Companies make investment in employees by expanding training programs



By Dina Berta

The University of Perkins has turned out more than 90 graduates so far this year - new general managers, food preparation managers and guest services managers, all trained and equipped for the tasks ahead of them.

Memphis, Tenn.-based Perkins Restaurant and Bakery launched the university in early 2001 to enhance its training for managers. It's satellite program with classes held in Minneapolis; Orlando, Fla.; Madison, Wis.; and Kansas city, Mo.

"We wanted to make a commitment to our managers," said Toni Kottom, director of training development at the company's Edina, Minn., office.

Like Perkins, more restaurant companies have been expanding their training programs in the past year, according to a recent survey by the National Restaurant Association and its Educational Foundation.

The Tableservice Restaurant Trends - 2001 reports that almost one-half of 500 randomly surveyed restaurant operators said they expanded their employees training programs in 2000, while a slightly larger proportion indicated that they planned to do so this year.

Roughly two-thirds of table-service operators said they expanded their efforts last year to cross-train employees. Six out of 10 said they plan to do more cross-training this year.

According to industry trainers and operators, expanded training programs have been on the rise as more restaurants realize the benefits of a well-trained staff, including better retention, better customer service and better store performance. The importance of training also is not expected to diminish even when companies start tightening belts to make it through leaner economic times.

"As operators recognize the value talented individuals can have in the organization, the more (training) is going to be invested," said David Goronkin, chief operating officer for Buffets Inc. in Egan, Minn.

Training is the second-biggest line item, after marketing, on the company's profit-and-loss statement, he said. But it is viewed as an investment, not an expense.

"The surefire way to bankruptcy in rough times is to reduce training budgets," Goronkin said.

Buffets has had a long-standing commitment to training and over the years has seen its management turnover fall from 38 percent to 23 percent, he said.

"Employees trained from the beginning and trained more thoroughly have more confidence, and they are respected by their peers," said Jeff Tenut, vice president of product development for the NRAEF in Chicago, who added, "And that correlates back to decreases in attrition."

Training and cross-training improve retention by building career paths for employees, Tenut said.

"It makes a huge difference if they know what is a ahead of them and what they need to do to obtain the next level," he noted.

The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers also has noticed an increase in training and cross-training, said Janet Hoffman, president of the nonprofit association, which recently held its semiannual meeting in Phoenix.

"By cross-training, you improve an individual's value, not just to the organization, but to himself," said Hoffman, vice president of human resources for Morton's of Chicago. "Organizations are seeing training has an impact on profitability."

Technology also has helped restaurant operators expand their training programs. Tableservice operators in the survey indicated they used computers or CD-ROMs to support training in the restaurants. Almost four in 10 respondents said they provided video-supported training or classroom-facilitated teaching.

Creating centralized, classroom training through Perkins University also gives new managers a chance to network and learn from their peers, Kottom said.

"Brining people together gives them a sense of belonging to something bigger, a sense they don't get when they are the sole food production manager in their restaurant," Kottom said.

Managers spend five days being indoctrinated into the company's culture and philosophy. They learn to problem-solve and anticipate what they will do throughout the year. They spin the "Wheel of Misfortune" in class and learn how to handle such scenarios as a competitor moving in across the street, a cook with salmonella and an employee who oversteps policies regarding sexual harassment.

The new-manager instruction is the first phase of the university. Kottom and her training division are planning additional phases as managers gain more experience. They also are developing courses for experienced managers.

The competitive environment of the industry often has driven training, Kottom said. Trained staffs tend to provide better service, keep a cleaner restaurant and comply more consistently with government regulations.

The increasingly diverse workforce also fuels the need for training, she said. A big shift for Perkins and other restaurants has been to improve communication with employees by supporting English-as-a-second-language programs and translating materials into Spanish.

"In the '70s groups were pretty homogeneous in education and experience," Kottom said. "That's not true today. You better be prepared to train and customize that training to the individual. My talent base is only going to become more diverse as we move forward."