On today’s episode of The Cutting Onions Podcast, Myles and I continue to the conversation about the basics of the business and talk about the lost art of restaurant orientations.

This is a basic fundamental of the business that is crucial to having engaged, inspired, and excellent team members.

Here is some of what we talked about in our conversation:

• Technology (LMS, onboarding software) is a useful tool, but cannot replace human conversation, eye contact, and culture transfer
• The industry has drifted toward mistaking the administrative package for a real orientation
• Orientation is the first promise leadership makes to a new team member
• Follow-up orientation is where you prove you meant it
• Culture immersion starts in the interview process and continues through the orientation.

Our challenge to you this week: Talk to your newest team member and ask these powerful questions:

1. Is there anything we could have done differently to make your onboarding better?
2. What was confusing or unclear?
3. Who has helped you the most?

This signals your openness to feedback early.  Then, pick one thing and fix it, and circle back to let them know you made the change.

As Myles said, the orientation sets the tone for how the rest of the employment experience will go.

Check out this conversation wherever you consume your podcast content!