Experts
A smart idea, and how the people involved even got there. Plus, 7 other things worth your time.
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Chick-fil-a
Something smart: A couple of cities set up drive-through Covid-19 testing facilities, but then realized they were totally inefficient. People were waiting too long, maybe not getting tested as a result.
So, you know what they did? They brought in the experts: people who run fast-food franchises and drive-throughs for a living. In a town in South Carolina, for example, the owner-operator of the local Chick-fil-A got the call. His name is Jerry Walkowiak.
"I called Jerry and asked if he would come help us out," said Will Haynie, the mayor of Mount Pleasant, S.C. "He said, 'There's your problem right there. It's backed up because you have one person checking people in.' Then he showed us how to do it right."
This just makes so much sense I don’t know what to do with it, so I’m going to focus on the fact that it seems to be Chick-fil-A managers coming to the rescue more often than not, at least in the cases I’ve heard about.
Because the one thing I know about Chick-fil-A, for someone who has rarely eaten there, is that you can’t “fall into” the job of running one.
In fact, out of all the franchises in the world, Chick-fil-A is probably the hardest to get—harder than getting into Harvard, for example, at least statistically:
Harvard 2020 admission rate: 5.2 percent
Chick-fil-A franchise rate: 1 percent
Why? Reason number one is probably that a Chick-fil-A franchise costs far less than most other franchises: $10,000, including a refundable $5,000 deposit. Put that up against say, McDonald’s, where the fee can run easily into the millions.
Then consider the $4.17 million average gross revenue that an independent analysis says Chick-fil-A stores make each year. No-brainer.
As a result, something like 60,000 people take the first steps in the application process annually. Most of the ones who get selected can point to very relevant experience managing similar sized teams — in the military, for example, at other retailers and restaurants, and sure enough — sometimes working at Chick-fil-A.
A while back, I interviewed their head of franchise selection, Maureen Donahue, and she told me that they ask one question they ask over and over in the selection process: “Why do you want to own a Chick-fil-A?”
They expect applicants’ answers to evolve as they go through the process. But it’s a reflection of the idea that the only way somebody can be successful in the job is if they really, really, really want to be there.
That always made sense to me. There’s a quote that people like to credit Dave Eggers with minting, but I think it actually originated on the British version of The Office:
“It's better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than halfway up one you don’t.”
I’ve certainly found it to be true in my varied and winding career path. So if you’re hiring people, the takeaway is to spend some time figuring out if they really, really, really want to be with you.
Do the requirements of the job match their skills and goals?
Does the lifestyle match their families and other interests?
Does your culture and mission match their values?
The expensive way to learn the answers to these questions is to hire them and see what happens. The easier way is just to ask them — and do it over and over and over.
(And if I had to figure out how to run a drive-through in a hurry, I’d like to hope I’d be smart enough to look for those people, too.)
7 other things worth your time
I’m confident you’ve heard about this by now, but only 57 out of 100 senators voted Saturday to convict former President Trump in his impeachment trial, 10 short of the 2/3 majority to find him guilty. (CNN)
Both marriages and divorces are way down since the start of the pandemic. Also, I’m sure it’s unrelated, but apparently, carjackings are way up. (AP, NPR)
Puerto Rican politicians, including the territory’s governor, are optimistic they can build support to get statehood, given that Democrats now control both houses of Congress. A simple majority vote would make it happen, although it’s a razor-thin majority right now. Regardless, expect to see statehood bills introduced as soon as next month. (Axios)
Texas, which very rarely gets snow, is “facing an extremely dangerous winter storm.” All 254 counties are under a winter storm warning (first time in history), and as I wrote this, the temperature in Dallas was colder than in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP, CBS News)
With companies embracing a hybrid work system, post-pandemic—some employees working from home and others coming into an office—some CEOs say they expect a two-tier hierarchy to emerge, with those working remotely seen as second-class citizens. (Yahoo News)
A wealthy Tennessee man who died recently left $5 million to his 8-year-old border collie. I feel like I’ve always heard of people who say they’ve heard of things like this; this is surely the first time I’ve reported on it. (NewsChannel 5)
This is very cool—but if you’re like me, say goodbye to about an hour if you click the link: a globe of the world with every single radio station on the planet, live-streamed. H/T to David Pogue for spreading the word. (Radio Garden)
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I can’t agree with Mr. Barton who is suggesting that remote workers will be considered 2nd class citizens. People have been working remotely for years now with great success. Now that employees have figured out Zoom, this will be another way to ensure that success. I am referring to people who work from home a few days a week with forays into the workplace a few days as well and for special projects. There are nothing like up close and personal interactions but remote working can sometimes be more productive as well. As long as everyone has this option, there is no way one group would disparage the other.
Love radio garden.