People Before Product

Any restaurant manager can tell you that having a happier staff leads to happier customers, and the same is true for any successful business.  However, wanting to be the biggest and the best makes it easy to focus more on the product than the people making up your organization.  At QSR Automations, we believe that we are the best in the business–and this goes beyond our products.  How? Start with a people-first mentality.

Establish a Core Vision & Core Values
More than just a mission statement, a company vision articulates what you want your company to achieve and how you can achieve it.  When that vision is something employees can rally around, the result is a more positive approach to the workplace.  Step inside our office for a day and you’ll see our nine core values in action.  Happier employees lead to better products and happier customers.  Repeat.

Our first core value is “People First”, which we define as nurturing a workplace that allows employees to be the best version of themselves.  When you do everything you can to go the extra mile for employees, they want to put the same energy and effort into customers.  What starts on the inside will show on the outside.

Details Matter
So, when it comes to keeping employees happy, what’s the secret sauce? Details.  You can’t attempt to reach your employees if you don’t truly know who’s working for you.  Cory is getting married, Connor got a new puppy, and Jacquelyn had a birthday this week.  It all matters! Whether your business is big or small, putting forth effort to make employees feel seen as complete people, with lives outside of work, goes a long way.  It creates a positive and connected work culture.

Everyone Is Welcome
Weaving team experiences into the workday, particularly among groups that don’t often interact, helps keep the energy fresh.  Here at QSR Automations, our UK office is five hours ahead.  This makes scheduling a traditional virtual “happy hour” unfeasible.  Instead, we host occasional “tea times” during the morning hours so everyone can spend time together.  We also have a quarterly meeting with our Book Club.  This gives employees a space to discuss various topics not having to do with work.

Additionally, our Louisville, KY campus includes both the corporate office and the Technology & Manufacturing Center, or TMAC.  Although those buildings are just across the same parking lot, our TMAC workers don’t often have reason to visit our corporate office.  To bridge the buildings, you’ll find our corporate office employees bringing lunch to the TMAC on many occasions.  This is a great opportunity for everyone to interact.  Every role is appreciated, and every individual contributes value to the company.

As labor shortages continue to plague the restaurant industry, it’s more important than ever to take care of the people who help your business flourish.

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About the Author

Megan Etscorn is QSR Automations’ VP of People & Culture. She has 20 years of successful experience in hiring, operations, benefits, and employee management while focusing on company culture, career development, and HR trends. She believes that a company’s most valuable resource is its employees. Building and leveraging relationships, informing and inspiring others while being viewed as a valued and credible partner is what makes Megan successful and excited about the work she does every day.