Human Resource Management, 3rd Edition

Chapter 7

Managing Employee Retention and Separation

A MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE

ANGELA CLOSES HER CELL PHONE AND TAKES A DEEP BREATH. WAS IT REALLY A GOOD IDEA TO ACCEPT THE JOB AS RESTAURANT MANAGER? IT SOUNDED LIKE SUCH A GOOD IDEA WHEN MARK, THE REGIONAL MANAGER, OFFERED HER THE POSITION TWO MONTHS AGO. SHE WON'T GRADUATE WITH HER DEGREE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION FOR TWO MORE YEARS. BEING THE MANAGER PROVIDES HER WITH FLEXIBILITY TO TAKE CLASSES WHEN SHE WANTS, BUT TRYING TO SCHEDULE OTHER EMPLOYEES IS MUCH MORE STRESSFUL THAN SHE EXPECTED.

Just now Barbara—a new cook hired last month—called to tell Angela that she is quitting and will not work the hours scheduled during the upcoming week. This is the third time in two months that someone has quit with little or no advance notice. It will be difficult to schedule other employees to cover for Barbara during the upcoming week, let alone quickly find someone to hire as a new cook.

From experience, Angela knows that cooks and food servers are unlikely to stay with the same restaurant for long. Yet surely it should be possible to create a fun working atmosphere that would make employees less likely to leave. Might it help to pay higher wages? Would older workers and people with family responsibilities be more likely to stay than the college students she currently hires?

Angela's thoughts quickly shift to the other disagreeable task ...