Hostess Review

I participated in my local restaurant becoming a Hungry Horse restaurant. This meant I received a full two weeks training experience which taught the background and principles of the company, engaged in team building activities and provided practical experience of the functioning of the restaurant. My role as Hostess meant that I was responsible for meeting and greeting guests whilst walking them to their table and informing them of any specials or deals.

As part of the training I had to participate in an online assessment and regular quizzes. This often included comprehension style assessments whereby you would spend time reading information and then at the end of each sector you would be assessed on what you have learnt. My role as hostess has also helped increase my confidence and has also made me more approachable.

The training programme was very interesting and I gained a lot of knowledge about Greene King and the functioning on restaurants. Although the days were long and tiring I am glad that I participated in the training. Moreover, after the first week of basic training was complete I really enjoyed the training which focused more on how to be a good waitress/hostess. Thus, by the end of the second week when the restaurant opened for the general public I was very excited to put my skills to the test.

I felt adequately valued by Greene King. The training staff were friendly but because there was so many of us it was hard to establish a personal connection. Thus the staff would often only ask questions to the outspoken members of the group. As far as the company goes in general, perks such as 30% off food discounts at any Greene King restaurant did help make me feel rewarded for my work.

In my personal opinion the programme training could have been a lot quicker than it was. Many days were spent on team building activities of which were not essential. Moreover, some of the training presentations repeated what was on the online assessments anyway and so we were already aware of the content. Whilst the training staff were still present at the restaurant the days were organised, however, after they left the manager took a good week to get things in line – I suppose this is a common issue though.

Group support and reassurance was commonly given by the training staff. Moreover, they would often give one demonstration to the group. However, individual support was lacking (unless you were an outspoken person). Thus, if you did not understand the demonstration you had to you’re your peers for help instead. Granted they were busy but this does not excuse neglecting members of the group.

Although the manager of the restaurant had a lot going on at the time I do feel like support in this area was also lacking as they were more concerned about the opening of the restaurant than the welfare and tiredness of the staff. The online assessment portals were therefore better in providing reassurance.

In my personal opinion, as I was 19 during the training the rate of pay was not enough to cover the extent of work and training that I endured. Moreover, I was expected to travel an hour to a practice training restaurant of which travel expenses were not covered. This pay issue though is an issue with the government’s minimum wage and not a reflection of the company.

Because I was a young and temporary trainee I did not really receive any opportunities outside of work – other than the 30% off Greene King restaurant bills. However, for more permanent staff opportunities to travel and rise up the ladder were presented. As I lived near the restaurant I therefore went home in the evenings and did not experience any leisure pursuits outside of work.

Yes

Yes I would recommend Greene King to a friend. It is a caring place to work and we were given very thorough training. Moreover we were able to try out the menu which was at a good standard and so I would therefore recommend my friends to also eat there.

I would say that as long as you are willing to work hard and stay enthusiastic then they will be fine. The online assessments and training are not trying to catch you out – they are merely equipping you with the general knowledge of working in a restaurant. Thus, although some of the days are long it is worth keeping at it as it was a very enjoyable experience once the restaurant opened and it helped me grow as a person.