Food truck vendors know that to be successful, you must master the art of juggling. Owning and managing a food truck business means having to wear multiple hats. Unfortunately, having to juggle the tasks of various roles increases the likelihood of making accounting to marketing to human resources mistakes.
It’s easy for vendors to sometimes ignore the human resources side of business when things are running smoothly. However, doing so can lead to costly mistakes like employee turnover or even legal issues. These mistakes can lead to serious consequences for the future of these mobile food businesses.
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4 Food Truck Human Resources Mistakes To Avoid
How can food truck owners keep from dropping the ball when it comes to HR? Here are four of the most common human resources mistakes food trucks face today, and how to avoid them.
The hiring process is overlooked
When it comes to hiring workers for a food truck, mistakes are all too common. From poor job descriptions that attract poor candidates to a hurried interview process that results in hiring the wrong people can be detrimental to business.
These hiring mistakes often originate from having a hasty hiring process. The solution? Create a consistent interview process and stick with it. Start with an accurate, clear job description that aims to attract quality talent. Including the right information, in a conversational tone is the key to weeding out unqualified candidates from the start.
One thing food truck tend to overlook when hiring is interviewing for cultural fit. Ensuring a candidate will be a good addition to the food truck culture is just as important as having the right skills for the job. Additionally, get more people involved in the interview process. The best hiring decisions are made as a team.
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Employee handbook is outdated
To reduce employee violations, employers must have, update and communicate work-related policies. Food truck businesses of all sizes need to have some form of an employee handbook. Not having company policies in writing is just asking for trouble.
Remember that having an employee handbook isn’t enough. Update the policies outlined in the handbook on a regular basis. On top of that, employees should sign an acknowledgment form stating that they have read and understand everything in the handbook.
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Include information in your employee handbook such as your food truck’s:
- code of conduct.
- communications policy.
- nondiscrimination policy.
- compensation and benefits.
- employment and termination guidelines.
Employee training is ignored
Vendors who invest in their employees, in turn invest in the food truck. This investment is most clearly demonstrated by providing various training opportunities for food truck staff members. These opportunities should begin with a thorough onboarding process for new hires. This training should continue with development programs and events for current staff.
Providing new hires with the tools they need to hit the ground running and current employees with opportunities to grow, employers can be assured that your employees are performing at top performance.
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Performance issues aren’t documented
The finale of our human resources mistakes to avoid is related to tracking employee performance. Messy terminations can lead to unwanted lawsuits. While no firing is a positive one, it can be easier when planned for. Your prep work begins by addressing and documenting performance related issues. When performance problems come up, nip them early by discussing them during performance evaluations. This gives your food truck employees an opportunity to correct the issue.
What happens when that feedback doesn’t solve the problem? Sometimes terminations can’t be avoided. By approaching them the right way can avoid any unwanted legal issues. The key is to thoroughly document employee performance problems. While it may seem time consuming, it can serve as valuable evidence should a termination be necessary.
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The Bottom Line
Being proactive in the area of HR, identifying and correcting human resources mistakes before they become serious problems, can save you countless headaches and protect your food truck against costly legal claims.
Do you have any additional human resources mistakes we may have missed? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section or social media. Facebook | Twitter
