Washington Hospitality Magazine March 2018

WA S H I N GTO N

March 2018

TRAINING

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s n o i t a c i f i t r e C e s e h t Consider ED FOUNDATION:

Partners in Success

Washington Hospitality Association 510 Plum Street SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587

March 2018 │ 1

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EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher, Anthony Anton Executive Editor, Lex Nepomuceno Editor-in-Chief, Marianne Scholl Art Director, Lisa Ellefson Managing Editor, Paul Schlienz Contributing Editors: Andy Cook, David Faro, Jillian Henze, Morgan Huether, Nicole Vukonich and Sheryl Jackson

Inside

March 2018

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair: Frank Welton, Hilton Worldwide Vice Chair: Chad Mackay, Fire & Vine Hospitality EXECUTIVE TEAM President and CEO, Anthony Anton Vice President, Teran Haase CFO: Darin Johnson Senior Director of Communications & Technology, Lex Nepomuceno Director of Local Government Affairs, John Lane Director of State Government Affairs, Julia Gorton Director of Internal Operations, Kylie Kincaid Director of Membership, Steven Sweeney Education Foundation, Naja Hogander Incubation Senior Manager, Ken Wells Benefit Programs and Events Senior Manager, Victoria Olson

510 Plum St. SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587 T 360.956.7279 | F 360.357.9232 wahospitality.org

Features 10

The ProStart Investment

16

Ed Foundation: Partners in Success

20

Upskilling: Your Best Defense in a Tight Labor Market

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American Hotel & Lodging Education Institute

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Barbara Johnson: Making a Difference for Women

In Every Issue Letters are welcomed, but must be signed to be considered for publication. Please include contact information for verification.

Reproduction of articles appearing in Washington Hospitality Magazine are authorized for personal use only, with credit given to Washington Hospitality Magazine and/or the Washington Hospitality Association.

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From Your President and CEO

8

News Briefs

9

Association News

12

Local GA Update

Articles written by outside authors do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington Hospitality Association, its Boards of Directors, staff or members.

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State GA Update

28

Calendar/New Members

Products and services advertised in Washington Hospitality Magazine are not necessarily endorsed by the Washington Hospitality Association, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Washington Hospitality Association, its Boards of Directors, staff or members.

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Ask the Expert

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MAY BE DIRECTED TO:

Andy Cook

360.956.7279 andyc@wahospitality.org Washington Hospitality Magazine is published monthly for members. We welcome your comments and suggestions. email: news@wahospitality.org, phone: 800.225.7166.

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President and CEO

A Time to Lead March is Women’s History Month, and this year it gives us an important opportunity to think about the barriers women have broken in our industry and how we are committed to always doing better to serve our guests, our employees and our communities.

Hospitality is an industry that welcomes team members from all walks of life. We have countless stories to tell of employees and immigrants who have pursued their dreams to become successful owners of hospitality businesses. We don’t just talk about opportunity, we live and breathe it.

We also know the importance of equality. We are an industry where women fill just about half of manager positions and are increasingly stepping into leadership or ownership.

As in other industries, our work is, of course, not done. The #MeToo movement reminds us that as leaders in our businesses and mentors to our teams we need to regularly reiterate our values and our culture. And if you haven’t done so already, it is a good time to re-evaluate your best practices and the systems you have in place to support your employees should problems arise.

I could make this complicated, but let me boil it down to four things you need to have in place: Initial Orientation – Let new employees know about your culture and zero tolerance for harassment. Provide written anti-harassment and anti-retaliation policies and have every employee sign and date a copy.

Communication and Training – Frequently communicate about your anti-harassment culture and provide training at least once a year in what that means. Also make sure your managers understand that they can be personally liable for harassment on their watch.

Multiple Ways to Report – At a recent Washington Hospitality Board meeting, we shared best practices in preventing harassment, and your peers reported that having multiple avenues for reporting issues is one of the keys to a harassment-free workplace.

Prompt and Consistent Action – Your employees need to be confident that reports will be taken seriously.

Process all reports quickly and clearly. This means responding within 12 to 48 hours and investigating every report promptly and consistently.

Washington Hospitality is dedicated to your success, and we have resources to help you check these off to ensure the safety of your employees and your business. Your membership team has resources, from articles and sample policies to training, and our Hospitality Advisory Network stands ready to answer questions on all of these fronts.

There are always challenges in running a business, but we are lucky to be in hospitality. We know how to put in the hard work and how to find and implement solutions that work for all.

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Primary Source of Information | News Briefs

Washington launches new system for filing state taxes The Washington State Department of Revenue will launch My DOR for all online services on March 19.

This will affect all businesses and tax professionals who file taxes electronically or access any Department of Revenue secure services. DOR will retire its existing online portal, My Account/e-File, and taxpayers who file electronically and access their tax accounts will use My DOR. Businesses and tax professionals will be able to access all their tax and business licensing accounts using their SecureAccess Washington login. There will be a new look for the online excise tax return, reseller permit application, tax credits application and bill pay.

To prepare businesses for the change, DOR is hosting a series of free live webinars starting March 7. Continuing education credit is available for webinar participants. For more information, including a complete schedule of webinars, visit dor.wa.gov/mydor.

National sustainability report focuses on restaurants’ eco-friendly efforts In February, the National Restaurant Association released a new report highlighting responsible actions restaurant and foodservice operators are taking.

The 2018 State of Restaurant Sustainability focuses on the latest environmental trends and practices for the restaurant industry as well as consumer insights. It is intended to help operators learn about and understand what others are doing to become more sustainable.

The NRA surveyed more than 500 restaurant owners and operators about their sustainability practices, the challenges they face and the opportunities available to them. In addition, over 1,000 consumers were surveyed on the best ways restaurants can communicate their sustainability initiatives to their guests.

“Our goal is to educate our members on steps restaurateurs are taking to conserve resources, minimize waste and communicate their efforts to consumers,” said Laura Abshire, NRA’s director of sustainability policy. “This new report is one way to help them understand and implement sustainability practices at their own operations.”

View the full report at www.bit.ly/2Bp8gEb. 8 │ wahospitality.org

U.S. House passes new menulabeling law that would allow online-only posting of nutritional information On Feb. 6, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would require restaurateurs to provide nutritional labeling online rather than on in-store signage, menus and other product information as stipulated by the menu-labeling law set to take effect May 7, 2018. The Senate must pass similar legislation for online-only requirements to become law.

The “Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act” (H.R. 772) was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, to provide flexibility for businesses and ensure calorie count information is available to consumers. The bill had 80 Republican and six Democratic cosponsors. It passed the House with a vote of 266-157.

“This legislation provides flexibility in how restaurants provide the nutritional information. It makes it easier for customers to actually see and understand the information because it’s displayed where customers actually place orders – including by phone, online, or through mobile apps,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.

The implementation of the current menu-labeling law, which was passed in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act, has been postponed several times over the past four years. The Federal Drug Administration recently settled a lawsuit over its implementation and agreed on an implementation date of May 7, 2018. The law requires chain restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores to include calorie counts on menus and menu boards.

The Senate has a similar bill still in committee. As of press time, it had not yet scheduled a vote.

Primary Source of Information | Association News

Totem Awards recognize outstanding work in the public relations and have been celebrated since 1988 by the Puget Sound Chapter of PRSA. Based in Seattle and serving public relations professionals throughout Western Washington, PRSA Puget Sound is one of the 10 largest PRSA chapters in the country.

Engage the future at this year’s Hospitality Summits It’s time to make plans to attend one of this year’s Hospitality Summits. Drawing on the success of the 2017 events, Washington Hospitality will hold summits this spring on April 4 in Bellevue, April 9 in Seattle, May 8 in Bellingham and May 14 in Tacoma.

The Education Foundations’ Hospitality Hiring Events, which were a centerpiece of Hospitality Month, also earned an Award of Excellence from the International Society of Hotel Association Executives. Read more about the Hiring Events and the Education Foundation’s partnership with the Economic Security Department on pages 15-17.

Each Hospitality Summit offers a dynamic afternoon of information and connections. They will feature a state of the industry update and a look at local government affairs issues and new trends in foodservice and lodging.

SHA offers special anti-trafficking training to frontline managers The Seattle Hotel Association and the Washington Hospitality Association are holding a free workshop in trafficking prevention on Thursday, March 15, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Motif Seattle Hotel. The workshop is designed to equip frontline managers and supervisors with the knowledge, training and tools to train others and follow best practices to proactively prevent human trafficking at lodging properties.

Participants will delve into hot industry topics in Q&As and breakout sessions, each designed to inform and ignite savvy decision-making for hospitality businesses. The day includes a trade show featuring local vendors specializing in hospitality products and services and will wrap up with a happy hour for building connections with other industry professionals.

The cost to attend is $35. Register now at hospitalitysummit.org. Allied members have the opportunity to register as exhibitors or sponsors. For more information, call 360.956.7279.

Hospitality Month wins prestigious PR award Last year, Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed May 2017 “Hospitality Month” in recognition of the important role hospitality businesses play in the economic well-being of communities and individuals across the state. Washington state’s Employment Security Department and the Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation partnered in promoting Hospitality Month, and on March 21 they will be awarded a Totem Award for Hospitality Month 2017 from the Puget Sound chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

The training will be conducted by BEST, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking, local leaders in anti-trafficking training. It will draw on the Inhospitable to Trafficking training developed by BEST in partnership with hoteliers, hospitality law experts and law enforcement.

Attendees will gain certification in BEST’s trafficking prevention training and learn how to train others in best practices using BEST’s online training tools. They will also learn how to identify and report suspected trafficking and best practices for working with law enforcement when issues arise. The workshop is free for Seattle Hotel Association member owners/operators, managers and supervisors. Learn more at seattlehotelassociation.org/sha/ meetings-events.

The governor’s proclamation recognized that our industry employs nearly a quarter of a million people and contributes more than $5 billion in wages, $1 billion in B&O taxes and billions in direct financial impact to our state each year. It also recognized that hospitality provides a vital path for entrepreneurship for first- and secondgeneration immigrant families and is an industry that “embraces diversity, gender equality, inclusiveness, and opportunities for all people.”

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The ProStart Investment

By Jillian Henze, APR

Partnering with the Washington Hospitality Education Foundation and its ProStart program provides longterm payoffs for individual restaurants and for our industry as a whole.

Each year, eager and hard-working high schoolers enroll in ProStart and receive classroom and handson training in what it means to be successful in a professional kitchen and in the restaurant business.

Their ProStart curriculum is enriched by industry mentors who are paying it forward by helping raise the next generation of restaurant talent. And thanks to mentors and other industry professionals’ volunteerism and generous investment in the high school program, many ProStart students find a culinary passion that launches them into careers in the industry.

Giving back “I wouldn’t have the career I have now.”

Evan Potter works as a pantry cook at Renee Erickson’s The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle.

A ProStart student when he was in vocational school, Potter said the program propelled him through training at The Culinary Institute of America.

“It was the first time I saw what goes into opening a restaurant,” he said of ProStart.

Having earned a valuable spot in Erickson’s kitchen, Potter now invests time in mentoring ProStart students.

ProStart delivers a big return on a restaurant’s investment because it gives a younger generation knowledge they need to work in kitchens, he said.

The program exposes the reality of what it takes to open and manage a restaurant. It also creates an environment where students work in high-intensity situations on a culinary team. Each student has a special skill to add to the meal and only teams that work well together are successful.

student and owner of Gardens Gourmet Salads, said ProStart gives an all-around visual of the restaurant business. Her experience in the program led to an internship and a job as a pastry chef at Pacific Grill in Tacoma.

For Jones, ProStart gave her a jumpstart on a career.

To learn more about volunteering with ProStart, please email najah@ wahospitality.org.

Sysco ProStart Invitational 2018

Washington Hospitality’s Education Foundation has brought ProStart to more than 30 high schools across Washington.

Through the ProStart curriculum students gain skills in successful customer relations, preparing and serving safe food, workplace safety procedures, receiving, storage and equipment, nutrition, preparation, cooking and service methods and running a business.

Nyesha Jones, a former ProStart

March 10, 2018 RL Hotel Spokane It’s time for our Sysco Prostart Invitational on March 10 in Spokane. It’ll be an exciting day of passionate competition that highlights the skills students have gained throughout the year. Here’s who’ll be at RL Hotel Spokane for another great invitational: •

20 teams from 15 Washington high schools

•

100 ProStart students

•

30 Judges

•

Scores of volunteers, proud parents and enthusiastic supporters.

Learn more at whaef.org/prostart

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Government Affairs | Local GA Update

Seattle Hotel Association raises over $940,000 to help homeless women, children and families The Seattle Hotel Association held its 21st Annual Evening of Hope Gala and Auction on Feb. 3 and set a new record for raising funds in support of the local community. This year, 375 guests raised over $940,000 to benefit Mary’s Place, a non-profit which provides shelter, nourishment and hope to homeless women, children and families as they rebuild their lives.

“The Seattle Hotel Association’s passion to come beside families experiencing homelessness has transformed our city and our county!” said Marty Hartman, executive director of Mary’s Place, as she thanked SHA for being a part of the solution to ensure that no child sleeps outside.

Evening of Hope guests also celebrated Mayor Jenny Durkan’s proclamation that Feb. 3, 2018 was the “Seattle Hotel Association Evening of Hope.”

Since the first Evening of Hope in 1996, SHA has successfully leveraged the influence and commitment of downtown Seattle hotel members to raise $9.85 million to provide essential funding to critical Seattle non-profits like Mary’s Place. Past beneficiaries include Lifelong, Susan G. Komen, Plymouth Housing Group, the Pike Place Market Foundation and the Seattle Police Foundation. The 2019 beneficiary for the 22nd Annual Evening of Hope Gala on Feb. 2, 2019 will be StolenYouth, an organization dedicated to ending child sex trafficking.

Seattle jobs tax and homelessness funding The City Council established a Progressive Revenue Task Force in November to identify between $25 million and $75 million in new taxes for initiatives to address homelessness.

The task force has been meeting since January and will hold its last meeting on March 1.

The task force is expected to release a proposal for a jobs tax and possibly

Mary’s Place Executive Director Marty Hartman with clients who shared their stories at SHA’s Evening of Hope

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other funding mechanisms by its March 1 meeting. That proposal will then be sent to the City Council for consideration, with a possible vote later this spring.

Rulemaking begins in Seattle on 2016 hotel initiative In February, the rulemaking process for I-124, Seattle’s Hotel Employee Health and Safety Initiative (HEHS) finally got underway. The voterapproved initiative went into effect on Nov. 30, 2016, and the rules will clarify the law.

A hotel employer and hospitality management stakeholder group is participating in the rulemaking process, which includes both joint and independent stakeholder meetings.

Rulemaking will continue in March with draft rules expected by the end of the month. Our Seattle government affairs team has been working closely with participating members and monitoring the meetings which are reviewing each section of the law. If you would like to participate, please email Teddi McGuire at teddim@ wahospitality.org so we can ensure you receive meeting notifications.

Government Affairs | Local GA Update

College Place takes up short-term rental regulations The College Place City Council agreed to move forward with regulating short-term rentals through the city’s Planning Commission. The commission will take up the issue after the city has finished updating its Comprehensive Plan and its development regulations, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

Both Seattle and the City of Walla Walla approved regulations on shortterm rentals in 2017. Walla Walla’s include strict regulations on non-owner occupied units. Walla Walla County is now also working on short-term rental regulations.

Spokane Hotel/Motel Association rallies to help homeless The Spokane Hotel/Motel Association (SHMA) joined forces with the City of Spokane’s Everybody Counts donation drive to address the needs of homeless community members. SHMA collected and donated a carload of clothes, toiletries and other essentials to the drive.

The association participates in community outreach each year, focusing on different local organizations that need support. This year, SHMA chose the Everybody Counts campaign because it fits with the association’s goal of assisting to alleviate the homelessness issue whenever possible.

The donation drive coincided with Spokane’s annual census of the city’s homeless population.

Washington Hospitality adds communications manager to Spokane team Washington Hospitality Association has expanded its local government affairs team to include Lisa Leinberger. She will serve as the local communications manager for Spokane and Eastern Washington.

Lisa is a former newspaper reporter who covered education for the SpokesmanReview. She has also worked as a research assistant for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and as a communications specialist at SCAFCO Corporation. She majored in journalism at Eastern Washington University and is working on a certificate in web design at Spokane Community College.

Seattle Restaurant Alliance monthly meetings Seattle Restaurant Alliance members meet the first Wednesday of the month for industry updates, conversations about hot topics and the opportunity to connect with fellow owners and managers. At the next monthly meeting on March 7, members will hear from restaurateurs about their experiences during Office of Labor Standards investigations. They’ll share lessons learned and shed light on what it means when a restaurant receives a letter opening an OLS inquiry.

The March meeting will be at 3 p.m. at Mulleady’s in Interbay and will be followed by a social hour. All Seattle restaurant owners and managers are encouraged to attend. Learn more at seattlerestaurant.org/events or on @SeattleRestaurantAlliance on Facebook.

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Government Affairs | State GA Update

The 2018 Legislative Session began on Jan. 8 and is scheduled for a 60-day session. As of press time, we are half way through the session and will soon see budget proposals from the House of Representatives and the Senate. This session, the Washington Hospitality Association’s top legislative priority is passing a bill to create a tourism marketing program. Engrossed Fourth Substitute Senate Bill 5251 has passed off the Senate floor and is scheduled for a public hearing and executive session in the House of Representatives. The Washington Hospitality Association State Government Affairs team is working to shepherd this bill all the way to the governor’s desk for his signature.

Other important legislation that the State Government Affairs team is tracking is legislation to ban cancer-causing chemicals from food packaging (Senate Bill 2658), legislation to create and adopt model policies to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace (Senate Bill 6471), and a bill to allow business owners more tools when a non-service animal is disruptive or misbehaving (Senate Bill 2822). As of press time, these bills are moving forward in the legislative process and are currently in the opposite house for consideration.

In mid-February, the State Government Affairs team issued an action alert on Senate Bill 5140, a bill to close the gender pay gap among workers in Washington. This bill has passed multiple times in the House over the last three years and failed in the Senate. Now with Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, a pay equity bill seems like more of a possibility. Addressing the gender wage gap is a value that is important to the Washington Hospitality Association and for women across the state of Washington.

Together with the larger business community, there are four amendments we believe would provide greater clarity to pay equity legislation.

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These four amendments would: • Create a three-year statute of limitations (similar to the statute of limitations in the wage claim act) – ensuring consistency with other wage laws.

• Create a pathway for claimants to choose either an administrative remedy or court, but not both simultaneously – ensuring clarity and fairness.

• Eliminate the two examples in Section 4 related to equal opportunity for advancement. These two examples could potentially limit women-only mentor programs or conferences -- clarity.

• Ensure consistency and fairness by creating a uniform policy through preempting local governments from adopting a different equal pay law.

One of the most important amendments on this list is the issue of statewide preemption. Including statewide preemption in this bill would create one strong, uniform statewide standard for equal pay. As we have seen on other topics like minimum wage and paid sick leave, duplication of policies at the local level can be costly and create additional levels of bureaucracy for business owners. We believe there is support in the Senate for these amendments and would like to see them adopted to clarify the language in the bill and ensure women receive equal pay for equal work.

Wednesday, Feb. 15 was an important day on the legislative calendar – it was the House of Origin cutoff. After this date, any bill that failed to pass off either the House floor or the Senate floor is considered dead for the remainder of the session. Despite being on the Senate floor calendar, Senate Bill 5140 failed to meet this deadline. The House version of the bill, House Bill 1506, remains alive and has already passed in the House. We now wait for the Senate to take action on House Bill 1506 and adopt the four amendments.

Government Affairs | State GA Update Hill Climb 2018: Thank you for making it a success!

We know that as Washington Hospitality Association members, you are the best people to speak to lawmakers about the opportunities and challenges of running a business in today’s busy world. That’s why our annual Hill Climb and Taste Our Best legislative reception are such important events.

They are critical to our grassroots efforts and offer our members and legislators an opportunity to talk about the hospitality industry in formal and informal settings.

Hill Climb 2018 was on Monday, Jan. 29. As a change from previous years, members gathered in the morning at the Heritage Room in downtown Olympia, instead of on the capitol campus. This year, 141 Washington Hospitality Association members from across the state, and 10 professional servers from the Full Service Workers Alliance attended the morning briefing.

As an added feature to the briefing this year, we had special guest, Sen. Mark Mullet of Issaquah. Sen. Mullet is a Washington Hospitality Association member and is one of our legislative champions. He helped energize our members and prepared them to talk with their legislators ahead of the afternoon meetings.

During Hill Climb, our members met with the legislative leaders of all four caucuses and met with the governor.

These meetings were productive and highlighted the importance and presence of the hospitality industry in all legislative districts across the state.

The Washington Hospitality Association’s top legislative priority this session is passage of Engrossed Fourth Substitute Senate Bill 5251, a bill to create a statewide tourism marketing program. While there are many topics that are important to our membership, this bill was the focus of the conversations with legislators.

In the evening, the Washington Hospitality Association welcomed more than 400 guests to the Taste Our Best legislative reception at the Olympia Hands on Children’s Museum. With more than 10 participating restaurants and eight breweries and wineries, all guests had a great time mingling with legislators.

Top photo: Senator Mark Mullet. Photo courtesy of Washington State Legislative Support Services.

The Hill Climb and Taste Our Best events would not be possible without the help and support of our members, legislators, and the efforts of the entire Washington Hospitality Association team. If you were not able to attend the events this year we hope you will join us next year for Hill Climb 2019! Mark your calendars now – it will be on Monday, Jan. 28.

March 2018 │ 15

Partnering for Success

Washington Hospitality’s Education Foundation is Leveraging Creative New Partnerships to Advance Workforce Development

By Paul Schlienz & David Faro If you’re in the hospitality industry, you’ve got a friend in your corner with the Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation. Its mission is to support the growth of the hospitality industry through training and education.

“We make sure we listen to our members and focus on their needs,” said Naja Hogander, the Education Foundation’s manager.

This has led the Education Foundation to think big and expand beyond its traditional role of supporting ProStart and providing training, like the ServSafe programs, First Aid/CPR and other workplace safety courses. It is looking at workforce development in exciting new ways.

“We’re all about the future of the hospitality workforce,” said Hogander. “ProStart, of course, is a major focus, but helping people who are long out of high school and looking for a career change find a place in our industry is also a very important role for us.”

Creative routes to greater hospitality skills The Education Foundation’s work this year with the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council is an example of how EF is thinking out of the box to meet members’ hiring needs and their desire to help their employees and their communities thrive.

PacMtn, which serves Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties, and the Washington Hospitality Education Foundation joined forces in January to move the upskilling needle.

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Using their combined resources, the two organizations held an all-day guest service training workshop for 38 South Sound employees from all walks of the hospitality industry.

“We provided this training for people who were currently in the workforce with the expectation they would be upskilled and ultimately able to develop fruitful and long-lasting hospitality careers,” said Sandra Miller, the Education Foundation’s workforce development manager.

More recently, the two organizations held a local training for curriculum directors and teachers from rural areas of the state. The ProStart high school curriculum was introduced as an option for workforce training.

Hiring Events Finding employees is one of hospitality’s biggest challenges, and in 2017, the Education Foundation pursued a creative strategy for bringing new employees into the industry and helping members find qualified team members.

The Foundation launched a series of wrap-around hiring events in partnership with Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD), ESD’s WorkSource program and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Employment Pipeline and several community-based organizations.

As partners, these agencies brought pre-screened, readyto-work job applicants to the events and Washington Hospitality members came ready to offer jobs. In addition to matching jobseekers with employers, the events were also designed to provide services and support to eligible new hires including food assistance, bus passes and financial aid for childcare and clothing needs. This support lowers the barrier to employment and helps new employees show up ready to be successful on the job.

“We introduce employers to people they never would have been exposed to,” said Hogander.

“People gained support they needed and managers got great employees.”

The hiring events are one of the Education Foundation’s major success stories. Thanks to these events, 255 new people now have jobs in the hospitality industry.

where people of all backgrounds can pursue the American Dream.

The Hospitality Hiring Events won an Award of Excellence for Workforce Development from the International Society of Hotel Associations Executives, and Hospitality Month won a Totem Award from the Puget Sound chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for excellence in PR. ProStart ProStart, too, is another success story that would be impossible without the Education Foundation’s partnerships with schools and employers.

“The hiring events prove our industry is incredibly welcoming,” said Miller.

“We can take people with limited skills and barriers to employment and place them immediately in successful and sustainable employment.”

Heritage

The hiring events, however, are not only geared toward finding employment for people with limited skills.

“The program is a lot more efficient than it was five years ago,” said Hogander. “We only had two coordinators back then, and they didn’t have the same kind of relationships with our members that the area coordinators do now.”

co ain ’s m ool Sch High

“Thanks to the hiring events, we’ve also been able to place incredibly talented, experienced people including a job seeker at the managerialsupervisory level who now works at a Downtown Bellevue restaurant,” said Miller.

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the 2017 al Sysco Pro Start Invitation

With Washington Hospitality’s membership team driving it, ProStart has expanded to more than 30 high schools throughout Washington.

“We even found a job for someone who was an engineer and out of work,” added Hogander. “He is now working at a hotel as an engineer.”

In addition to partnering with high schools, ProStart also partners with restaurateurs who provide invaluable guidance to students through mentorships.

Working with ESD’s WorkSource gave our industry the opportunity to create www.wahospitalitycareers.com, a microsite dedicated to hospitality jobs maintained by ESD and powered by Monster.com.

“We’ve had eight Mentor of the Year nominations from our program so far in 2018,” Hogander added. “Mentors are essential to the program, and our ProStart teachers really appreciate their involvement and support.”

This “Welcome to Hospitality” job site gives hospitality employers the opportunity to post free job listings. The Ed Foundation’s training programs are also promoted on the site, and employers as well as jobseekers looking to boost their job prospects can easily access over 160 training opportunities including First Aid/CPR, ServSafe Manager, ServSafe Allergens, ServSafe alcohol and other courses.

In conjunction with the hiring events, Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed May 2017 as Hospitality Month, recognizing the contributions the hospitality industry makes across our state. The proclamation noted that hospitality serves as a pipeline for people entering the workforce and as a place

FareStart

While ProStart may be the Education Foundation’s best-known program, it is helping hands on training for those already in the workforce.

FareStart recently launched its Foodservice Apprenticeship Program, which helps entry-level March 2018 │ 17

foodservice workers gain skills they need to move up in higher-income positions such as line cooks, line leads, sous chefs, supervisors and managers. Unlike textbook-based education, an apprenticeship gives participants invaluable real life training and experience.

The program is ideal for restaurants that have a promising employee who needs more training than they are able to provide. Apprentices are all already working in the industry, and they also receive paid training as they advance their skills. After completion they receive assistance in finding a job suited to their new skill level.

Foundation formed a new partnership to raise awareness of human trafficking within the hospitality industry.

This partnership provides training for Washington Hospitality Association members and supports survivors of sex trafficking in finding safe employment within the hospitality industry.

In addition, the Washington Hospitality Association joined the BEST Employers Alliance, committing as a workplace to implement policies and practices that prevent sex trafficking and sex buying.

The Education Foundation is also building awareness of human trafficking and how it can be driven from hotels through a partnership with former human trafficking victim Rani Hong and the Tronie Foundation, the world’s first international survivor-led anti-human trafficking organization.

Along with the Tronie Foundation, BEST, The Blue Campaign and the American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute, which provides training on trafficking, the Education Foundation is sending a strong message of “Not in our house!”

What’s next?

The Education Foundation is always trying to keep one step ahead in providing for members’ needs.

Human trafficking

Some people might be surprised when they discover that the Education Foundation is also deeply involved with fighting human trafficking, but they shouldn’t be.

“Our fight against human trafficking ties into workforce development because of how trafficking can negatively affect a workplace,” said Miller.

In 2017, Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST) and the Washington Hospitality Association Education

18 │ wahospitality.org

Currently, it is working on hiring events for later this spring and it is updating its website to focus on training and career pathways.

The goal is to support people at any point in their hospitality industry careers.

“The Education Foundation is acutely aware of the responsibility we have to the industry as a resource for current needs and preparing for their future needs,” Miller concluded. “We want to convey how much of an honor it is to be in this position.”

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Your Best Defense in a Tight Labor Market Building your team from within is increasingly important in today’s labor economy, and Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation is set to help.

By David Faro

We hear it time and again. Finding qualified employees is one of our members’ biggest challenges. With the economy going strong, Washington hospitality businesses are going to face another tight labor job market as we move into high season.

You don’t need us to tell you the importance of retaining promising employees, but did you know that investing in training and skill development may be the best fortification against attrition and lessen your need to hire new employees?

Given that the average cost-per-hire is $4,129, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s Human Capital Benchmarking Report, lower turnover through workforce development will also add direct value to your bottom line.

Upskilling Of course, you train the people you hire, but are you providing employees with skill building and experience that goes beyond what they need to know and do to perform their immediate jobs? If you are, then you are happily engaging in “upskilling,” or expanding the skills your employees need to be successful in your workplace.

If you’re not, here’s a simple way to think about what upskilling looks like: You have an aspiring, entry-level dishwasher whom you put through a knife skills class offered by Washington Hospitality Association’s Education Foundation. The employee then eyes the lunch prep shift.

Now you have lunch back up and the opportunity to move this upskilled employee into a position that may better fit his or her interest when there is an opening.

For hoteliers, the Education Foundation is partnering with the American Hotel & Lodging Education Institute to bring a rich suite of certifications and training designed to help you expand the capacity of your team. Here are some things to take into consideration as you consider investing in skill building.

Boost Retention and Morale Workers who are encouraged to develop and grow are statistically the happiest. Upskilling solidifies retention. Employees who feel like their company is investing in their future want to stay.

Happy employees provide sustainably higher degrees of 20 │ wahospitality.org

customer service. Happy customers are loyal customers. It’s a cycle, and upskilling training for your employees primes the pump every time.

Act Strategically Have a strategic training program in place for your organization. It is important to have buy-in from your whole organization for an upskilling plan to work. That means leadership down to entry level understands the idea and embraces the “why” of the program. That means that every employee has a personal development plan (PDP), and it’s important that this plan is made through a partnership between employees and their supervisors. Actually, it is paramount.

Understanding the career path your employees want to embark on allows you to provide rich incentives for performance. Knowing that you are investing in their personal development as they desire it, breeds deep loyalty in your employees. Each employee should have a current PDP, that they can refer to at any time. This document will keep you steadfast and in alignment with their progression and success.

Make and Take the Time Without committing the time required to upskill your employees, upskilling is just a noble concept. If you commit to training, you will also need to give employees time to go to classes or attend online courses. There should always be a “what by when” component to an employee’s PDP. Otherwise the best made plans can remain just that. All talk and no action. Upskilling requires that managers make the time.

Upskilling requires that employees take the time.

wings, trained, and who already knows a lot about your operations. This person is generally eagerly waiting for the chance to perform. The interview process is shortened.

The onboarding process is shortened. The cultural acclimation process is shortened. You just saved a whole bunch of money.

Save Money with Skilled Employees Last year I had a chance to speak with a successful operator who has all of her line cooks who had been on the job for two years go through ServSafe Manager training. She did this three years in a row, and then saw her food cost ratios improve significantly.

Her staff knew how to rotate food correctly and were up to date on all of the other methods that contribute to wasting less food.

Start Upskilling Now Starting is almost always the most difficult part of organizational change. Where do you start? How do you engage employees?

What does a personalized upskilling program look like in your company? The good news for Washington Hospitality members is that the EF is poised to connect your company with all the training and upskilling resources that are specific to your company. The EF is also connected to workforce development partners from all over the state, meaning that the EF can tap into a vast network of training options from Bellingham to Vancouver and from Kent to Kennewick, and then bring them right to you.

Tap into Employees’ Interests Once your employee has shared with you the direction they would like to go with their career, help them to identify the certifications and credentials that they think would help place them on a transformative pathway towards career advancement.

For a young line cook looking to become a sous chef, ServSafe Manager might just be the credential that advances them into consideration for the next opening.

For a shift supervisor, looking to enter the ranks of management, perhaps financials, or software training would give them just what they need to be the perfect bench manager for you.

In the long run this would mean that when you need a qualified replacement, you have one waiting in the

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH YOUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION Talking about upskilling is one thing, but knowing where to go to find the best training for your staff is another. The first place to start is the Washington Hospitality Education Foundation Training Menu, which can be found by visiting this link wahospitality.org/education-foundation-trainingmenu.

March 2018 │ 21

ServSafe Manager ServSafe Manager is an advanced food safety certification developed by the National Restaurant Association for foodservice and hospitality personnel. The ServSafe brand allows you to offer the highest standard of training to your staff. It also keeps customers safe with advanced food safety knowledge and complies with the Demonstration of Knowledge (DOK) and Person in Charge (PIC) requirements within the Washington State Food Code.

The Education Foundation offers regularly scheduled ServSafe training classes throughout Washington. For details and a schedule of classes or to register online, visit whaef.org/training.

Social Media Training Embarrassing photos or confidential information that could harm your business can quickly become public through social media. Can employers prevent employees from sharing inappropriate photos or sensitive company information?

“Being Social Media Smart” teaches employees how to be responsible when representing themselves or their company on social media platforms by covering five main areas: • Being knowledgeable about how public and private networks intersect • Understanding how one person’s posts affect others • Protecting company confidentiality • Learning to identify and avoid sharing dangerous information • Being respectful and never posting things about fellow coworkers or the company without permission

Customer Service Training New in December 2017, this program through the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation applies seven guest service "golden opportunities" to the broad spectrum of tourism. Video scenarios feature real employees at a variety of tourism venues including restaurants, welcome centers, wineries and ski lodges, transportation and airports to show employees how delivering exceptional guest service makes a real difference for your guests and for your business. Offered online or in print, the training prepares employees for professional certification as a Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP). Also available in Spanish.

Guest Service Gold® Tourism, like our other Guest Service Gold® programs, can help your establishment stand out in the crowd of tourism choices. Business benefits include: • Repeated visits generated by exceptional service • Higher scores in online reviews • Opportunity to become a Certified Guest Service Property when all line-level employees earn the Certified Guest Service Professional designation Learn more at wahospitality.org/education-foundation-trainingmenu.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE!

First Aid/CPR/AED This comprehensive course covers all the basics of first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED). Employers in Washington state are required to have first-aid trained personnel available on all shifts, if the business is not in near proximity to an infirmary, clinic or hospital. Completion of the course provides all the necessary certifications to meet state requirements in a fun and engaging four-hour course.

22 │ wahospitality.org

Thanks to the generous support of private and public partners of the Education Foundation, subsidies and scholarships are often available for your staff to take advantage of.

Contact the Education Foundation today to find out if you or your staff are eligible for assistance.

Most people are!

American Hotel & Lodging Education Institute The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, or AHLEI, has been providing quality education and training to the hospitality industry since 1953. Now the Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation is partnering with AHLEI to offer members this industry leader’s full suite of certifications and training.

AHLEI certifies and validates competencies in conjunction with academia and industry experts for more than 20 positions in the hospitality industry with designations from front-line to general managers. Here is an overview of some of those offerings.

Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA®) Globally recognized, the CHA® is awarded to general managers and hospitality executives with exemplary leadership and managerial abilities. It also reflects that fact that the recipients stay abreast of current trends and the latest hospitality protocols. Because individual backgrounds vary widely in the hospitality industry, applicants may pursue the CHA® designation if currently employed for a minimum of two years as a general manager, owner/operator in a lodging hospitality company or corporate executive responsible for the operation of two or more properties.

Assistant general managers may also apply, as may directors of operations/rooms division with an additional room division certification.

Certified Food and Beverage Executive (CFBE®) Candidates for the Certified Food and Beverage Executive (CFBE®) designation will now receive a new CFBE® Exam Preparation Booklet with their resource materials to streamline and focus their study and exam preparation more effectively. This booklet, along with a CD that includes all CFBE® resource materials, lets candidates assess their knowledge and experience by individual competency, and then directs them to the specific resource by volume, chapter and subject for study and review. The goal is to help CFBE® candidates focus their study on the sections of the resource materials on which they need to spend the most time.

Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) Geared to revenue managers, general managers, corporate staff, and research professionals, the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) is the only hotel-related certification for industry professionals focused on analytics.

Certified Lodging Security Officer (CLSO) Today's successful security officers must have the knowledge to effectively handle routine security activities and emergencies as well as sound judgment, and practical skills. They must keep pace with change, improve their knowledge, and share their experience with others.

This designation provides recognition for these skills

and is the lodging industry's highest acknowledgment of professionalism for security officers in the hospitality industry. AHLEI provides resources to assist in training and development and performance assessment and testing to validate that training has occurred and performance standards have been met.

Hospitality Housekeeping Executive (CHHE®) Housekeeping executives must have effective human resource and housekeeping operations expertise, sound judgment, and practical skills. It is equally critical that they keep pace with change, improve their knowledge, and share their experience with others. The Certified Hospitality Housekeeping Executive (CHHE®) identifies the recipient as being part of an elite group of hospitality professionals who by combining education and experience with dedication to the industry have achieved a high level of expertise.

Certified Spa Supervisor (CSS) The Certified Spa Supervisor program is a certification for spa supervisors and managers. The certification program was developed by the International SPA Association (ISPA) in partnership with the Educational Institute to provide education and resources for spa supervisors who may be new to their positions or those who are seeking additional education and recognition.

Certified Hotel Concierge (CHC) The hotel concierge is a high-profile position tasked with delivering the highest level of guest service. This certification, developed in collaboration among AHLEI, Les Clefs D'Or USA, and The International School of Hospitality (TISOH), hones the skills of concierges and provides recognition and validation of their expertise.

Guest Service Gold® Guest Service Gold® is a comprehensive program designed to accomplish the goal of creating guest service-oriented line level employees who know how to engage with their guests to provide memorable guest service. Core components include training, employee certification and property certification.

Guest Service Gold® can be implemented by any serviceoriented business, including restaurants, attractions and retail outlets as well as lodging properties.

Certifications for Line Employees AHLEI offers certifications for employees in front-line position at lodging properties that can be used to train new or prospective employees on how to perform key tasks correctly. They also include competencies in the general hospitality knowledge and soft skills needed in the hospitality industry. Programs are offered through online learning as well as on-the-job training and include certified breakfast attendant, front desk representative, guest room attendant and more.

Learn more about AHLEI certifications at wahospitality.org/ education-foundation-training-menu. Registering for certification through the Education Foundation supports EF’s important work.

March 2018 │ 23

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Gryffin Consulting specializes in helping employers understand the power dynamics involved in sexual harassment and how to build a fair and equitable company culture.

Gryffin Consulting specializes in aligning business practices with a fair and equitable company culture:  Audit of company policies and procedures  Implementation of best practices  Full leadership compliance training

24 │ wahospitality.org

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Wendy Gillihan, MaCC, PHR, SHRM-CP Founder and Principal Consultant Wendy’s experience in accounting and HR have made her an innovative thinker who produces tangible solutions for her clients. Wendy sits on the board of trustees for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce as a representative for the local business community. Wendy has previously served as an instructor with the SBA, on the Seattle Women’s Commission (chair) and the Labor Standards Advisory Commission (chair), advising the Mayor and City Council on issues of economic opportunity for our region.

Joshua Rouse, JD Associate Consultant Joshua’s areas of expertise include risk mitigation, compliance evaluation, business process enhancement, and conflict resolution.

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Texas at Austin, a Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law Houston, and is a certified mediator (Texas).

Barbara Johnson: Making a Difference for Women and Employees in Quick-Service

By Paul Schlienz

From the back-of-house to front-ofhouse to corporate headquarters, women are increasingly central to the future of restaurants.

According to research by the National Restaurant Association, 61 percent of adult women have worked in a restaurant at some point in their lives, and female-owned restaurants are growing at a faster pace than ownership of restaurants overall.

“Between 2007 and 2012, the number of women-owned restaurants jumped by 40 percent, and today 33 percent of American restaurants are majority owned by women,” National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney said in 2017.

“Another 15 percent are equally coowned by women and men.”

After proving herself as an employee, at 20 years of age Johnson asked for the manager's position. She got the job.

Eight years later, she became a partner in the business, which had two locations at the time. Within another 18 months, she went from owning two to seven McDonald's locations.

Today, she owns nine McDonald's with restaurants in Oak Harbor, Stanwood, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Mt. Vernon, Smokey Point and Everett.

"Barbara is an inspiration for all women," said Kim Hildahl, the Washington Hospitality Association's area coordinator for Northwest Washington. "She’s shown that if you set your mind to achieve a dream and stay dedicated to your mission, you can become a successful entrepreneur.”

Women’s importance in quick-service restaurants, in addition to their ability to receive and seize on opportunities, has increased by leaps and bounds in the past 10 to 15 years, according to Carrie Luxem, president of the Illinois-based Restaurant HR Group.

“With nine McDonald's locations under her helm, she is providing opportunities for success to all her team members."

The success of Barbara Johnson, Washington Hospitality member and McDonald's franchisee extraordinaire, tells the story of these opportunities.

"My main reason for choosing a quickservice career at McDonald's was that I loved people," she said. "I loved the staff and I loved the customers. When I started there, at the Oak Harbor McDonald's, I was working part-time and taking college courses in nursing, but I liked working at the restaurant so much that I went full-time, dropped college and made a career of it."

She started her career under the golden arches just out of high school.

So, why did Barbara Johnson choose a career in quick-service?

Although she loved the work, it wasn't always an easy ride.

"In the beginning, it was a man’s world in management," she recalled. "If you were a woman, you had to prove yourself more than the average guy. I always worked hard, especially when

the going was tough. You just find ways to be successful in challenging times."

Nevertheless, she persevered and stayed focused on her goals.

"I just learned from everyone," Johnson said. "Whatever I didn’t know, I learned. And even now, I'm the same way. I’m still learning."

Johnson is a big believer in mentorship, and she used it to her advantage as she built her career.

She urges young women who want to pursue careers in quick-service to follow this approach.

"Find people who have skills you want and get them to mentor you," she said.

"People like to be around people who are successful, but sometimes we’re afraid to approach these people who've made successes of themselves, and we really shouldn't have this reluctance.

When you see a successful person, keep in mind that somewhere along the way someone mentored them and gave them the gift of the knowledge they needed to build a career. Very often if you approach a successful person, they will want to give you the knowledge they received that helped them get where they are today.”

March 2018 │ 25

“It's a wonderful cycle that keeps repeating itself, and you need to take advantage of it."

Johnson also urges young women to think entrepreneurially.

"If you really want to be successful, you need to start thinking like an entrepreneur," Johnson said. "Always look for opportunities and needs you can fulfill."

Johnson has found McDonald's to be a great place for women to work and grow in their careers, and the numbers support her claim. Today 70 percent of all U.S. McDonald's employees are women or members of minority groups. And 45 percent of its franchises are woman or minority-owned.

Networking, however, is one area where Johnson sees women need to improve.

"There are lots of opportunities to get positions, and lots of opportunities to prove yourself by working hard, but as women, we need to figure out how

26 │ wahospitality.org

to network better than we've been doing," she said.

"Networking is really important in advancing your career, and the guys have always used things like spending time on the golf course for that purpose. The golf course still tends to be a male domain, so we women need to create opportunities of our own for networking. It's very important."

McDonald's, as a corporation, is doing much to encourage this kind of networking among women.

Its Women’s Leadership Network is a McDonald’s global initiative that was created to shine a light on women's massive contributions to McDonald’s throughout the world, and works to create an environment where women have the opportunity to grow and succeed. All women at McDonald's automatically become members of the network from the day they are hired.

The network promotes talent development by focusing on

leadership competencies, business acumen and career planning.

Additionally, it has a mentoring strategy that creates an avenue for women to network and learn from each other.

And Barbara Johnson is one of those women McDonald's employees can learn a lot from.

After many years in the business, she still sees a bright future for herself and her employees.

"Our franchise has nine restaurants, and we're still growing," Johnson said. "I have team members that want to grow. I do it for them. I mentor lots of young people. and it is most gratifying to see them succeed in their lives whether they stay at McDonald's or end up pursuing a different career path.

“Every day I get up and ask myself how I can make a difference. It’s my motivation."

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INDUSTRY CALENDAR March/April

NEW MEMBERS

TRAINING

Alacart LLC, Seattle

Mix It Up Tasty, Bellingham

Mar. 22

ServSafe® Manager, Spokane

Aloft Seattle SeaTac Airport, SeaTac

Norm’s Eatery & Alehouse, Seattle

Apr. 3

ServSafe® Manager, Seattle

Apr. 17

ServSafe® Manager, Kent

Apr. 23

ServSafe® Manager, Kennewick

Ballard Landmark, Seattle

Quality Inn – Airport, Spokane

Apr. 30

ServSafe® Manager, Everett

Best Western Plus Liberty Lake Inn, Liberty Lake

Queen of Sheba, Spokane

Billy B’s Pub & Grub, Tacoma

Roxy’s Diner & Backdoor, Seattle

Carousel French Cuisine, Yakima

Snohomish Bakery at First & Union, Snohomish

Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Bellevue

SRI Enterprises LLC, Seattle

Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle North Lynnwood

Tonala Mexican Restaurant, Tacoma

MEETINGS Mar. 8

GAC Weekly Call

Mar. 6

Executive Committee Monthly Meeting

Mar. 7

Editorial Board Meeting

Mar. 7

Seattle Restaurant Alliance Membership Meeting

Mar. 8

Seattle Hotel Association Board Meeting

Mar. 13

Board Development Committee Meeting

Mar. 14

Seattle Restaurant Alliance Board Meeting

Mar. 20

Spokane Hotel Motel Association Meeting

Mar. 20

Spokane Chapter Board Meeting

Apr. 3

Executive Committee Monthly Meeting

Apr. 4

Seattle Restaurant Alliance Membership Meeting

Apr. 11

Seattle Restaurant Alliance Board Meeting

Apr. 12

Seattle Hotel Association Board Meeting

Apr. 17

Spokane Hotel Motel Association Meeting

Apr. 17

Finance Committee Meeting

Apr. 17

Spokane Chapter Board Meeting

Apr. 24

Washington Hospitality Board of Directors Quarterly Meeting

Apr. 25

MSC Board Meeting

UPCOMING EVENTS Mar. 10

ProStart® Invitational, Spokane

Apr. 4

Hospitality Summit, Bellevue

Apr. 9

Hospitality Summit, Seattle

May 8

Hospitality Summit, Bellingham

May 14

Hospitality Summit, Tacoma

28 │ wahospitality.org

Lake Cushman Café, Hoodsport

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Ask the Expert

Focus on Three Areas to Stay Ahead of Competition

By Rick Braa, CHAE

I believe we lack focus on hitting goals at my business.

We’re great at reacting to problems in the moment, and I think sometimes we wait for crisis to strike so we can react to it. If I were to set a few areas of focus for the next year, what are the most critical areas?

Q:

A:

The restaurant business is full of skilled firefighters.

Restaurant workers are wonderful at problem solving on the fly and marvelous at handling multiple responsibilities to run a great shift.

Since most managers and owners in entry level positions are themselves experienced firefighters, it’s no wonder planning and organizing work is a major opportunity for improvement in the industry. Consider these three areas of focus for the upcoming year: Retain your top people.

As unemployment stretches toward historic lows, turnover rates are near record highs. According to TDn2K, the average turnover cost for one hourly employee is approximately $2,100. Turning over a staff of 50 people in a year could cost a business $105,000.

A recent study by Gallup showed only 31 percent of restaurant workers are engaged, with 49 percent not engaged and 21 percent actively disengaged.

According to Gallup, companies with higher levels of employee engagement have lower levels of turnover and better profitability.

High-level, engaged performers require high-level management and care. They want specific performance 30 │ wahospitality.org

feedback, the right tools to do the work right, growth opportunities, to be heard and, perhaps most importantly, they want great people around them.

When top performers are challenged, their performance improves. When they’re not challenged, they leave.

Having solid co-workers and working on a winning team spurs a superior work environment and improves retention and, ultimately, greater sales and profit.

Increase productivity in every position. Another benefit of higher employee engagement is better performance. Gallup reports 17 percent higher productivity, 41 percent lower absenteeism and 20 percent higher sales with higher engagement.

One common complaint about restaurant workers today is low productivity. Most restaurants run productivity at plus or minus 65 percent. Set a goal for the next year to move that to 85 percent or higher.

This will take careful planning and excellent management.

Mathematically, it makes sense to have fewer, highly productive employees who are paid more. For example, if Employee #1 is paid $16 per hour and produces at 65 percent productivity, the effective rate is $24.61/hour.

Meanwhile, Employee #2 is paid $18 per hour but produces at 85 percent productivity, an effective rate of $21.18/ hour. It’s more economical to have a higher paid workforce with higher productivity provided the size of the business can accommodate the rates.

Imagine if 30 minutes of side work or closing work was completed 20 percent faster. That’s a six minute savings times the number of employees times 360 days per year.

With 20 people, that’s two hours per day or about $10,000–$12,000 per year saved for a single task. Apply the same math to the length of shift, and the money really starts to add up.

Be militant about public safety.

Protecting the public and your employees is priority number one for a business owner. We’ve seen several E. coli and norovirus outbreaks over the last couple of years, and they can be devastating to a business.

Depending on the type of outbreak, the sales declines will be severe, ranging from 20 to 35 percent decrease during the first quarter, 10 to 20 percent second quarter, 10 to 15 percent third quarter and 5 to 12 percent fourth quarter. It takes an additional six months after that to get back to sales levels prior to the incident.

Be sure that everything that touches the guest is sanitary including tabletops, chairs and condiments on the table. Bathrooms must be spotless.

Educate employees to stay home if they are ill and send them home if they come to work sick. In addition, step up training regarding allergies and educate staff thoroughly on the dangers of misunderstanding allergic reactions which can result in death.

By creating a highly engaged, well compensated workforce in a safe and sanitary workspace, retention will increase while sales, profits, and consumer confidence will skyrocket.

For more information on improving profitability and driving sales, contact AMP Services at rbraa@ampservices. com. Rick Braa is the co-founder of AMP Services, an accounting and consulting firm specializing in helping companies grow profitability.

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