A position in management says two things: you are a team leader and you get results. These two skills are needed in just about every industry that exists, but none more so than the food industry. Although managing a restaurant is a tough position to hold, many of those who are currently in this position keep their careers for years and years. The reason managers want to keep their jobs albeit stressful, is because they get to know the customers and many of them enjoy working with both food and people. It is also a good-paying position. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that food service managers make up to $48,130 per year as a median.
As a restaurant manager, you will face a unique set of challenges and requests. Unlike management in other professions, hospitality managers have to deal with all kinds of people from all over the world and from all different backgrounds. This means that in order to work as a manager of a restaurant, you have to have a variety of skills and experience dealing with and working with all types of people. Below are four of the top challenges that people who work in restaurant management must face day in and day out.
1. Cultural Barriers
Not only are restaurant managers responsible for working with customers from different backgrounds and different countries, but they’re also required to work with immigrant employees with different cultural backgrounds. Language barriers and cultural barriers present issues when it comes to conflict resolution or in giving instructions pertaining to their duties.
2. High Turnover Rate
According to Chron, the hospitality industry, more specifically the restaurant industry, has a 60 percent turnover rate, so restaurant managers are required to train new employees every year. This causes ongoing stress related to having to retrain new staff in times when there’s not enough experienced staff to cover the restaurant.
3. Unpredictability
Unlike hotel managers or managers of auto parts stores, the tasks of a restaurant manager changes each day. The hospitality field is unpredictable since there is no guarantee that customers will continue eating the menu items. The high turnover rate also causes problems with planning out goals and strategies. You will also have to plan new marketing schemes to guarantee new customers, which adds to the financial stress of this career.
4. Training
The staff has to be trained to memorize the items and prices on the menu. In addition, they’ll have to be trained in customer service and delivery skills. The food industry is fast-paced, employees will be expected to learn fast, while managers are expected to train thoroughly and quickly. Since some employees learn slower than others, this can be extremely frustrating.
Many of these stresses can be minimized through adequate training and hiring employees with previous experience working in hospitality. However, the food industry remains a high-stress occupation since it is unpredictable by nature. The key is to understand the stress and tackle the causes immediately to avoid internalizing the stress or taking it out on other staff members. The effects of this stress can be minimized by learning proper stress management skills. Medline Plus recommends exploring stress-coping programs.