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Perspectives
The power of employee engagement
Redefining the restaurant experience
Cultivating employee engagement can help restaurants create positive customer experiences and reduce costly turnover. By focusing on the five core elements of employee engagement, restaurants can create a motivated workforce of brand ambassadors that take ownership of the customer experience.
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- Download the report
- The five elements of employee engagement
- Building a "simply irresistible" place to work
- Employee engagement’s role in the customer value chain
- Get in touch
Engaged and motivated restaurant employees are at the heart of positive experience
According to our recent restaurant customer experience survey, a staff of friendly, hospitable employees is the most important element needed for a positive experience at a restaurant.
Yet in their quest to improve the customer experience, many restaurant companies have underinvested in employee development and engagement programs. This imbalance can make it harder for restaurants to create the experience that customers want and generate the business results they need.
The five elements of employee engagement
Bringing their customer and talent strategies into alignment will require restaurants to make employee engagement a strategic, enterprise-wide priority. Our Simply Irresistible Organization™ model gives restaurant companies a framework for focusing on the five core elements of employee engagement:
- Meaningful work
- Supportive management
- Positive work environment
- Growth opportunity
- Trust in leadership
Working toward excellence in each of these areas can help restaurants build a motivated workforce of brand ambassadors who are committed to their employers and take personal responsibility for the customer experience.
Providing a consistently positive restaurant experience is what creates customer loyalty, and companies cannot achieve it without an engaged workforce.
Building a “simply irresistible” place to work
Employee engagement’s role in the customer value chain
Obtaining an advantage in the marketplace is a critical driver for the changing nature of experiences across customers and employees. Enabling and achieving employee engagement is key to success on the journey to the desired customer experience.

Appearance
A customer's introduction to a restaurant brand often starts with the appearance of its employees.

Reliability
When there is a consistent knowledge standard across employees, customers can rely on any member of the brand team for support and answers to their questions.

Ownership
Employees who are able to own the standards of the brand and the critical processes that impact the customer experience are key components of the customer value chain.

Accountability
Whether it's an excellent or poor customer experience, the employee is the owner of the outcome. It is critical to create an environment in which employees are prepared to be held accountable to brand standards and procedures.

Authenticity
The way an employee authentically manages moments of recovery with a customer can directly translate into value recovery for the business.

Engagement
When employees are empowered with the ability to directly engage with their workplace environment and make suggestions for improvement, leadership can create an atmosphere of participation and growth that is often quite tangible to the customer experience.
Working towards excellence in each of the five core elements that drive engagement creates the win-win restaurant situation—the employee experience improves and your customers get a better experience with your brand. Continue to learn more by reading The power of employee engagement.
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