Albany Chick-fil-A Believes Service Starts with Hiring
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
Motivated, involved, a leader – these are some of the qualities Chick-fil-A looks for in the individuals it hires, according to Anna Wari, director of Human Resources for the Albany stores. Chick-fil-A follows a customer service model that captures many different aspects of employee behavior.
“It works because we all embody the model and we look for these same behaviors as we’re reading through applications and meeting candidates in interviews,” Wari explained.
Wari believes it’s important for any business to know what qualities they are looking for in a new employee. While corporations often have defined qualifications for each position, small businesses may not.
“I think it’s important to take the time to think through exactly what qualities you need. Of course, you can train new employees especially in operations, but other areas like service and ethics are harder to train,” Wari said.
Companies should have a clear system for training and developing employees, according to Wari. An incentive-based system can help keep employees motivated and increase retention.
The Chick-fil-A Customer Service Model
The corporate service model covers five attributes represented by the acronym SERVE. SERVE stands for:
S: see and shape the future
E: engage and develop others
R: reinvent continuously
V: value results and relationships
E: embody the values
While many other companies have service models, Wari believes the Chick-fil-A model works well because everyone embodies the behaviors. It’s expected. Franchisees can also be creative in the rewards and activities they use to motivate employees and reinforce SERVE in their stores. For example, some operators have created a “drive-through wall of fame” to recognize the employees who served the most cars per hour.
“We set goals for speed of service in our stores and then have a campaign to meet that goal. We’ll give out gift cards to employees for exceptional service,” Wari explained.
By the same token, Chick-fil-A uses a thorough process – that includes interviews and working in a restaurant – to select franchised operators. Interviews can include spouses and parents. The painstaking process is designed to ensure franchisees share Chick-fil-A’s values.
Hiring by the Model
Wari has found high school students who are high achievers but have never had a job to be excellent candidates for employment. A track record that includes good grades and a leadership position on a club or team demonstrates the level of motivation and initiative that the company wants.
“We’re looking for students that are college-bound, especially locally because we like to keep them for a few years if possible,” she continued.
The local Albany franchise operator, K.J. Wari, provides a tuition assistance program for entry-level employees who have worked at least six months. The program covers the cost of books, which can reach $600 to $900 per term, especially for schools in nursing and other medical fields.
“For our manager-level employees, we’ll pay tuition for a bachelor’s or graduate degree program,” Wari said.
In addition, Chick-fil-A offers $1,000 scholarships to qualifying employees for the school of their choice through its Leadership Scholarship Program. The company also offers a 401(K) plan and profit sharing.
More information on Chick-fil-A is available online at www.chick-fil-a.com. For information on the local Albany Chick-fil-A stores, call (229) 889-1166.
