Determining Your Food Truck Employee Needs

One of the most important tasks in creating a successful food truck operation is taking care of employee needs. Figuring out what a food truck employee needs or wants can feel like an intricate puzzle, especially when different staff members require different things. Today we’ll share a few things a mobile food employee needs to be successful.

What A Food Truck Employee Needs

People today have a great sense of independence and a need for empowerment. This means you must act in a way that promotes authority and management, while also encouraging participation and empowerment. Maintaining high moral in your food truck starts with you understanding what your staff needs.

Role clarity. Tell each of your employees what their roles are in your business, what you want them to achieve, and what the rules are for getting there.
Autonomy. People want something interesting or fun to work on and they want to be trusted to do it well.
Accountability. Holding people accountable is not just about being fair. It also sends a message about what is and what isn’t acceptable. This is critical for employees who are trying to figure out how to succeed.
Praise. Everyone wants to be recognized when they’ve done something right. You can motivate individuals by highlighting their strengths and not harping on their weaknesses.

Not only does determining the needs of each of your employees help lower costs related to attrition, it also translates to bottom line income. An employee whose needs are met will be happy. Ultimately happy employees relate directly to happy customers.

The Bottom Line

Study this list and determine how to use these points for each of your employees. While it may seem like a simple task, you can never use too much of a broad brush and each point must be adapted for each individual you employ.

Do you agree with these points? What else can you add to the discussion? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section, our food truck forum or social media. Facebook | Twitter

About the Author: Richard Myrick

Richard Myrick is an architect by degree (Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan) who began his career in real estate development and architectural planning. In September of 2010 he created Mobile Cuisine Magazine to fill an information void he found when he began researching how to start a mobile hotdog cart in Chicago. Richard found that there was no central repository of mobile street food information anywhere on the internet, and with that, the idea for MCM was born. Richard also wrote the "Running a Food Truck for Dummies" available in bookstores everywhere and Amazon. You can reach out to Richard by email at: [email protected].