Greed Breeds Bad Managers

So, my oldest daughter tried another job in foodservice.  She was working for dining services for a local elder care provider (which was a nursing home in my day).  Anyway, the gentemen who hired her did a great interview to determine if she was first the kind of person who could cater to the elderly.  Her ability to wait tables was secondary.  She got proper training in her job as server and the boss had a good sytem in place for employees to be able to implement their training.  Scheduling was also fair and easy to discern in terms of the days and times each employee, like my daughter was to work.  There were also policies in place for changing shifts with other employees in the event life happens while busy making plans for work.  The boss even thought it would be better to give the servers chef coats to make them look more professional and connected to the kitchen.  So far so good, until that manager moved on to another job.

ENTER THE NEW ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The director of the elder care facility obviously did not use any sophisticated techniques for hiring a replacement for the former manager.  The new boss turned out to be a total jack ass!  All the positive traits and characteristics noted above that made the former boss someone that was easy to work for were non-existent in the new boss.  From day one the new manager went in and started making changes in every way possible WITHOUT having a clue as to whether or not those systems were functional.  First on the list of changes was a new scheduling format that took a Ph.D. in logistics to interpret.  Next was his attitude toward the servers as servants and not people who were in the primary care business.  I could go on and on about the things this jackass did to make a decent job one that sucked but the point of the story is that yet another person gets turned off to foodservice due to someone who is a complete jerk.  As a result, the staff is now experiencing turnover from not only my daughter but other employees with tenure.

My daughter is now in a retail environment for a local independently owned eclectic bookstore in the beads and crafts area.  Being an artist herself this seems to be working out for her so far although only learning to run the register before getting out into a service position interacting with customers to help them make decisions.

...and here is what she has learned about the industry we know and "love."  Foodservice is a place where sexual harassment takes place (her first restaurant job) and the boss is an asshole (elder care).  Sadder still, there is plenty of research that makes it clear that this situation is the norm in independent and chain restaurants and yet as long as miserly owners/investors make their pretty penny they will not give two shits for the staff -- even as they smile through their fat faces that "people are our greatest asset."  If far too many in greedy bastards in foodservice really cared about turnover and the image of our industry they would be more ethical!  My daughter is never to return, just like the sons and daughters of others. 

Just had another story to share.  I have a friend that worked for a large convention center.  The owners expected a certain (inflated) profit out of the operation he managed each month.  If he were off by a mere 1% he was beaten up for not hitting his targets even though the profit being made was obsence by anyone's standards.  That was their one benchmark on his performance -- profit.  I doubt job satisfaction and low turnover were a factor in any way shape, form, or manner.