Are you considering a career as a hospitality training manager? Before you take it on, we have some tips and advice from restaurant expert, Andrew Carlson.
Whether you’ve become a full-time manager or you’re just started dabbling in management, the Training Manager is one of the most important jobs in a restaurant or hospitality business.
If you’ve fallen in love with the training aspect, helping new hires become efficient in their positions, and it’s what makes you come alive – then becoming a Hospitality Training Manager might be the next step in your career!
Here are some tips on what you should do to get there.
The Training Manager is crucial to the success of your hospitality business. They are responsible for creating and implementing training programs and overseeing the development of careers. They set performance metrics, evaluate productivity and help employees create long-term career plans within an organization.
These responsibilities only scratch the surface when it comes to what the job entails, but this list gives you an overall introduction into the position.
Do you need a degree if you don’t have any experience? Not necessarily. There isn’t one way to become a Hospitality Training Manager. The key thing is to take initiative and always learn, whether that’s through formal studies, or through self-learning.
Learn from everyone around you, and ask lots of questions. Talk to other Training Managers about their job. What did they do to get into their position? What skills do they have? What experience did they pick up throughout their career? Getting straight to the source can often be the best way to find out this kind of information.
As mentioned before, self-learning is also really important and will get you ahead. There are plenty of resources readily available that can help. Try online and offline courses, e.g. courses on creating training programs, communication courses, leadership seminars and workshops. Do your research to find the right resources.
If you’re attending seminars or workshops, don’t be afraid to network with others. It’s likely that these people will have plenty of experience and know what it’s like when just starting out. You’ll also build a great pool of connections.
Here are some key traits/characteristics that are necessary for the job.
Assistant Manager
Most restaurants and hospitality businesses want you to have management experience. As an assistant manager, you get to work more exclusively with the guests. This is a great position if you love customer service because that’s your main focus. You’ll ensure guest satisfaction and manage the operations when the General Manager is not available.
General Manager
The General Manager (GM) is a big step because now you are working with the financials of the restaurant. The success of the restaurant rests on your shoulders in this position. If the sales are slowing down or falling from previous weeks/months, you must get tactical on how you will increase sales. Normally, your assistant manager handles the schedule but you handle the bigger picture responsibilities in this role.
Training Manager
Once you’ve gained years of experience as a GM, you’ll move into a training role so you can begin to set the restaurant up for success for when you leave. By now you have the whole scope of how to run the restaurant and the operations with it. The next step is helping the restaurant grow by training new leaders and implementing a training program in the restaurant – or revising the training program to make it more effective.
Regional Training Manager
After you’ve become a training manager, the regional training manager is the next step. You’ll have your area, usually a state or section of the state with multiple locations where you’ll go and meet with other training managers of each store to help them improve their programs and maintain brand standards across multiple locations.
It depends on where you work but here’s the average breakdown for a Hospitality Training Manager.
US: $75k-$110.5k (median: $98k)
UK: £37k-£42,500
Australia: $49k-$73k (median: $55k)
For more info on Training Manager salaries, check out salary.com or totaljobs.com
Remember that this is your career. You cannot climb the ladder in a short amount of time unless the restaurant is in a rapid growth stage. It’s best to take your time, learn from the people in your organization and become the go-to person in the restaurant. Be indispensable. Take courses outside and communicate what you’re doing with management.
You may not have the skills right now but after a few courses and gaining new skills, you’ll quickly become an asset the company cannot ignore. Communicate where your career trajectory is going. Be open to feedback and continue to have fun. The more knowledge you have going into the position, the better you’ll perform once the position opens.
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Andrew Carslon is on a mission to change customer service in restaurants and bars across America. His work includes programs to ensure exceptional customer service to creating unforgettable experiences. He is a speaker, coach, the author of Customer Service is the Bottom Line and host of the podcast Beyond the Restaurant. |
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