1. Make sure your employees actually like your operation
Penn State University in University Park, Pa., put a referral program in place two years ago, but it didn’t really start grooving until this year. “It’s going to be more effective whenever the employees that you have are more excited to be working with you to begin with,” says Jim Meinecke, residential dining coordinator. Helping to land good reviews from staff, Penn State Food Services boosted wages to $9 per hour with incremental raises. If a student starts with the dining department as a freshman, they could potentially earn between $15 and $18 per hour as a senior.
Monthly team outings, such as school basketball games, sushi rolling classes and ice skating, also help to build a good rep for the operation among employees. Since August, the residential dining team has received 250 employees through referrals.