Building Human Resource Management SkillsNational Food Service Management Institute

1
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Objectives
• At the completion of this module, participants
  will be able to
• Complete a job/skill analysis.
• Describe appropriate techniques for teaching new
  skills.
• Identify new skills required by employees to keep
  up with technology.
• Implement multiskilling techniques.

2
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Definitions
• Multiskilling- the ability of an employee to
  perform more than one function or the
  cross-training of an employee in several
  disciplines or tasks.

3
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Personal Check-In Skills Inventory
• Can you operate, clean, and sanitize the dish
  machine, meat slicer, chopper, mixer, deep-fat
  fryer, and all the other equipment?
• Can you operate the computerized cash register
  system?
• Are you able to cashier through a complete meal
  period without interrupting the customer flow?
• Would you be able to stand in for a baker and
  produce a quality product?
• If needed, could you perform the duties of the
  main-dish cook?

4
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Personal Check-In Skills Inventory
• Given a recipe of limited quantity, would you be
  able to accurately expand it?
• Can you use a scale accurately?
• Do you have sanitation skills?
• Do you have communication skills?
• Do you have time management skills?
• Can you interview candidates for an open position
  and select the most qualified?

5
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System
6
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• A Time for Change
• Job Analysis The study of what the employees
  are doing and what the job is expected to
  accomplish.
• Requirements of the job
• Tasks
• Duties
• Equipment used

7
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• A Time for Change
• Job Analysis The study of what the employees
  are doing and what the job is expected to
  accomplish.
• Requirements of the employee
• Training or educational tasks
• Physical demands of the job
• Technical and computer skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Attitude requirements

8
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• A Time for Change
• Job Assessment Assess the accuracy of the
  current job description with the information
  derived from the job analysis.
• Job Description The job description is less
  detailed than the job analysis. Update the job
  descriptions regularly.

9
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Take Action
• Advantages of Multiskilling
• Work force is more flexible.
• Employees become more aware of the workflow.
• Employees are better prepared to anticipate
  problems or requirements of other areas.
• Employees can assume other tasks when there is
  absenteeism.
• Employees can be moved into other positions at
  peak times of the operation.
• A new employee at a job may have new ideas to
  fine-tune that job.

10
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Take Action
• Advantages of Multiskilling
• Employees overcome feelings of having a dead-end
  job.
• Jobs remain interesting and challenging.
• Tedious tasks can be spread around, decreasing
  turnover.
• Boredom in the workplace is reduced.
• Cohesiveness is enhanced.

11
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Take Action
• Disadvantages of Multiskilling
• Possible reduction in productivity during the
  training period.
• Increased supervisory time is required until the
  employee is up to speed.
• Competence assessments may be more detailed than
  in traditional systems.

12
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Reality Practice Case Study
• A rural county on the eastern seaboard is
  experiencing a tremendous growth in population.
  The beach has attracted a great deal of tourism,
  increasing the hospitality industry. With that,
  the permanent resident population has truly
  exploded, and the school board has had to build
  two new elementary schools to accommodate the
  influx of students. Mary Smith, the manager at
  Lincoln Elementary with an enrollment of 750, has
  had a stable staff for over ten years. All her
  employees know their jobs well, and Ms. Smith was
  very proud that her staff had won numerous awards
  for zero absenteeism over the years.

13
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Reality Practice Case Study
• This year, with the opening of two new schools,
  half of Ms. Smiths staff has requested a
  transfer to the new schools. They have told Ms.
  Smith they really like working with her but they
  want to see what its like working in a new
  school, and the new schools are a little closer
  to their homes. At the end of the school year,
  Ms. Smith will be left with a baker, cold/salad
  prep person, and the dishwasher. She will have
  to replace at least four of her current
  employeestwo cashiers, one vegetable cook, and
  one meat (hot entrée) cook.

14
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Reality Practice Case Study Worksheet
• Could there be another reason why so many of Ms.
  Smiths workers chose to leave their current jobs
  to start with a new manager?
• With such a stable work force, how could Ms.
  Smith have averted this situation?

15
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Reality Practice Case Study Worksheet
• Ms. Smith has to determine how she is going to
  utilize her remaining employees. List the skills
  each remaining employee has
• How many of these skills can be applied to the
  other positions that will be vacant? List the
  skills and positions below

16
Jobs and Multiskilling in the Food System

• Checking Out Skill Development
• Think about the advantages of having
  multiskilled employees in your operation. Using
  the skill list from the Reality Practice, group
  different jobs in the kitchen which may have
  similar skill requirements. Develop a plan to
  cross-train your current employees in a
  systematic fashion until you have achieved your
  goal of a multiskilled team.
• Job Skill Required
• ____________ ________________________________
• ____________ ________________________________