Chick-fil-A employs around 120,000 people in 2,300 restaurants across the country. We’ve interviewed a lot of people on the podcast who are incredibly passionate about Chick-fil-A. They love the food, the culture, and the company’s mission. Yet, when they tried to get a job at Chick-fil-A, they couldn’t get hired! (Like Shama from Episode #3 or Olivia from Episode #2!) So why is it so hard to get hired at Chick-fil-A? What does it take to land your dream job at Chick-fil-A?
Recruiting for Chick-fil-A Jobs
In a 2-part series we’re chatting with Susan Carnes, an account executive from Cooper Connect. Their mission is to hire leaders for Chick-fil-A jobs. Susan has interviewed thousands of people over the years to help fill vacancies at Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country. She can sense whether someone will be a great fit or whether they should take their talents to Bo-town. She’s giving us a double serving of tips and insider information on why so many people want to work at Chick-fil-A and how to land a job there.
Why So Many People Want to Work at Chick-fil-A
Sure you get Sundays off and free food while you work, but there are plenty more perks if you work at Chick-fil-A. An operator in Hollywood, California pays for monthly massages, gym memberships and even cell phone bills for workers. Susan shared about other operators who have been known to buy cars for employees and pay their mounting medical bills. But when you boil it down, there are three main reasons why so many people want to work at Chick-fil-A:
- Better Boss: for top talent, this is a condition for employment. People want to work for leaders that can bring out the best in them.
- Brighter Future: we all WANT a brighter future, but it’s much less of an issue for typical talent. Typical talent just doesn’t think about it. Top Talent is much more future-oriented than typical talent. They are asking different questions, how will I grow, how will I be stretched, how will I be challenged? How will this give me opportunities to prepare me for a brighter future?
- Bigger Vision: Top talent cares about the mission, vision, and values of an organization. It matters to them WHY an organization is operating. They want to be part of an organization making a difference. Top Talent wants to make a difference in the world.
Character, Humility and Servant Leadership
Susan explained that often she knows if she’s talking to a future Chick-fil-A employee based on their character. She says Chick-fil-A knows they can train people how to make the perfect waffle fry, or operate an iPad like a pro, but they need to come to their first day on the job with great character. What does that mean? Humility and servant leadership are paramount.
The Word to Avoid During Your CFA Interview
There is one word Susan listens for more than any other: “We.” Susan asks questions where people could talk about themselves, but instead redirect to talking about their team. She says she listens for “we” more than “I.” This reveals that servant leadership and humility that she says are so important. And if you don’t get hired– don’t give up. The great thing about Chick-fil-A is there are lots of locations and new ones opening all the time. You might be a good fit for another team down the road. And if you REALLY want to make a good impression, why not wear a pair of waffle fry earrings or send a thank you note after the interview on our custom notecards??
Listen to part 1 of our interview with Susan here:
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