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Over 225 executives from more than 120 companies were on hand to
applaud the winners of the 2008 People Report Best Practices awards
for excellence in people practices at their 13th annual conference
held in Dallas, TX on November 12 & 13, 2008. This year's
event, themed, "Built to Serve and Last," was chaired by Robert
Ott, President and CEO and Bill Story, VP of Training and
Development for Claim Jumper Restaurants.
People Report, the leading provider of human capital insight for
the foodservice industry, presented the Heart of the Workplace
Award to Chili's in recognition of the company's
commitment to investing in both their employees and community,
raising more than $25 million for Saint Jude's Hospital.
Dave & Busters received the Catalyst Award,
honoring their significant advances and sustained results on the
people side of the P & L over the past two years.
The 2008 Best People Practices Awards were bestowed upon
Golden Corral (Segment A-Limited Service/Fast
Casual/Family Dining), Olive Garden (Segment
B--Full Service Casual Dining), Claim Jumper
(Segment C-Casual Dining Plus/Fine Dining) and
Whataburger (Segment Q-Quick Service). The Best
Practices Award is given in recognition of an organization's
achievements in management retention, employee retention and
composite diversity, which is a measure of the presence of women
and diverse individuals in management.
The 4th Annual Workplace Legacy Award was given to
Phillip Hickey Jr., Former Chairman & CEO of RARE
Hospitality, whose leadership and commitment to the
industry and community earned RARE recognition as Forbes Magazine's
"Top 200 Small Workplaces". "Phil grew RARE into one of the most
well respected brands in the industry," said Joni Thomas Doolin,
CEO and founder of People Report. "His commitment to putting people
first is evident in the strong employee loyalty at RARE even after
a sale to Darden Restaurants and he has personally been an
exceptional role model in the local and national community as a
mentor to many through his involvement with students, the National
Restaurant Association, and many other beneficiaries of his time
and talent."
The conference kicked off with the first ever Service that
Rocks! event hosted at the North Texas Food bank and led by Senior
Director of Training at Hard Rock International, Jim Knight. Over
60 industry executives lent a hand and served for the morning,
packing over 16,000 meals to be distributed in the North Texas
area.
Donations were made throughout the conference in recognition of
speakers' contributions. Additionally the industry steering
committee asked that in lieu of typically waived registration fees,
that People Report donate the monies. As a result almost $7,000.00
was distributed to Share Our Strength, City Year Louisiana, and the
North Texas Food Bank.
Keynote speakers such as Polly LaBarre, Alex Frankel, Tom Flick
and Lewis Hollweg, along with expert panels, shared innovative
solutions to become "Built to Serve and Last." Doolin also
presented a realistic outlook on industry trends and key business
practices to enable operators to survive tough economic times. She
left the audience with a clear focus on building sustainable
businesses by carefully balancing authentic leadership with
rigorous management, and the creation of deep purpose throughout
the organization. Teresa Siriani, President of People Report
presented a deep look at the human capital metrics that are
challenging the industry.
"2008 has been one of the toughest years on record for this
industry," states Doolin. "Our purpose for this conference is
always to tackle the tough issues like sustainable culture and
leadership legacy head on. But this year we also wanted to provide
a place where people could come in from the storm, share in a
community together and have fun. Facilitating that community is a
cornerstone of our mission, and a great way to give back to our
members and the industry."
Platinum sponsors of the event included Batrus Hollweg
International, Coca-Cola, Kronos for Dining, and Service Management
Group.
For the best summation of the conference, see the blog post by
Amanda Hite, Founder of Talent Revolution on FohBoh.
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