Training: Taking Immediate Action
Cattlemens looks for management potential in its hourlies from the get-go.
By David Farkas, Senior Editor -- Chain Leader, 5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
 About 86 percent of Cattlemens’ managerial pool once worked as hourly employees.  Servers, grill cooks, dishwashers and hostesses are encouraged to join a unit-level marketing committee as a way to introduce them to Cattlemens’ business. |
The benefits of smart hourly employees eager to advance are obvious to anyone who has ever run a restaurant. But how do you come up with these people?
For Santa Rosa, Calif-based Cattlemens, the answer is easy: Get new workers involved from the get-go. “We provide employees opportunities to be more engaged in the business,” says Director of Training Kelly Ames. “We invite dishwashers, servers, hostesses and bussers to join the [unit’s] marketing committee. It’s the first way to get involved.” The committees usually meet monthly to decide on promotions, advertising and outside events, Ames adds.
Personalized Development
Administering a predictive index test also helps, because the two-page form alerts managers to an applicant’s likes and dislikes. “It tells the managers the best strategy for getting the most out of the person,” Ames explains.
That kind of insight is crucial in a high-volume, dinner-only restaurant. It allows the general manager to figure out who belongs where and when. As a result, from orientation onward, managers make front- and back-of-the-house employees aware of in-store opportunities. They include becoming a marketing team member, certified trainer or floor supervisor--positions of responsibility that typically demonstrate leadership ability.
“We do an evaluation after 45 and 75 days,” Ames says, adding such employees are evaluated informally every day by managers.
Moving Up the Ladder
The results are admirable. At the 10-unit chain, known for large steaks and friendly service, 86 percent of unit-level managers were promoted from its hourly ranks, according Chief Adminstrative Officer Steve Hade, who adds that 23 out of 28 managers began as hourly workers. By way of comparison, People Report’s 2006 Survey of Unit Level Employment Practices says that of the 73 companies in its survey, the average percentage of unit management that are sourced internally is 38 percent.
In a way, the high percentage shouldn’t surprise anyone. Cattlemens managers who recommend an hourly worker for management training receive a $500 bonus if the person qualifies for the eight- to 12-week training program. Should the person survive it, managers receive another $500.
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