Create Profit Incentives To Motivate Staff

Share profitability goals with the entire team. Talk about sales and cost-cutting goals during meetings. Be sure to involve both the front- and back-of-the-house staff. After you get everyone’s attention, create, explain and offer ways for all staff to receive some sort of reward for helping the company reach its goals.

Most people in catering work for money, but some also work for praise and self-fulfillment. As you plan your rewards, don’t think solely in terms of additional dollars to the staff. Also think of ways to heap praise on them with awards like “Cost-Cutter Of The Month,” “Most Down Payments of The Month” or “Greatest Profit Event Of The Month.” Don’t have your team think in terms of sales; have them think in terms of profit.

You may have never thought along these lines, but wouldn’t your profitability be better if your team members were actively trying to win these awards? Other forms of reward, besides dollars, include gifts for their significant others, educational classes, wardrobe enhancements, a day off, a car payment and just about anything that says “thank you” for hard work!

Try an annual cash bonus that is not based on seniority. Explain to your team during an all-company meeting that you have bonus dollars to give each year that will be divided on the basis of how management views the overall efforts of each employee—with special focus on how they helped either make or save the company dollars over the year.


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