High-quality training, clear incentives
The catering industry is notorious for its high turnover, low job security, long hours and lack of adequate training. But there are some companies in the region that are working hard to buck this trend.
Pret A Manger (Hong Kong), for example, has been ranked fourth in the Best Employers in Hong Kong 2009 study, the second time they have won this recognition. Brought to Hong Kong from Britain in 2002, the company has grown to 10 stores and 120 staff and boasts one of the lowest staff turnovers in the food and beverage sector.
This had been achieved through high-quality training, clear incentives and a commitment to the well-being of staff, said Sarah Lee, the company's managing director.
The company has a clear motivation for its approach to human resources. 'If you look after your people, you don't have to worry about your customers,' Ms Lee said.
In particular, the focus was on training and development of staff, she said, and this had led to the training being recognised as among the best in the industry. She said the company had recently launched new workshops for shop teams under a department called the Pret Academy.
'This [department] makes sure that everybody who starts with us receives the right training for the right job at the right time, from day one,' Ms Lee said.
Training is held over three months both in a classroom at head office or in one of the stores. It is individually tailored to each trainee, depending on previous experience, so that new staff learn at their own pace. They are continually assessed and given weekly feedback to make sure they are aware of their progress, or lack of it.
'[Trainees] don't have the pressure of getting to the end of their training and suddenly finding out they are doing it all wrong,' Ms Lee said.
Secondly, there were strong incentives for staff, she said. Long service is rewarded with extra holiday and more pay, and every store was subject to a bonus system known as 'mystery shopper'.
Once a week a person unknown to the team visits the store and assesses performance, service and food quality. If they are happy that all the boxes are ticked, the whole team receives a bonus for that week, based on the number of hours they have worked.
