Restaurant Onboarding: Cut 90‑day Turnover in Half with This Plan

You did the hard part—found a great hire. Now the clock starts. In restaurants, most attrition happens in the first 90 days, and the first 30 are make‑or‑break. Research in organizational psychology is clear: structured onboarding that builds role clarity, social connection, and early wins dramatically improves retention and time‑to‑productivity.

Here’s a simple, proven plan you can run in any hospitality operation. It’s lightweight, repeatable, and designed for busy owners and managers.

Principles that make onboarding stick

• Pay for every minute of training and trials. It’s the law in the U.S. (no unpaid stages).
• One manager, one plan. Assign a single person to own the onboarding calendar.
• Show what “good” looks like. Standards, checklists, and examples beat speeches.
• Feedback early and often. Short loops (daily/weekly) correct drift and build confidence.
• Social glue matters. A named buddy and a warm welcome are retention multipliers.

Before day 1: preboarding checklist (30–60 minutes)

• Confirm start details: start time, location/parking, who to ask for, dress code/uniform.
• Send the first‑week schedule and a 30‑day training roadmap.
• Paperwork ready: I‑9, W‑4, direct deposit, handbook, safety policies. Set up POS login, scheduling/app access, email or team text group.
• Prep a welcome kit: name tag, pen, small notebook, thermometer, side towel, menu and standards.
• Assign a buddy (same role, strong culture carrier). Incentive: $50–$100 bonus if the new hire hits 60 days.

Day 1: make it clear, warm, and paid

• Welcome and tour: where to store personal items, clock in, bathrooms, staff meal, first‑aid, MSDS/safety.
• Culture and expectations: your mission, service style, how breaks work, how to request shifts.
• Safety and compliance: handwashing, temps, allergy protocol, lifting, slip/fall. Demonstrate—and have them do—one critical task (e.g., thermometer calibration or POS void).
• Tools and logins: POS, scheduling app, prep list template, sidework lists, waste log, line check.
• Training map: walk through what they’ll learn each week and how they’ll be certified.
• Pair with buddy and buy lunch. Ask two questions: “What will make this job a win for you?” and “Any constraints we should know about (transport, school, childcare)?”

Week 1: foundations and confidence

Goal: learn the basics, feel supported, and see a clear path to success.

BOH

• Knife and station setup: safe grips, cuts, board placement, sanitation buckets, labeling.
• Food safety: receiving temps, hot/cold holding, cooling, reheating, allergen cross‑contact.
• Prep and yields: how to read a prep list, yield targets for core items, waste log entries.
• Service rhythm: firing calls, expo communication, ticket reading, plating standards.
• Mini service: shadow one rush, then run a secondary station for 20–30 minutes.
• Micro‑test (5 minutes): temps (poultry 165°F, hot hold 135°F), cooling steps, label standards.

FOH

• Steps of service: greet, timing marks, order accuracy, check‑back, payment, farewell.
• POS basics: enter modifiers, split checks, comps/void policy, cash handling.
• Menu knowledge: top 10 menu items, allergens, what to recommend to common guest types.
• Allergy and service recovery: exact scripts and escalation paths.
• Shadow two sections, then take a small section with buddy support.
• Micro‑test (5 minutes): handle a peanut allergy request, undercooked burger script, spill protocol.

End of week 1 check‑in (15 minutes)

• What’s going well? What’s confusing?
• Three wins you saw; one skill to focus on next week.
• Confirm week‑2 schedule and who’s training which shift.

Week 2: controlled reps and early wins

Goal: increase responsibility with a safety net; demonstrate a measurable win.

BOH

• Own a primary station for two service periods with a trainer at your elbow.
• Advanced standards: blanching, par management, fryer filtration, grill cleaning checklist.
• Cost discipline: trim/yield demo on one protein or veg; log waste for three shifts.

FOH

• Run a full section for two shifts with spot coaching.
• Advanced standards: pacing a full book, subtle upselling, check‑back timing, menu mods without drama.
• Revenue habit: set a personal goal (e.g., 1 add‑on per 4 tables) and review results.

Both

• Daily 2‑minute debrief with buddy after every shift.
• Pulse survey at end of Week 2 (link or paper): I know exactly what’s expected of me (1–5); I have the tools/training to do great work (1–5); My trainer/buddy supports me (1–5); I’ve received useful feedback this week (1–5); One thing that would make next week better (open text).

Week 3: independence and cross‑training

Goal: operate independently in the core role and start learning a second station/position.

BOH

• Independent certification on primary station: meet plate standards, timing, and cleanliness.
• Cross‑train: prep station or neighboring line station; learn inventory count procedure.

FOH

• Independent certification: 95% POS accuracy, correct cash drops, comps per policy, 0 allergy misses.
• Cross‑train: host or bar support; learn sidework close with manager sign‑off.

Both

• Business literacy moment: 15 minutes with a manager to see how your work moves the P&L—BOH: how waste and yields hit food cost; FOH: how average check and comps hit the nightly numbers.
• Midpoint 1:1 (20 minutes): strengths observed, one development priority, and a concrete goal for week 4.

Week 4: validation and future path

Goal: certify, recognize, and set a 60/90‑day growth path.

• Capstone shift: run your station/section on a busy service with manager observing against the scorecard.
• Recognition: public shout‑out in pre‑shift, plus a small tangible reward (first pick of shifts, comp meal, or bonus).
• 30‑day review (20 minutes): score against the role scorecard; discuss next steps (cross‑training target, leadership reps like expo or lead server, or a mini‑project such as reducing a prep item’s waste by 1 point or creating a dessert feature); ask two stay‑interview questions (“What might tempt you to leave?” and “What one thing would make your job better here?”).

Role scorecard template

(rate 1–5; weight by role)

• Safety and standards: follows SOPs; zero critical violations.
• Technical skill: station/section proficiency, accuracy, speed.
• Service/craft quality: guest feedback for FOH; plate consistency for BOH.
• Communication and teamwork: clear calls, helpfulness, professional tone.
• Cost/Revenue habits: waste discipline (BOH) or check growth/accuracy (FOH).
• Reliability: on time, ready, schedule commitments met.

Certify at 18+ total points with no red flags. Use the same scorecard from trial to 30/60/90 to keep it consistent.

Buddy program checklist

(15 minutes per shift in week 1–2)

• Introduce to the team, show where SOPs live (binder/QR code), explain how to ask for help.
• Model one task, observe one task, give one note of feedback each shift.
• Debrief with manager: pass along any blockers (tools, scheduling, knowledge gaps).

Common micro‑tests you can laminate

• BOH: List 5 high‑risk allergens in your station; explain cooling pasta safely; write a correct label (item/date/prep/by).
• FOH: Walk me through split‑check with an allergy seat; comp/void approval flow; what do you do if a guest says their drink tastes “off”?

Simple retention metrics to track weekly

Leading indicators

• Attendance: 0–1 late or absence in 30 days.
• Training progress: % of checklist items signed off.
• Pulse scores: average >4.0.

Lagging indicators

• 30‑day retention rate.
• FOH: POS accuracy, comps per 100 guests, average check.
• BOH: waste %, re‑fires, ticket times on the trainee’s station.

What halving turnover means for your P&L

Estimates vary, but replacing an hourly restaurant employee often costs $2,000–$4,000 in overtime, training time, slower service, mistakes, and lost sales—more for managers. Cutting your 90‑day quits from, say, 40% to 20% on 10 hires can keep $20k+ in your pocket and stabilize the guest experience.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Throwing them straight into the fire with no standards or buddy.
• “Shadowing forever” without clear checklists and certification.
• Inconsistent trainers giving conflicting instructions.
• Unpaid trials or training (illegal and a fast way to lose good people).
• Scheduling chaos in the first month: publish at least 10–14 days out and honor days off.

Copy‑paste 30/60/90 goals you can tune to your concept

• 30 days: Independently run primary station/section on a busy shift; 0 critical safety errors; FOH 95% POS accuracy; BOH <2 re‑fires per service.
• 60 days: Cross‑trained on one additional station/role; completes inventory or ordering assist; can train a new hire on one task.
• 90 days: Leads a shift element (expo, pre‑shift, close); delivers one improvement (waste down 1 point on X item; +$1 to avg check on Y category).

Make it easy on yourself

• Put all SOPs and checklists in a shared folder with a QR code at each station.
• Use calendar invites for each check‑in so they don’t get skipped.
• Reward buddies and trainers publicly; they shape your culture more than posters.

Hire great people, then keep them

Poached helps you find qualified hospitality pros. This 30‑day plan helps you keep them. Post your next role at PoachedJobs.com, then run this onboarding playbook to turn new hires into loyal, capable team members.