Another factor affecting Dion’s high retention is their hiring process.
They are selective, and on average hire one out of every 5 applicants.
They try to select well-rounded individuals who are involved in other
things in life. Even their younger, teenage applicants seem to be “kids
with a plan” who are outgoing and ready to learn.
This eagerness to learn fits the profile of a long-term Dion’s employee.
There is a standard training process of 12 weeks. The process has been
adjusted through the years, but they have found a model that works well,
and also takes some of the pressure off the very busy managers. Rather
than have the General Manager have to handle all of the location’s new
hires, each location has a “training assistant”. This training assistant
works with the new hires, but also delegates some of the training to
their “experts”—these are employees who shine in different roles, and
they offer their expertise to their newest peers. Now, instead of training
falling on one manager, you have a large team of players that all have
a stake in the success of the team’s newest addition. The team gets to
know each other, and can work together to see what’s best for that
employee as an individual.
Despite the well-tested process, Mr. Moya emphasized that training
and development is always evolving, and the focus still stays on the
individual employee utilizing their strengths and talents to best
represent the company as a whole. This philosophy is why Dion’s keeps
succeeding as an employer and as a corporate family.
