January/February 2022 - 8

Continued from page 7
* Handling and negotiating contracts:
The CDM, CFPP, along with their cocaptain,
the Human Resources (HR)
department, most likely is involved
in hiring employees. This is HR's
specialty, so let them take this ball and
run with it as much as possible. HR
professionals are current on laws and
regulations, and can take the pressure
off of you and your game plan on a
daily basis.
THE PLAYERS IN FOOD
SERVICE are the back-ofthe-house
cooks, servers,
dishwashers, pastry chefs, and
many more positions. Each
player needs to understand
and practice their position.
* Maintaining positive public
relations: How the facility, system,
and community view your department
is a big deal. You want to be the best
employer on the block. No matter
what your employees' future goals are,
you can leave them with a positive
experience where they learn the skills
to carry over into future positions or
teams.
* Ensuring compliance with rules
and policies: Writing and updating
your Policies and Procedures and
maintaining compliance is a critical
part of your job. For employee reviews,
state or local surveys, or disciplinary
action, Policies and Procedures allow
you to follow an objective decisionmaking
process and game plan.
Players
The players in food service are the
front-line staff, back-of-the house cooks,
servers, dishwashers, pastry chefs, and
many more positions. Each player needs
to understand and practice their position.
Even if they have played in that position
before, on-the-job training and coaching
is vital. We cannot assume people know
how to jump into the play during a game
when they have not been to practice.
Peer-to-peer training has its role, but so
does leading by example and making sure
you touch base with each player before
game day. Leo, a director of operations
for a foodservice organization with 700
employees, says the real training happens
in the kitchen. " We always teach food
safety in a classroom setting, but once
they have that certification, we get into
the kitchen for hands-on training. It
is amazing how the book knowledge is
forgotten, but once they are taking actual
temperatures, they remember it forever. "
Cheerleaders
You guessed it, this might be your job too!
Making sure the fans (patients, clients,
inmates, students) support and cheer on
the team is a huge responsibility. You can
show your support by cheerleading with
words and actions. Some players want
loud cheering that everyone can hear,
while others want the personal note or
high-five for a job well done. Regardless
of position and experience, all players
want to know they are doing a good
job. Being specific with your praise and
appreciation goes a long way.
Injured Reserve Players
In sports, the injured players still have
a role. Whether they are out on sick
leave or injury, we have to make sure
they have a sub. Are you cross-training
your employees so they can take on a
new position when the starters are on
the injured reserve list? There should be
increased focus and importance on our
players' mental health as well. Taking
a mental health day may be necessary
8 NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | January-February 2022
to prevent poor performance or an
extended leave in the future. Focusing
on employee health and wellness benefits
the team. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), healthier employees are less
likely to call in sick or use vacation time
due to illness. Companies that support
workplace health have less call ins and
increased productivity. " The cost savings
of providing a workplace health program
can be measured against absenteeism
among employees, reduced overtime to
cover absent employees, and costs to train
replacement employees. " (CDC)
OTHER FACTORS FOR
WORKPLACE WINS
In addition to focusing on the individual
roles of team members, it's important to
consider the following.
The Draft
Drafting the right players takes time and
money. You don't want to draft the best
player for the position and then have
them leave for a different team because
of pay or other benefits. Putting money
and training into your current team
is more productive and less expensive
than drafting and training new players.
For example, if it costs you roughly 10
hours and $2,400 to recruit, draft (hire),
and train a breakfast cook, what would
it look like if you put those 10 hours
and $2,400 into training the current
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2022

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