Craft Talk - How to motivate staff

Craft Guild of Chefs member Ian Gibbs and head chef at the Coventry Arms, Corfe Mullen, Dorset, advises fellow chefs on how best to motivate their staff

A motivated workforce is crucial to the smooth running of a kitchen. It will totally lift the atmosphere and will lead to a more productive, more confident workforce. This can only be beneficial to the business.

As head chefs, ultimately it is our job to motivate staff. The first thing to do is to get them in their whites and make them feel like chefs.

Give them one-to-one training if necessary in order to bring them along in areas where they are not great and get them focused. Ensure they understand the menu, the ingredients and their place in the kitchen.

Ensure you vary the menus so that the staff do not get bored. Now is the perfect time as the season changes from autumn into winter. Teach them about local, seasonal ingredients. Get chefs tasting them and teach them the new

skills they will need to prepare the new dishes.

Motivated chefs will never want to stop learning. You should encourage them to bring their own ideas to the table. It makes them feel valued and part of the team. Also, rotate people around the kitchen. Don't leave the same person prepping the vegetables, as this will really demotivate

them.

As head chefs, it's our job to bring staff on, so put them on a different section.

Think about awards you could enter your staff into - these could be anything from local events through to trade shows. There's nothing more motivating than getting recognised for your achievements.

When I first started in the business, I took on a girl who was 16 with hardly any experience. Within a year, she had won a major salon culinaire - now that's what I call

motivation!

Encourage your chefs by giving them the opportunity to experience other kitchens.

Organise for them to spend a week at a different pub, speak to the pubs in your area or even negotiate a job swap.

Working in a different kitchen with a different style of food, I guarantee they will come back motivated and keen to implement what they have learnt.

A motivated team needs a motivated head chef. If they see you motivated, it makes them want to go out and get it.

Finally, remember the small things. Say thank you and try not to shout!

For further information about the Craft Guild of Chefs, contact 020 8948 3870