When you think Hattie B’s, you probably think two things: hot chicken and Nashville’s southern hospitality.
But the iconic, family-owned restaurant isn’t just in Nashville anymore. With 13 locations (and counting), Hattie B’s is determined to spread its “cult of kindness and chicken” nationwide. And while the latter is fairly simple, the “kindness” part is a bit trickier. Because it comes down to people, and by extension, hiring the right ones. How do you scale culture? How do you make sure a brand stays consistent as locations and employees change?
In a conversation with Director of Hospitality and HR Lola Conway, we learned the secret to a smooth tech implementation, getting C-Suite buy-in, and how they were able to take Hattie B’s out of Nashville while keeping the Nashville in Hattie B’s.
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This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
What do you look for in a Hattie B’s team member? And is it challenging to balance the need to staff your stores in a timely manner and the need to find the right people?
Lola Conway: If you have a mission statement — a true understanding of your brand — it makes it really easy to find like-minded people. At Hattie B’s, we take care of people “to an unreasonable level.” We don’t want to meet customers’ expectations, we want to exceed them and bowl them over. So when it comes to talent acquisition, we’re looking for people who care about people. To that extent, using a quick, easy-to-complete skills assessment has been very helpful in pointing our hiring managers in the right direction. We can spend time talking to the right candidates, and that helps us staff our stores quickly, and staff them with great, conscientious people.
And once they’re hired, obviously the job isn’t done. You need to find ways to retain them, so they can grow with the business. What advice would you give on supporting your employees?
LC: You have to take care of the people that are taking care of your business. Employees have to come first. They don't want a pizza party — they want thriving wages. Not just living wages, but thriving wages. Most of them want to have a growth path. They want to be listened to and valued. They want to take pride in their work. They want to have a sense of dignity. So, fostering an environment and a culture that is supportive of them, and that pays them well is key. You've got to find ways to reward your employees for all of that work that they've done for you.
When you’re searching for valuable technology, that can be a struggle in and of itself. Do you have any advice you would give to someone on getting your C-Suite’s buy-in?
LC: It can definitely be challenging changing things up, but even if it’s a bit of a painful process in the short-term, it will make a difference in the long run. Everything comes back to trust. If somebody that you trust vouches for something that will make things easier for your managers and help source a better workforce, you’re going to listen to them. The word of mouth from others' experience helps. So find avenues to get that info to them to gain the trust of leadership.
I actually was just recently talking to my CEO about changing payroll companies, because it's been very difficult to get any customer service. We used to have sort of the white glove concierge service eight years ago, and now we're just a number. So finding a brand that can grow with us and keep up with the times. One of the things I made sure to do was just give him the clear pros and cons. The con is that implementation is going to be a pain in the ass. It's heavy lifting to transfer all of that information — but I would gladly spend nights and weekends for a month to help get it done. Because I know what's on the other side. And that's the pro: A better system that’s going to make things easier for everyone.
If somebody that you trust vouches for something that will make things easier for your managers and help source a better workforce, you’re going to listen to them.
How much does finding the “right” people impact your candidate search?
LC: Hiring the wrong person isn’t just a financial cost. It's a culture killer. It creates instability at the store. Your current employees will be thinking, "Why did they hire this new person with the negative energy or who’s slacking off? I used to like it here" So, finding the right person — and someone that people want to work with — is always the main focus. People want to tell you about themselves, so listen to them. And make the right hires.
What is one tech innovation that you would recommend to another talent leader?
LC: Texting. We’d tried emailing. We’d tried calling. We’d tried hiring fairs. And they worked in different markets… sometimes. But the real push now is fun, quick, concise communication that you can store. So I would say you have to be texting candidates. That’s been a game changer.
