How to Measure Employee Performance in Hospitality

Between the dinner rush, late-night clean-ups, and surprise sick calls, it’s easy for performance reviews to fall into the “we’ll do it next month” basket. But here’s the thing: regular, thoughtful reviews are key to keeping your team motivated, improving the service you provide, and building a better business.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to measure employee performance in hospitality. We’ll cover real-life KPI examples, show you how to give meaningful feedback, and share ways to make performance reviews feel less like a chore and more like a chance to help your employees (and business) grow.

Why Performance Reviews in Hospitality Matter

A strong performance review process helps you:

• Identify top performers and rising stars
• Support staff who might need a little extra training or guidance
• Reward great work
• Maintain consistent service standards across shifts and venues
• Boost morale, accountability, and motivation
  

When you set up a solid review system, it shows your team you’re invested in their growth. It builds trust and keeps everyone on the same page. And honestly, performance reviews don’t have to be a dreaded task. They can be casual and productive, a coffee, a walk around the block, or even a lunch break together. With a little structure and the right KPIs, performance reviews can turn into great conversations that help both you and your team get better.

What Are KPIs in Hospitality?

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) might sound like something straight out of the corporate world, but they’re just as useful in hospitality. Simply put, KPIs are measurable goals that help you track how well your staff are performing. These could be individual or team-based, depending on the role.

For example, you wouldn’t use the same KPIs for your barista as you would for your head chef. But you do want everyone working towards clear, aligned goals that help your business succeed.

KPI Goals Examples for Hospitality Roles

Setting the right KPIs for each role makes performance reviews more meaningful. Here’s a breakdown of what KPIs might look like for different positions in hospitality:

For Front-of-House (FOH) Team Members

KPI examples:

• Customer satisfaction rating: This can be gathered through post-dining surveys, online reviews, or feedback systems. Aim for a target like a 4.5-star rating or fewer than two complaints per month.
  
• Upselling success rate: Track how often staff successfully upsell drinks, desserts, or add-ons. A goal might be something like: “25% upsell success per shift.”
  
• Order accuracy: Measure how often orders are correct versus the number of mistakes or returned items. You could set a target of <2% errors over a 4-week period.
  
• Speed of service: Time how long it takes to seat guests, take orders, or serve food. A typical goal might be a 5-minute wait time in casual settings and 10 minutes in fine dining.
  
• Table turnover rate: Especially important during peak hours. Aim for a target time per table to ensure your team is making the most of busy shifts.
  

Pro Tip: These KPIs not only show how your team is performing but also help identify areas where they might need extra training, like product knowledge or time management.

For Kitchen Staff

The kitchen is where the magic happens, so the KPIs here should focus on consistency, hygiene, speed, and reducing waste.

KPI examples:

• Food prep time vs standard time: Keep an eye on how quickly dishes are prepped compared to established benchmarks. You want to ensure the kitchen stays efficient and orders keep flowing.
  
• Wastage levels: Track food waste and how often incorrect orders are sent back to the kitchen. You might set a target like “Keep food waste under 5% of total kitchen output.”
  
• Consistency in plating and presentation: This one can be a little subjective, but you can use a 5-point scale to rate plating consistency during checks. Aiming for an average score of 4+ can be a good target.
  
• Adherence to hygiene/safety protocols: You want 100% compliance with food safety standards, so track training completions, safety audits, and how often procedures are followed.
  
• Shift prep completion rate: This focuses on how often kitchen staff complete prep tasks on time and are ready for service.
  

Pro Tip: Regular audits and checklists are super helpful here. They give you tangible data on what can often feel like invisible work behind the scenes.

For Bar Staff

KPI examples:

• Drink preparation time: Measure how quickly drinks are made, aiming for a target like 2–3 minutes per cocktail during busy times.
  
• Customer feedback: Use customer ratings, tips, or shout-outs to gauge performance. You could even run a “Bar Favourite” vote once a month to make it fun!
  
• Stock usage efficiency: Compare the amount of stock used to the number of drinks sold. This helps avoid wastage and stock discrepancies.
  
• Accuracy of orders and till balance: Review how often orders are rung up correctly and check that tills balance at the end of the night. Aim for 100% accuracy here.
  
• Compliance with RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol): Keep your bar staff sharp on checking IDs and refusing service when necessary. Zero RSA breaches should be the goal.
  

Pro Tip: Pair speed with customer feedback to ensure bartenders are maintaining quality, not just rushing to meet targets.

For Supervisors and Managers

KPI examples:

• Roster management efficiency: Are shifts staffed appropriately with minimal last-minute changes or overtime? Try to reduce gaps in shifts and keep wage costs under control.
  
• Team retention rates: Track how long your team stays under a manager’s leadership. A solid target could be 80%+ retention over a 6-month period.
  
• Revenue growth by shift or week: Compare how different supervisors impact revenue. If one is consistently performing better, look into what they’re doing right.
  
• Team satisfaction and engagement: Use anonymous staff surveys to measure how happy the team is and how well they feel supported. You could track this with a simple score out of 10.
  
• Training and development tracking: Track how many team members complete training programs. A good target might be “80% of new starters complete onboarding within two weeks.”
  

Pro Tip: Tracking manager KPIs is crucial if you’re planning to expand your business. It helps you spot future leaders and ensures your leadership pipeline is strong.

How to Run a Great Hospitality Performance Review

So, you've got your KPIs down, but the way you handle the review is what really counts. 

1. Prep with Purpose

Before the review, quickly check recent shifts, KPIs, and any feedback from team members or customers. You want to know what’s been going on.

2. Keep It Balanced

Start with the positives! Then, get into areas for improvement, using real examples, not vague feedback.

3. Listen More Than You Talk

Ask open-ended questions like:

• “What’s been working well for you?”
• “Where do you feel you need more support?”
• “Anything holding you back?”

The idea is to have a chat, not just give a lecture.

4. Make It Actionable

Don’t give them a list of 20 things. Pick 1 or 2 goals that they can work on. Keep it simple and achievable.

5. Follow Up

Don’t leave it at one review. Set a follow-up date to check on progress. It shows you care and helps keep everyone motivated.

Hospitality Performance Review Examples

Let’s look at how this plays out in real conversations. Here are three hospitality performance review examples across different staff roles:

1. For a FOH Team Member (Waitstaff)

“You’ve consistently received positive feedback from guests, especially around your friendly attitude! Your average order time is currently 3 minutes above target. Let’s look at how you can shave that time down to improve service flow during busy periods.”

What you’re doing:

• Praising specific strengths
• Highlighting a measurable KPI (order time)
• Setting a goal with a clear improvement area

2. For a Casual Bartender

 “Your speed during Friday nights is fantastic, and you’ve helped reduce wait times by over 20%. Let’s work on upselling during quieter shifts. We’d love to see you average 3 upsells per shift. Would you like some tips or extra training from the bar manager on how to do this without being pushy?”

What you’re doing:

• Recognising impact
• Using a KPI goal example (upsells per shift)
• Offering support

3. For a Venue Supervisor

“You’ve done well managing rosters with minimal last-minute changes and have improved team punctuality by 15%. That said, team satisfaction scores dipped last month. Let’s discuss ways to get the team engaged again, perhaps a team lunch or better shift feedback loops?”

What you’re doing:

• Acknowledging leadership strengths
• Flagging team-level KPIs
• Brainstorming next steps collaboratively

Sidekicker is trusted by thousands of hospitality businesses every year. With real-time data, you can easily keep tabs on your team’s performance without the hassle of manual tracking. Whether it’s tracking hours, punctuality, or gathering feedback after each shift, Sidekicker makes it all a walk in the park. 

So, why not give Sidekicker a try? Let us handle the admin while you focus on running a great hospitality business.