Retention Recipe: Resolving Restaurant Employee Turnover

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  
  Program Name: Hospitality and Tourism Management
  Course Title: Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism
  Course Number: 8850110
  Career Cluster: Hospitality and Tourism
  CIP Number: 0252090101
  Course Type: High School - Career Prep

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, "Retention Recipe: Resolving Restaurant Employee Turnover." See CPALMS resource ID# 219038.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson practices supporting hospitality and tourism careers by exploring how restaurant owners can reduce staff turnover in order to retain employees and understand roles in restaurant management. In addition, this lesson supports durable skills of communication, leadership, metacognition, collaboration, and character. In the domain of communication, students will analyze how restaurant owners and managers communicate effectively with staff to improve retention. In the domain of leadership, students will brainstorm leadership strategies that foster a positive work environment. In the domain of metacognition, students will evaluate different employee retention strategies to see which one will work best. In the domain of collaboration, students will be able to develop an employee retention plan by working together. Finally, in the domain of character, the students will demonstrate integrity by proposing fair solutions in the workplace.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Evaluate how a restaurant employee schedule impacts profit margins.
  • Identify and present how challenges in employee productivity contribute to employee retention and propose solutions.
  • Use grade-level appropriate conventions to write a formal business proposal.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Know the common roles of restaurant staff (server, cook, manager).
  • Know that teamwork and communication play a vital role in workplace dynamics.
  • Know what staff turnover means from a business aspect.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How can a restaurant business owner prevent staff turnover while also maintaining satisfied employees who provide high levels of productivity?
  • How can a restaurant manager improve their scheduling practices by considering feedback from their employees?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. To introduce the lesson, engage the students by asking them a couple of questions about real-life restaurant situations, such as:

  • Have you ever had a bad restaurant experience?
  • Raise your hand if you've ever been to a restaurant where the service is slow or the staff seemed unhappy or miserable.
  • Why do you think that happens in restaurants?

  2. Provide students with a copy of the case study, "Retention Recipe: Resolving Restaurant Employee Turnover" (See CPALMS Resource ID# 221704).

  • Have students highlight content vocabulary, take notes, or underline important details.

  3. Pose the following discussion questions as the case study is read:

  • What do you think are the main reasons Enzo's Pepperoni Palace employees quit or stop showing up?
  • Why do you think high pay alone isn't enough to keep employees happy?
  • How does employee turnover affect the restaurant's reputation and customer experience?

  4. Provide students with the 2-week employee schedule handout (see attached). Ensure that students have the sample schedule provided with the case study. Have students evaluate the schedule for topics such as inconsistencies in hours/shifts given, which servers are getting hours on "high-tip" days/nights, aka Fridays and weekends, and patterns of favoritism and balance. The evaluation should answer the questions, "Are shifts rotated fairly week to week?" and "What system seems to be in place to ensure everyone gets a chance at 'high-tip' shifts?"

  5. Students should highlight at least 5 aspects of the sample work schedule to evaluate.

  • Who is consistently scheduled for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays?
  • Comparing the total weekly hours for each employee and their role.
  • Are managers like Tony, Sophia, and Enzo contributing equally?
  • Does the schedule reflect known preferences or restraints, such as employees who have prior commitments?
  • Are lunch and dinner shifts getting rotated fairly?

  6. Next, give students the handout, "Email from Nathan to Sophia" (see attached) that shows Nathan's explanation of the unfairness of the schedule and the effect it has on the business and employee productivity. Have students review the email from Nathan to Sophia and provide feedback on the tone, content, and effectiveness of the communication.

  7. As students finish, have them share their evaluations with a partner or group. Partners and group members can discuss the similarities they noticed, the inconsistencies with justifications, and provide feedback on recommendations/considerations.

  7. At the end, have students pretend they are Sophia, the prime manager for Enzo's Pepperoni Palace. Have them write a business plan/proposal to her dad, Enzo, about what needs to happen to retain employees. The proposal should include a summary of the current problems, an analysis of the current work schedule, specific strategies to improve fairness and morale, and expected outcomes of the proposal.

  8. To bring the lesson to a close, have students reflect on the following questions:

  • Now that you've seen what has been happening at Enzo's Pepperoni Palace from Sophia's point of view, what did you learn about managing a business and keeping the employees happy?
  • What is the most important change you recommended and why?

• Teacher Notes

  
  

  Tips for success:

  • Encourage empathy - ask students to see if they can feel what it would be like to walk in Sophia's shoes and to imagine the stress she feels on a daily basis.
  • Make sure students work in pairs or in small groups.
  • Make real-world connections - connect this lesson to students' part-time jobs or future careers.