QSR February 2023

OUTSIDE INSIGHTS / CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52

INNOVATION / CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50

have that loyalty, you don’t have that inter action.” Adding this dimension is a way for users to feel more connected to the brand. One drawback of usingWeb3 and NFTs is that there is still a long way to go in terms of public awareness and knowledge about the technology. Many people are not aware of what goes into the platform and how to use it. Wow Bao is ready to take education into its hands once it launches its program, how ever. “I think education is always going be part of the Web3 space,” Alexander says. “There’s too many people out there who don’t understand what it is, and I think it’s still evolving, so there’s always going to be an education factor.” Building that aforementioned commu nity is going to be a key part of educating people, he says. “I think that our job is going to be to grow that community, and in order to grow the community, we need to educate, we need to create content, we need to create fun,” Alexander says. The community the company is build ing will also help Wow Bao evolve in new ways, such as helping to choose new f lavors or giving direct feedback on the brand, a level of engagement that is usually missing in the third-party delivery space. Adopting new technology early in the game is part of Wow Bao’s brand, and the framework of the fast casual company, and has been for some time. Alexander says the fast-casual was using self-ordering kiosks in 2010—now, they are everywhere. The “dark kitchen” concept that uses other restaurants’ kitchens and third-party delivery is also gaining more and more popularity. Wow Bao is planning on putting its hot food vending machines in the metaverse in 2023 as well, allowing customers to use them from their homes, and get food sent right to their door. Alexander says being at the forefront of new technology is impor tant and key to where Wow Bao will invest going forward. “You have to evolve and you have to innovate, that’s part of our DNA— it’s always been right for us,” he says. “Part of our brand is to be early adopters of technol ogy, and by being those early adopters you can learn quickly and be forgiven because it’s new.” q

get up to speed quickly. Additionally, the number of hours employees are receiving can serve as a motivator. A top complaint from workers is that they don’t receive enough and are then less engaged in the limited time they spend in-store. Employ ees are looking to maximize their income, and often will take lower wages at places that can guarantee more hours. Under standing the number of hours front-line people want to work and then being able to provide them will go a long way to lift engagement. Employers can accommodate these sentiments by allowing employees to create preference-based or on-demand schedules to work as many or as little hours as they like. Many hourly workers are also parents or students, and need a schedule that can accommodate them. As I said earl ier, the f irst 90 days of employment are essential. According to HourWork’s data, employees are five times more likely to quit within the first 90 days due to lack of training, miscommunication, and not feeling prepared for the role. A new employee who is not properly onboarded and engaged within that time is likely to walk away. Create a clear training program that sets expectations with new employ ees and provides them with resources to overcome the challenges of adapting to a new environment. Help them to develop the skills needed to succeed within your organization, communicate with them regularly to understand their needs, and actively listen to their feedback. Ensure the training program has a clear ending, and celebrate its completion with employees, ideally recording it in some way that allows people to look back on their hard work and be proud of what they accomplished. Unfortunately, there is a societal stigma around fast-food jobs, even among those who choose to jump in. What happens then is people don’t take the job seriously, lead ing to high turnover and a vicious cycle that prevents owner-operators from increasing wages. Creating a workplace culture that supports growth, values employees, and provides engaging work opportunities can help to end this approach. q 3. Bolster your onboardingprocess tobetter set employees up for success

RahkeemMorris is the founder andCEOof HourWork, aBoston-based pioneer in the talent recruitment and retention industry.

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