In-N-Out Burger’s six secrets for out-and-out success [the broken link was removed]
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Treat Employees Well — The Snyders always held their employees in high esteem, paying them higher wages than competitors and calling them associates to make them feel more connected to the franchise.
“They believed in sharing their success with their employees,” says Perman, noting that In-N-Out associates make $10 an hour working part-time and starting store managers make $100,000, plus bonuses tied to store performance. The company benefits package is also generous. Such treatment engenders loyalty from workers.
“They have the lowest turnover rate in the fast food industry, which is notorious for turnover,” says Perman. “They say that the average manager’s tenure is 14 years, but they have managers who have been there 30 or 40 years.”
Keep Things Simple and Consistent…
The fundamental idea of respecting people is something most executives seem to have no interest in. Treating employees as the critical partners in organizational success is just something that doesn’t leap out at you based on the actions of most managers, unfortunately. And that poor management damages the performance of the organization.
Read more about In-N-Out Burger management practices in Stacy Perman’s new book In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules.
Related: Respect for Workers at In-N-Out Burger (Nov 2006) – Building a Great Workforce – Another Year of CEO’s Taking Hugely Excessive Pay – Respect for People, Understanding Psychology – People are Our Most Important Asset
Sounds very similar to the burger chain Pal's Sudden Service, which won a Baldrige Award a few years back.