Recruiting: Consider Yourself Part of the Family
Ruth’s Chris offers hourlies incentives to join and stay.
By Maya Norris, Managing Editor -- Chain Leader, 5/1/2007
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“Our business in fine dining is all about relationships,” says Sarah Jackson, senior vice president of human resources at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The Heathrow, Fla.-based company not only builds relationships with its upscale clientele to keep them coming back, but it also seeks to develop relationships with its hourly employees by offering incentives that get them in the door and keep them at the company.
Ruth’s Chris, which rang up $485 million in systemwide sales in 2006, says its hiring incentives for hourlies contribute to its hourly turnover rate of 64 percent. “We really want to create an environment where people want to stay with us and become part of our family,” Jackson says.
Welcome Aboard
Initially hourlies seem to like the flexible scheduling and competitive wages that a high-end, dinner-only concept affords them, according to Jackson. Hourly employees earn between $11 to $14.50 an hour. Tipped wages vary from state to state, but Jackson says those hourlies can “make pretty good money” because the average check per person is $70 at Ruth’s Chris.
Other incentives include dry cleaning in certain states, free uniforms, paid jury duty leave, transportation reimbursement in Arizona and New York, free meal during a shift, and a 50 percent meal discount.
For the Long Haul
Hourlies who average at least 24 hours per week receive a variety of benefits. After employees work 90 days and average 230 hours in the past 10 weeks, they are eligible for medical, dental and vision insurance. They also participate in a profit-sharing plan after six months of employment. Employees earn one week of paid vacation after one year and two weeks after five years.
Ruth’s Chris also provides advancement opportunities for hourlies. They can cross-train for various positions in the restaurant, which allows them to earn more money by working in jobs that have higher salaries and work more shifts. The company also offers training programs for hourlies to become sommeliers, certified coaches and managers. “A lot of people come to us because there’s an opportunity to learn and grow and be part of a successful brand,” Jackson says.
“We treat our people like professionals,” she adds, “and we genuinely respect what they bring to the table.”
Getting the Word Out
To spread the word about Ruth’s Chris hiring incentives, recruiters talk them up at the career fairs they regularly attend. The company also depends on employees to talk about Ruth’s Chris’ perks and benefits to their friends and family, hoping they will refer them for employment. Ruth’s Chris brings them up when it interviews potential employees, too.
And once employees are hired, the company’s managers continue to make sure they are aware of the benefits and opportunities available at Ruth’s Chris. “From the interview process through the training process through the recognition process, we make sure that you know that you are a part of a family and this is an environment of respect and integrity and sincere caring,” Jackson says.
Friend of a Friend: O'Charley's depends on referrals from employees to help fill its hourly and management positions.
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