A common sight historically within many Front of House and Kitchen Brigades was the ‘them against us’ mentality. This Kitchen staff versus front of house (FOH) friction, has existed for a long time, but as the industry adapts to modern practices and staff shortages this has had to change. Hospitality professionals have recognised the team as a whole and the need to support one another.
It’s crucial for a team to understand the importance of all roles, from Kitchen Porter to Head Chef, or Waiter/Waitress to Manager, the success of any team depends on it. It is impossible to have Michelin standard food served on dirty plates or with dirty washrooms or quality food slammed down on a table. Irrespective of the standard of food there has to be consistency across all areas when building a brand. This is universally accepted and now seems to be more and more accepted in hospitality. If one area fails it isn’t just that one section that suffers, it can hinder the whole brigade, therefore teamwork is vital within a service team. When all sections within a hospitality brigade are working efficiently and in sync, the running of a smooth service can be achieved, and I’m sure many working in the industry now have experienced each side of this coin – I know which one I prefer!
Something I have always stressed to colleagues during my time within the hospitality industry, is the important of communication between every member of the brigade. We are all part of the same machine and if one cog stops turning, the entire machine comes to a halt. It’s a case of rallying around together and supporting the areas that need it. If you have no housekeeper then you have no bedrooms, so you need to jump on and support. If your Kitchen Porter is off then you have no plates, as a team you need to jump on and support. Whether you’re a Commis, Head Chef or Manager, regardless of your position, the cogs must keep turning.
What difference can a quality FOH team make?
Looking at the FOH team, they have a huge impact on the functionality of a business. You can have the best chefs and food, but if your customer facing team aren’t up to par, then it can taint the customer experience. Whether that be poor customer service, or a missing flair, you can’t put a price on a quality FOH team. They’re the first and last person guests will see and communicate with, if your guests have had a great time and plan to return, you’ll have more than your back of house (BOH) team to thank. For this reason, it is imperative that your service is ‘top notch’.
You simply can’t have one without the other, strong Kitchen Brigades must be coupled with a quality Front of House team if you wish to run a seamless service. Any hospitality professional would agree, teamwork is a big thing in the industry and a ‘them against us’ attitude is completely out of the question and out of date.
The building blocks to a successful Front of House and Kitchen Brigades
Communication – excellent communication skills are essential during a busy service. When tickets are flooding into the kitchen and plates are waiting on the pass, swift action is non-negotiable. To get food out on time and deliver an outstanding guest experience, the team relies on consistent and clear communication. These skills are as important outside service, the need to communicate changes to service or menus being essential, what needs pushing for more margin is a constant communication battle.
Patience – possibly the most important virtue of all when dealing with people, is having infinite patience. It goes without saying, a career in hospitality is fast paced and demanding, and it’s very common to allow this stress and urgency to boil over. Having awareness of your colleague’s workload and maintaining patience with each other will be your saving grace when times get tough.
Active listening – the process of actively engaging yourself in conversations allows you to become much more deeply involved with what is being said, thus understanding what is being asked and minimising miscommunication across the board. We all know the damaging effects Chinese whispers can have, and this is not an error you want to be making throughout a busy service. Old fashioned hot headedness, or shouting is the quickest way to close down listening.
Ability to take constructive criticism – coming from a place of support and wanting to help others construct themselves to become better, constructive criticism is a huge factor in personal growth and overall success. When done correctly, constructive feedback will enable a team to grow together and improve the working environment for all.
Ginger Hospitality: Your Complete Front of House and Kitchen Brigade Support
As previously GM’s ourselves, Ginger Hospitality are more than a hospitality recruitment agency and it’s our industry knowledge and extensive networks that divides us from other ‘agencies’. We know there is a huge FOH shortage at the moment and we’re using our headhunt approach to support this skills gap and reconnect lost talent with exciting new opportunities. We attack every assignment with a thorough executive search and headhunt approach to source the best talent available.
Are you missing a niche FOH skill to support your brigade? The Ginger Hospitality team are just a phone call or email away, and your new relief or permanent FOH team member could be on their way to you!
If you wish to contact me, call 01200 890 890, or email me directly via robyn@ginger-recruitment.co.uk
Author: Robyn Conmee, Hospitality Recruitment Consultant
