Texas Roadhouse, a renowned brand in the restaurant industry, has been setting the standard for operational excellence through its commitment to comprehensive training and development. This blog delves into the strategies employed by Texas Roadhouse to ensure the success of its nearly 90,000 employees across 650 locations throughout its diverse brand family, including Jaggers and Bubba's 33.
The Learning Live Mobile App: The Foundation for Training
Central to Texas Roadhouse's training initiatives is the Learning Live mobile app. Over the past year, the app has evolved into a robust content repository, providing employees access to a curated collection of documents and videos. This strategic use of technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing the training experience and contributing to operational excellence.
Customization for Targeted Training
One key aspect of Texas Roadhouse's approach is customizing content for specific employee audiences. Easy-to-use triggers and automated learning paths ensure that relevant information reaches the right individuals, with little manual assignment needed from admins. Whether focused on big initiatives for all employees or host-specific content for hosts, the customization feature ensures a focused and effective training program.
Strategic Content Addition
Rather than overwhelming employees with an influx of materials, Texas Roadhouse takes a staggered approach to content addition. The team strategically identifies materials with high resource views, creating content pods for specific training needs. This intentional, data-driven approach ensures that training materials align with the evolving needs of the workforce.
Mobile Accessibility and Searchability
Recognizing the cultural shift towards mobile-centric living, Texas Roadhouse embraces the ubiquity of mobile phones. The Learning Live app's accessibility and searchability features cater to the fast-paced nature of restaurant employees, providing a user-friendly way to find specific micro-learning in the moment that it’s needed on the floor.
Continuous Improvement through Data-Driven Insights
Texas Roadhouse employs the Exam Response Report as a valuable tool for continuous improvement. The team can pinpoint areas requiring attention or revision by aggregating exam results. This data-driven approach ensures that training materials stay relevant, contributing to the overall success of employees.
Gradual Adoption of Technology
Overcoming resistance to technology is a challenge many successful restaurant brands face. Texas Roadhouse navigates this by gradually introducing digital solutions, such as in-store iPads for training. Gathering feedback from the field allows the brand to optimize technology implementation, ensuring alignment with operational goals.
Security Considerations and Proprietary Information
As Texas Roadhouse navigates the digital landscape, security issues, especially concerning proprietary information, like recipes, take center stage. The brand emphasizes the importance of internal discussions to establish comfort levels and mitigate risks associated with sharing certain materials via the app.
Texas Roadhouse's commitment to operational excellence shines through its innovative training and development strategies. The Learning Live mobile app is a testament to the brand's dedication to providing a legendary training experience for its vast and diverse workforce.
Through customization, strategic content addition, and data-driven insights, Texas Roadhouse continues to set the standard for excellence in the restaurant industry. As a result, they’ve seen more than a 70% increase in completing training assignments within the required time of an LTO. This case study showcases the brand's journey toward operational success and the pivotal role of training and development in achieving that goal.
To learn more about how Crunchtime helps the world’s top restaurant brands achieve operational excellence, visit www.crunchtime.com/customers.