Client Showcase: How Our Clients Approach New Hire Onboarding
This month, we reached out to some of our awesome clients to get a sense of how they approach their new hire onboarding process. The first is a family-owned pizza and wings restaurant in Illinois with an unusually low turnover rate. Next, we showcase a company that offers leisurely lakeboat and fast paced speedboat tours across Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana.
Fifth Quarter Tap | Harbor Country Adventures
Fifth Quarter Tap
Owner: Steve Nemitz
Address: 18105 Dixie Hwy, Homewood, IL 60430
Website: http://5thqtr.net
Fifth Quarter Tap is a local pizza restaurant serving Homewood, IL for 23 years. Most of their clientele are local families and regulars that have been returning for years. For Steve and Fifth Quarter Tap, new hires need to be able to jump into an established community of patrons quickly.
How Often Do You Hire New Employees?
If we hire, it’s usually to replace long-term servers. Other than that, turnover is very low. Kitchen help can vary depending on age, younger staff will often just stay temporarily before moving on, but I’ve had the three main kitchen guys for years.
Who in your company is responsible for onboarding new employees?
It depends on the employee. Newer servers will most often pair with the most senior serving staff for that night. If they’re in the kitchen, I will get involved in their training.
What does an employee’s first day look like?
They’re doubled up with senior staff for shadowing. We try to walk them through the basics (i.e. the pepperoni goes on top of the pizza). They learn it’s a local place and that they’re serving people who’ve been coming regularly for years.
How important to you is a new employee’s onboarding?
The truth of the matter is that if you teach wrong, it’s harder to correct. We start them off with the best staff available to get them started off on the right foot. If they don’t understand the customer, it can be hard to fix. However, the customers here are understanding.
Harbor Country Adventures
Owner: Victor Tieri
Address:
Cabana Office: 35 S. Whittaker, New Buffalo, MI 4911
Marina Dock: 1 Washington St. Michigan City, IN 46360
Website: https://www.harborcountryadventures.com/
Vic Tieri has been the owner and operator of Harbor Country Adventures since its creation seven years ago. Harbor Country Adventures’ primary clients are tourists to the Lake Michigan area. For Vic and Harbor Country, new hires have to be properly skilled in operating different types of watercraft and have impeccable customer service skills.
How many employees do you have and how often do you hire?
We have 20 employees and hire yearly.
What does an employee’s first day look like at your company?
Along with new hire paperwork, new hires are given the history of the company as well as extensive customer service training.
What do you think your company does great for a new employee’s onboarding process?
We are great at customer service training and getting people to buy into our philosophy.
How would you describe the effectiveness of your onboarding process?
In seven years, we have never had an employee quit or had to fire one, and we are at the top of our field.