Human Resource

By Joni Thomas Doolin, CEO & Founder, People Report^TM

There is an old operations axiom that states, “It’s not what the manager expects – it’s what the manager inspects that gets done”. Setting and measuring standards for sales goals, food cost, and labor productivity has long been the common practice of good operators seeking to manage effectively, and continuously improve their results. In fact, in today’s hyper-competitive market, the ability to quantify and benchmark every line of the P&L statement has become a requirement, not an option, for savvy restaurateurs. No purchase is made, no new equipment installed, no new unit is built, without considering the return on capital investment.

Yet, in our labor intensive business, we have traditionally ignored or struggled to measure our ‘People P&L’. We certainly know that the costs associated with recruitment, hiring, training, retaining and of course compensating our workforce have continued to skyrocket. It is also no secret that the labor pool of qualified entry level candidates is dwindling. By the end of 2006, there will be just one new workforce entrant to replace every two who are leaving. So what’s an operator to do?

It’s time to start measuring, benchmarking and calculating the ROI of our ‘human’ capital!

In 1996, when People Report began tracking and analyzing the human resource practices of a small group of chain restaurants, we had two very clear goals; to demystify the people side of the P&L, and to catalyze improved workforce practices in our industry. Today, more than 80 leading corporations join us in these pursuits, and the People Report consortium represents one of every five chain-restaurant employees. Along the way, we have learned that companies can set, measure and achieve human capital initiatives that can dramatically impact the bottom line.

Recommended Resources:

1. John Izzo’s international best-selling books, Awakening Corporate Soul: Unleashing the Power of People at Work, and Values Shift: the New Work Ethic have been accalaimed as some of the best work connecting Leadership Values and Integrity in the productive workplace. John is a great writer, speaker and consultant, with great insight into today’s workforce. He can be reached at www.izzoconsulting.com.

2. Roger Herman in a nationally recognized business strategist and futurist, who concentrates on workforce and workplace trends. His most recent book Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People has been on the business book best seller list since December 2002. He helps corporate leaders see and understand those trends and prepare for their impacts. The Herman Group is a valuable source of books, speakers, newsletters and more. www.hermangroup.com

3. Bill Catlette is a human resources consultant with 26 years' experience helping build highly successful organizations. He is the co-author of Contented Cows Give Better Milk: The Plain Truth About Employee Relations and Your Bottom Line. Bill and his partner Richard Hadden, are great speakers, consultants, publish a newsletter, and conduct organizational assessments. www.contentedcows.com.

4. Dr. John Sullivan - www.drjohnsullivan.com is more than just another website pushing stale articles, it's the electronic office of HR visionary Dr. John Sullivan. Established during the Fall of 2001, drjohnsullivan.com pulls together thought provoking articles, professional publications and research reports, and information on more advanced HR development activities such as seminars and consulting all focused around the emerging issues within Human Resources as seen by leading firms.

5. Bruce Tulgan, CEO of Rainmaker Thinking, is internationally recognized as the leading expert on young people in the workplace. He is an advisor to business leaders all over the world, the author of twelve different books and numerous management training programs, and a sought-after keynote speaker and seminar leader. Bruce's newest book is H.O.T. Management, (Hands On Transactional), a survival guide for managing mixed generations in today’s competitive workplace. A great source of books, pamphlets, newsletters and more. www.rainmakerthinking.com

Bio:

JONI THOMAS DOOLIN - CEO & Founder - People Report™

Joni Thomas Doolin's business career has been heavily focused in the restaurant industry, where she has worked as a corporate manager, entrepreneur and consultant.

In 1986, Doolin founded American Service Management Resources (ASMR), a recruiting and consulting firm specializing in innovative approaches to human resource management. Renamed People Report™ in 1998, the company has continued to grow each year, earning a reputation in the restaurant industry as a firm with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. Committed to helping clients "maintain the balance between people and profits" Doolin’s innovation and thought leadership has helped the industry bring the people side of the business into the board room.

Her vision guided the exciting and groundbreaking collaboration with human resources and operating executives of six leading chain restaurant companies in 1996, to publish the first People Report™. This innovative research report has been published each quarter since then, delivering People Report ‘members’ the tools to track, analyze and benchmark the people side of the P&L. Today the firm reports on best human resource practices to a consortium of leading restaurant companies, representing more than 8,300 units, distributed in 80+ concepts with system-wide sales of over 30 billion dollars. Key findings are analyzed by segment in the restaurant industry, categorized by sales, guest check, and, where possible, service style. People Report has been acknowledged by the National Restaurant Association and it’s Educational Foundation as an expert in workforce practices, and as a strategic information partner with CHART (the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers).

The database at People Report contains the individual records of 80,000+ unit level managers and tracks the collective work practices of over 655,000 employees. Continually updated human capital metrics for the industry, are supplied through the firms broad national research. Today it’s competitive workforce data represents one in five foodservice employees in chain restaurants with more than 10 units.

Joni's extensive industry and community involvement revolve around her commitment to helping the foodservice industry truly become an employer of choice. She is a frequent speaker and panelist and contributor to trade publications. Most recently she was guest editor for Chain Leader Magazine’s Best Places to Work Issue, chair for the judging panel for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundations’s 2004 Winning Workforce Awards, judge for the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Neighbor Award, contributor to Johnson & Wales University Distinguished Speaker Series, the MultiCultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, and numerous other industry and corporate groups. She has received a "Pacesetter" award from the Roundtable for Women in Foodservice and was profiled as a "Trail Blazer" by F&B Business magazine. She is a past National President of the Roundtable for Women in Foodservice, a member of the Women's Foodservice Forum, the MultiCultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, and serves on the National Board of Directors for Share Our Strength, the nation's leading anti-hunger organization.

Educational Background

BA Grove City College; University of Valencia, Spain: Junior Year Program; Northwestern University: Continuing Education Program; Institute for Applied Management and Law: Certificate in Employee Relations Law; Loyola University: Industrial Relations Masters Program.

Joni can be reached at 410-745-2425 or Joni@peoplereport.com