lue meal for $1.60 extra or a super-value meal for $2.00 extra." It makes absolutely no sense if all sandwiches/entr?es cannot be made into value meals! Make it easy for the employees to say yes to the guest!

BENCHMARK--There are many organizations that can help you benchmark your outfit against other companies both in and out of the foodservice industry. How can you possibly know how you’re doing if you don’t know what is good--or great--performance? The People Report (www.peoplereport.com) provides people metrics and benchmarking data to its member companies to allow comparisons within your industry segment. The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (www.chart.org) is comprised of over 400 members who share best practices and benchmarking in the area of trainin

Zero percent turnover - is it possible? Nobody wants to leave? Sounds like a cult.

If the stories told at this spring’s Women’s Foodservice Forum are true, then yes, it seems a number of foodservice industry leaders are closing in on 0 percent turnover. Harry Bond, president of Monical’s Pizza (which won an "Employer of Choice" award in 2002 and was the focus of a Harvard Business Review case study) had 0 percent general manager turnover last year and an overall management turnover in the low single digits. Tim Taft, president of Whataburger, said his company had 0 percent voluntary general manager turnover. People don’t want to leave.

Other quick-serve chains are also having success. Chick-fil-A has single-digit manager turnover, and not just because they are closed on Sundays. White Castle has titles like Keeper of the Crave rather than Director of Marketing. Why? They are obsessed with a certain goal or principle. It’s a cult!

These companies have created a "cult-ure" where people want to stay and excel. They treat their employees like guests, creating an experience that allows employees to constantly improve and grow. They continually weed out all non-performing employees. Spending time keeping the good people happy allows their retention rates and business results to continually improve. What can you do to move to this level?

HIRE TALENT--Bring on people who have the skills and abilities to perform well in your environment. Every company is a little different. Many of you have set questions to ask, but do the managers really know how to listen for the right answer, or even know what the right answer is?

CONFRONT NON-PERFORMANCE--One of the leading causes of turnover of good people is allowing the non-performers to stay. The good ones get sick of it and leave. Are your people properly trained? Do the managers provide daily feedback so the employee knows what is expected and how to get better? If not, work on the manager level first. Teach them how to train daily, give feedback, and address non-performance. Do your people a favor and remove non-performers from your team--the good ones will thank you!

REWARD THE PLAYERS--Constantly recognize those who drive your business. For the occasional performer, find out what makes them tick and catch them doing things right so they will repeat the desired behaviors. Having a pay-for-performance system is a good way to drive production and service levels. People want to be a part of great teams, and being around great players elevates the level of those around them.

REMOVE OBSTACLES--What obstacles impede your employees from doing their jobs to the best of their ability? Do you have all the tools? Is the equipment working properly? Do you have open communication lines and recognition for sales-building and cost-saving suggestions? Do your systems create headaches that take focus away from the guest?

For example, simplifying your menu makes it much simpler for a cashier to do their job. Change your menu by displaying the sandwich prices and adding something like "make any sandwich a value meal for $1.60 extra or a super-value meal for $2.00 extra." It makes absolutely no sense if all sandwiches/entr?es cannot be made into value meals! Make it easy for the employees to say yes to the guest!

BENCHMARK--There are many organizations that can help you benchmark your outfit against other companies both in and out of the foodservice industry. How can you possibly know how you’re doing if you don’t know what is good--or great--performance? The People Report (www.peoplereport.com) provides people metrics and benchmarking data to its member companies to allow comparisons within your industry segment. The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (www.chart.org) is comprised of over 400 members who share best practices and benchmarking in the area of training

closed on Sundays. White Castle has titles like Keeper of the Crave rather than Director of Marketing. Why? They are obsessed with a certain goal or principle. It’s a cult!

These companies have created a "cult-ure" where people want to stay and excel. They treat their employees like guests, creating an experience that allows employees to constantly improve and grow. They continually weed out all non-performing employees. Spending time keeping the good people happy allows their retention rates and business results to continually improve. What can you do to move to this level?

HIRE TALENT--Bring on people who have the skills and abilities to perform well in your environment. Every company is a little different. Many of you have set questions to ask, but do the managers really know how to listen for the right answer, or even know what the right answer is?

CONFRONT NON-PERFORMANCE--One of the leading causes of turnover of good people is allowing the non-performers to stay. The good ones get sick of it and leave. Are your people properly trained? Do the managers provide daily feedback so the employee knows what is expected and how to get better? If not, work on the manager level first. Teach them how to train daily, give feedback, and address non-performance. Do your people a favor and remove non-performers from your team--the good ones will thank you!

REWARD THE PLAYERS--Constantly recognize those who drive your business. For the occasional performer, find out what makes them tick and catch them doing things right so they will repeat the desired behaviors. Having a pay-for-performance system is a good way to drive production and service levels. People want to be a part of great teams, and being around great players elevates the level of those around them.

REMOVE OBSTACLES--What obstacles impede your employees from doing their jobs to the best of their ability? Do you have all the tools? Is the equipment working properly? Do you have open communication lines and recognition for sales-building and cost-saving suggestions? Do your systems create headaches that take focus away from the guest?

For example, simplifying your menu makes it much simpler for a cashier to do their job. Change your menu by displaying the sandwich prices and adding something like "make any sandwich a value meal for $1.60 extra or a super-value meal for $2.00 extra." It makes absolutely no sense if all sandwiches/entr?es cannot be made into value meals! Make it easy for the employees to say yes to the guest!

BENCHMARK--There are many organizations that can help you benchmark your outfit against other companies both in and out of the foodservice industry. How can you possibly know how you’re doing if you don’t know what is good--or great--performance? The People Report (www.peoplereport.com) provides people metrics and benchmarking data to its member companies to allow comparisons within your industry segment. The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (www.chart.org) is comprised of over 400 members who share best practices and benchmarking in the area of trainin

managers really know how to listen for the right answer, or even know what the right answer is?

CONFRONT NON-PERFORMANCE--One of the leading causes of turnover of good people is allowing the non-performers to stay. The good ones get sick of it and leave. Are your people properly trained? Do the managers provide daily feedback so the employee knows what is expected and how to get better? If not, work on the manager level first. Teach them how to train daily, give feedback, and address non-performance. Do your people a favor and remove non-performers from your team--the good ones will thank you!

REWARD THE PLAYERS--Constantly recognize those who drive your business. For the occasional performer, find out what makes them tick and catch them doing things right so they will repeat the desired behaviors. Having a pay-for-performance system is a good way to drive production and service levels. People want to be a part of great teams, and being around great players elevates the level of those around them.

REMOVE OBSTACLES--What obstacles impede your employees from doing their jobs to the best of their ability? Do you have all the tools? Is the equipment working properly? Do you have open communication lines and recognition for sales-building and cost-saving suggestions? Do your systems create headaches that take focus away from the guest?

For example, simplifying your menu makes it much simpler for a cashier to do their job. Change your menu by displaying the sandwich prices and adding something like "make any sandwich a value meal for $1.60 extra or a super-value meal for $2.00 extra." It makes absolutely no sense if all sandwiches/entr?es cannot be made into value meals! Make it easy for the employees to say yes to the guest!

BENCHMARK--There are many organizations that can help you benchmark your outfit against other companies both in and out of the foodservice industry. How can you possibly know how you’re doing if you don’t know what is good--or great--performance? The People Report (www.peoplereport.com) provides people metrics and benchmarking data to its member companies to allow comparisons within your industry segment. The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (www.chart.org) is comprised of over 400 members who share best practices and benchmarking in the area of trainin

hey will repeat the desired behaviors. Having a pay-for-performance system is a good way to drive production and service levels. People want to be a part of great teams, and being around great players elevates the level of those around them.

REMOVE OBSTACLES--What obstacles impede your employees from doing their jobs to the best of their ability? Do you have all the tools? Is the equipment working properly? Do you have open communication lines and recognition for sales-building and cost-saving suggestions? Do your systems create headaches that take focus away from the guest?

For example, simplifying your menu makes it much simpler for a cashier to do their job. Change your menu by displaying the sandwich prices and adding something like "make any sandwich a value meal for $1.60 extra or a super-value meal for $2.00 extra." It makes absolutely no sense if all sandwiches/entr?es cannot be made into value meals! Make it easy for the employees to say yes to the guest!

BENCHMARK--There are many organizations that can help you benchmark your outfit against other companies both in and out of the foodservice industry. How can you possibly know how you’re doing if you don’t know what is good--or great--performance? The People Report (www.peoplereport.com) provides people metrics and benchmarking data to its member companies to allow comparisons within your industry segment. The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (www.chart.org) is comprised of over 400 members who share best practices and benchmarking in the area of trainin

lue meal for $1.60 extra or a super-value meal for $2.00 extra." It makes absolutely no sense if all sandwiches/entr?es cannot be made into value meals! Make it easy for the employees to say yes to the guest!

BENCHMARK--There are many organizations that can help you benchmark your outfit against other companies both in and out of the foodservice industry. How can you possibly know how you’re doing if you don’t know what is good--or great--performance? The People Report (www.peoplereport.com) provides people metrics and benchmarking data to its member companies to allow comparisons within your industry segment. The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (www.chart.org) is comprised of over 400 members who share best practices and benchmarking in the area of training to improve performance. Both of these groups have regular conferences and are focused on the hospitality industry. Learn from the best to become the best.