Episode description

The Great Resignation has turned into the Great Reshuffle and now the “Great Re-Reckoning.”

We invited Newton Hoang from 7 Leaves Café on to talk about the “Culture of Care” he’s building and how that fits in with the “Cultural Reckoning” the restaurant industry must address to improve employee retention, hiring, leadership, working conditions and care.

[Newton defines a Culture of Care] – it’s one where the company leaders listen to employees, uncover what they want, and then work to deliver the things they’re asking for. And it’s often not monetary!

[What employees want] is to understand the business and straight talk about the business. They’ve uncovered that employees have a real thirst for knowledge and education, and learning about the business operations.

[Community involvement and local store marketing] is an element of the culture of care -
Speaking at local colleges and encouraging leadership and store managers to get involved in these efforts has gone a long way.

[A galvanized and engaged workforce] – Employee retention is not a top challenge for the
brand due to their care and attention to  employee needs and wants.

[Human marketing] - humanized marketing efforts that build meaningful 1:1 relationships. It includes using your employees in your marketing efforts - less product imagery, more imagery and stories about the people who work for your brand.

Connect with Newton on LinkedIn

Resources:

• Labor Series: Who Comes First: The Employee or Guest?
• Labor Series: Using Technology to Create a Better Work Environment 
• The Great Restaurant Resurgence 

Check out Qu's Annual State of Digital for Enterprise QSR & Fast Casual Brands