Training staff correctly is essential for any successful food truck. The mobile food industry is a customer contact intensive business. Your food truck employees need to be attentive to customer demands while displaying the personality of your food truck. Studies have shown that as much as 90% of learning and career development takes place on the job; which makes sense since continuous learning is a key to building a sustainable career in any field.

While some of your food truck staff members may have years of formal culinary education and other that have worked under some of the country’s best chefs…the fact is that you and your food truck managers are going to be their most important career developers while they work for you.

On The Job Training Tips

Help your food truck team members flourish with these tips:

  • Instead of a yearly conversation about career goals during performance reviews, talk with them frequently. Regular discussions about their career objectives and interests will help them to refine goals and spot opportunities for development.
  • When planning a group project, ask team members to identify both how they can contribute and what they would like to learn. This avoids their volunteering to perform only tasks that they already know they can do.
  • Ask employees to report back  to you periodically on what they feel they have been learning and how they are using their new skills and knowledge to better your mobile food business.

RELATED: 3 Key Food Truck Service Window Staff Training Areas To Focus On

The Bottom Line

To build a high impact on the job training program and phase in training smoothly, you need to create a task-oriented training program with realistic timelines. This includes establishing daily tasks and training schedules. This approach sets measurable goals and creates an easy on the job training tracking and monitoring system.

Do you have an on the job training system in place in your food truck? When you conduct your on the job training? We’d love to hear your answers or any additional tips you may have for other food truck owners. Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section, our food truck forum or social media. Twitter | Facebook