Reference no: EM133086143

This exercise highlights the various aspects of employee training.

Every organization wants high performing employees. Employees must understand their own jobs, be aware of how their jobs fit into the organization and help the organization achieve its overall goals, and also understand and work well within the organization's overall culture. Companies spend a lot of money training employees. There are several reasons organizations are willing to pay high amounts for training. Well-trained employees deliver higher quality work than poorly trained people. Effective training improves performance and holds down costs. One additional benefit of well planned and executed training programs is that they contribute to overall worker satisfaction which reduces absenteeism and turnover.

Read the case and answer the questions that follow.

With hundreds of restaurants and tens of thousands of employees, the Cheesecake Factory faces a huge challenge in spreading its values and methods throughout the company. The restaurant chain needs managers at all levels to be committed to training so that employees can learn the company culture along with work procedures. As the company has grown, its top managers have been concerned about preserving the high commitment to customer service that they associate with employees of a small, start-up business.

Training is provided for employees at all levels of the organization. Dishwashers, many of whom are immigrants, may use an interactive learning program to improve their English-language skills. Less than 20 percent of U.S. companies provide training to those for whom English is a second language. Kitchen staff must be trained in preparing and presenting the hundreds of dishes on the Cheesecake Factory's extensive menu. Servers participate in on-the-job training for two weeks after being hired. During this training period, they work under the guidance of a mentor, who observes their interactions with customers and helps them figure out how to handle tricky situations. Following the two-week training, the servers take a test; they must earn an A before the company will hire them as permanent workers. They receive additional training a month later and again each time the company revamps its menu. Servers who perform well are eligible to receive cross-training in various responsibilities so they can earn certification as a serving trainer at a higher pay level. Candidates for management jobs take a 12-week course at one of the company's "training restaurants'' to develop their skills in managing. These training programs are the same from one restaurant to the next so that the employees will give customers the same high-quality experience at each location.

The Cheesecake Factory uses many training methods, and these programs cost the company an average of $2,000 per hourly employee. The Cheesecake Factory's management believes the money is well invested because employee turnover is below the industry average and customers are loyal and satisfied.

Which of the following is not mentioned as a training method used by the Cheesecake Factory?

• cross-training
• apprenticeship
• on-the-job training
• basic skills training