measure results

Document staff changes

The measurements that show better retention are the key performance indicators (KPIs) you can use to justify budget requests to support more training. 

Use KPIs to create a baseline that shows upskilling works. Here’s how:

• Determine a regular frequency to show trends.
  • Typically measure quarterly or annually.
  • Measure more frequently if needed for goals.
• Track changes in these areas:
  • Retention rate.
  • Turnover rate (include voluntary, involuntary and for high performers).
  • Average turnover due to promotions or transfers.
  • Number of open positions and filled positions.
• Compare your results in context to the industry average.
  • Use your industry associations to find data specific to your industry (for example, compare only skilled nursing foodservice turnover instead of total turnover). 

Monitor satisfaction

Beyond training, one way to enhance retention is to survey employees or schedule “stay interviews.” You get to know employees better and can individualize their development. 

The value of stay interviews is supported by a Gallup survey showing more than half of voluntarily exiting employees say their manager or organization could have done something to prevent them from leaving their job. Try asking these questions at stay interviews:

1. What do you look forward to when you commute to work?
2. What are you learning here, and what do you want to learn?
3. Why do you stay here?
4. When was the last time you thought about leaving, and what prompted it?
5. What can I do to make your job better?

Need a stay interview worksheet? Ask your Gordon Food Service Sales Representative.

The more you invest time, energy and training in your employees, the more likely they are to stick around. That reduces the costly hiring expenses and is likely to improve your team’s performance and your operation’s satisfaction scores.