Can an HACCP application reduce turnover?

Staff turnover is a major challenge for foodservice companies. So much so, in fact, that the sector is redoubling its efforts and ideas in an attempt to remain competitive. Flexible working hours, higher wages, modernized management and improved working conditions are the main areas of development. Among these employee retention levers, technology is a major focus of working conditions. Today, no restaurant employer would ask an employee to cash a customer with a paper notebook and a calculator.

After long being left to paper, food safety is now going digital. In this article, we explore how the HACCP application is helping to improve working conditions, and thus reduce turnover.

The difficulty of building loyalty in the foodservice sector

According to a study published by the DARES (Direction de l'Animation de la Recherche, des Études et des Statistiques), the number of employees in the accommodation and catering sector in France fell from 1,309,000 to 1,072,000 between February 2020 and February 2021, a decline of 237,000.

This situation is due to several factors. On the one hand, recruitment of new employees was sharply curtailed during this period, with only 213,000 new employees joining the sector, almost half as many as a year earlier. On the other hand, more employees left the sector, with 71,000 more leaving than the previous year, including 50,000 leaving private employment and 21,000 moving to other activities.

HACCP application to improve working conditions

Every day

Applying Good Hygiene and Food Safety Practices (HACCP) is a source of stress for foodservice employees:

• Time pressure, which can lead them to take shortcuts when it comes to hygiene, thereby increasing the risk of food contamination and compromising the guarantee of food safety,
• Fear of sanctions linked to critical points not respected,
• Complex rules: HACCP standards are complex and can be difficult to understand and apply. This can lead to confusion and frustration among employees, who need to be familiar with a large number of rules, theoretical dates, corrective actions and so on. 

Digitization, by facilitating the application of best practices, helps save considerable time.

Effective HACCP software can save up to 2 hours a day, reducing time pressure.

By issuing task reminders, monitoring temperatures in cold chambers, explaining the order of control points and suggesting the right actions at the right time, the HACCP solution also makes the application of procedures more secure, and greatly reduces the risk of sanctions.

Finally, just as it is no longer necessary to know how to calculate VAT manually with a calculator, it is also no longer necessary to calculate the secondary BBD of opened products, or to know by heart the threshold temperatures of product families when receiving goods, or even to know exactly what corrective action is urgently required in the event of non-compliance. The stress reduction for teams is significant.

In communication and access to information

Access to a site's daily self-checks, communication of emergency procedures... Access to information and communication are key elements in a company that generates stress for managers, whether on site or at head office. 

The digital HACCP application enables instant data and information sharing between operational staff, managers and management. Access to and analysis of this information via automatic dashboards enable everyone to focus on the essential points, without having to study all the data by hand.

Food traceability tools not only reduce the workload in the field, but also enable a calm and rapid search in the event of an inspection or complaint. The most advanced solutions enable numerous filters: by date, by raw material, by finished product, by recipe.

HACCP application enhances employee performance

It's undeniable that the use of digital tools in the workplace has a significant impact on employee perceptions. Those who integrate these tools into their daily work routine feel their value within the company is reinforced. This is reflected in : 

• greater autonomy, 
• improved efficiency, 
• increased motivation,
• greater recognition from their employers.

This reveals the importance of digital tools in fostering employee well-being. By providing your employees with the resources they need to be efficient and productive, you create a positive and stimulating work environment. 

Conversely, how would you feel if your employer gave you a notebook and pen to do your daily work?

The HACCP application to develop your skills

For a long time, foodservice employees have been the forgotten digital workforce. They have rarely had the opportunity to develop their digital skills. An HACCP self-checking solution is used on a daily basis (several times a day), in a critical area for the company. This is a unique opportunity for employees to develop their digital skills.

Digitization to identify employee problems as early as possible

The automatic feedback of field data enables teams to effectively monitor the application of best practices on a daily basis. In this way, management can identify deviations in real time, such as: 

• declines in the number ofself-checks
• the rise in incidents
• loss of quality

These deviations may indicate a problem with motivation, workload and so on.

With this information, managers can proactively intervene and provide the necessary support through discussions, training, etc.

In a nutshell

Foodservice employees are often faced with repetitive and tedious work, particularly when it comes to HACCP self-checks. Digitization can make this work easier and quicker, which can help reduce employee stress and improve job satisfaction.

Using an effective digital solution for HACCP self-checks in the catering sector has a significant impact on employee satisfaction. Workers who integrate these solutions into their routine are more satisfied with their jobs than their colleagues who do not use these tools. This satisfaction translates into lower turnover, as employees are less inclined to leave their jobs.

What's more, restaurants that adopt HACCP applications for self-checking also see a noticeable drop in staff turnover. At the same time, employee satisfaction is rising. These findings show that using an effective digital solution to carry out HACCP self-checks can be an important tool in building employee loyalty in the foodservice sector.