Jerry Newman, author of Compensation and My Secret Life on the McJob: Lessons from Behind the Counter Guaranteed to Supersize Any Management Style
, conducted his study of rewards in the fast food industry by working undercover for seven fast food establishments in three states during a 14-month period. In a two part article for WorldatWork's workspan magazine, he shares some of the lessons gleaned from this experience, not the least of which is how to reward workers when pay dollars simply aren't available. As Newman puts it: "In a world where 25 cents is a big pay increase, obviously money can't be the central motivator" and fast food managers don't have the luxury of substituting financial incentives for good leadership. A few of his insights are excerpted below:
Informal Recognition
My best managers all used role models for recognition. Atith (not his real name) was a Cambodian with halting English. But he was very meticulous in his mopping. All new crew members learned about mopping from Atith. And the manager made great ceremony of announcing how good Atith was, and that we would be learning from the best. A manager at Krystal used the same tool, telling me to watch Marge put burgers on the grill and flip them over. "She is the best in the store," he said loudly and proudly announced. It costs nothing and reaps huge jumps in self-esteem to reinforce good work in this way.
Social
There is growing evidence that people who get up in the morning and look forward to work do so because they like the people they work with. No great surprise, right? But good leaders don't leave this to chance. My best managers spent an hour interviewing me. My worst spent five minutes or less. In one job I had no interview. I was hired sight unseen. What did these good managers spend time on? They wanted to know what mattered to me and how I approached what did and did not matter. When I asked my best managers if my interview was typical, universally they said yes. Find people who fit. Creat opportunities for fun and growth in friendships. Social networks are the glue that ties workers to their jobs in a positive way.
Hours of Work
Fast food allocates hours of work as a reward. Do a better job and you get more hours, if desired. On a broader scale, some of the best managers I've seen understand that sometimes hours of work need to be flexible. Even in environments where flexibility isn't the norm, good managers make exceptions for good employees. Favoritism, you cary. Yup, say the good managers. Work hard and you too can become a favorite.
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