Often, their primary concern is the kids and
family issues. Sometimes they need to come
in late or take a day off. Others have to go to
rehab or appear in court. If you say you care
about them, then you have to accommodate
their needs and show empathy.”
Because foodservice employees at Fitchburg
State know that those requested days are
treated as personal days, and they get paid
for them—and they’re aware that giving the
manager a heads-up the day before makes
life easier for those on the job—they might as
well be upfront.
Employees at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, such as cafeteria associate
Christian Suarez, working here in the main cafeteria, benefit from a work environment
designed to ensure job satisfaction.
“The bonus is, if I ask for something,
perhaps working late on occasion, they do
it,” Bowers says.
large contract management organization,
other accounts that remain open, perhaps
business and industry locations, can share
his employees.
Only two or three employees leave each
year, mostly for retirement or to move up
the job ladder.
new employee a few months before “getting
into a groove and building relationships with
others here,” Bowers says. “It’s a team, and
that’s the intangible thing you lose—as well as
the productivity, the morale—when someone
leaves. People want to work somewhere with
a consistent work environment every day.
Unpredictability is not a good thing.”
TIME TO LISTEN
The 10: 30 a.m. daily staff production meeting
is not only the time to review the day’s menu;
it also provides a forum for anyone to ask
anything—a time to get issues out in the open
so they don’t fester. For example, the first-shift folks who arrive at 6 a.m. for breakfast
and lunch service may say that second-shift
staff aren’t wrapping the cold cuts well
enough, so they dry out overnight and have to
be thrown away.
In some respects, being located on a
university campus and having foodservice
operated by a contract management
company makes the realities of staff
retention a bit different—some would say
easier—than the challenges in a restaurant
venue. Tim Cooney is Chartwells resident
district manager at Northeastern University in
Boston. He points out that restaurants don’t
typically close for anywhere from two to five
weeks for breaks and holidays.
STRENGTH TRAINING
With 423 hourly associates, Cooney aims to
have 80%-90% of his staff cross-trained.
“This way, we can manage shortfall on any
given day, plus, staff can work additional
hours if they wish, where needed, and can
grow into other positions. It’s a place you want
to come to and stay,” he says.
“Issues aren’t raised in an accusatory tone—
it’s not an opportunity to beat up on people,”
Bowers points out. “Sometimes, I’ll say, ‘That’s
for discussion later, in private.’”
“Having a planned schedule of up- and down-
time is something that associates look at as a
real positive,” Cooney says. “So they can have
the entire holiday off, perhaps to have the
time to travel back to their homeland.”
While the management company offers a
strong benefits package, the responsibility
of retaining employees really comes down to
the local level—knowing and providing what’s
important to your staff, Cooney says. He finds
that providing a free meal each day to staff
members is of high importance. A specific
dollar amount is allotted and can be spent
for a full nutritious meal. It’s seen as critical
to the employee’s pocket and a good way of
providing sound nutrition.
At the heart of the operation is a team effort
and a team sensibility that typically takes a
For those who ask to work during this
scheduled down-time, Cooney can try to
make outside arrangements. As part of a
Several years ago, an ESL program was
started for the department’s employees. It’s
grown into a program that’s now connected to
the university. Cooney makes sure that time
