HE-203
Evaluating Food Service Establishments ...Key Check Points
Personnel - 2
The manager of a food service establishment and/or the manager and his superior need to take the time to make an overall analysis to determine the results that the organization is actually obtaining. This should be done several times a year. The evaluation should determine how well the food service operation is doing and where improvements should be made. Then some priorities, objectives, methods, and deadlines for improvements can be established.

This is one of a series of pamphlets describing how a person can fairly comprehensively, yet in less than a day, provide an overall evaluation of a food service operation. The key items, or food service conditions, to evaluate under each major category are described. Taken together, the key indicators of general conditions measure the degrees of efficiency (minimal costs) and effectiveness (optimal organizational satisfaction). A major category that has a deficient key indicator should be investigated further, and corrective adjustment should be considered and/or made where appropriate. A discussion of facts by management with the operating personnel is perhaps most needed to develop mutual understanding of the problems. Attainable performance objectives should be jointly established and reviewed at a later date.

If all key indicators are satisfactory in a major category, other aspects of that category are probably being handled with similar care. If all of the key indicators are high, but the profit is not adequate, then it will be necessary to examine the operation for inefficient purchasing and receiving practices, improper menu pricing, inaccurate records or financial statements, inventory method and method of computing the value, production waste, plate waste, security and pilferage, and so forth.

These operational analysis guidelines may be used by the manager of a single food service
establishment for self-analysis, or by the unit manager’s supervisor.
1	Management—Planning, Organizing, Controlling (HE-202)
2	Personnel (this publication)
3	Purchasing (HE-204)
4	Receiving, Storage, Issuing, Inventory (HE-205)
5	Food Preparation (HE-206)
6	Food Presentation and Service (HE-207)
7	Maintenance of Building and Equipment (HE-208)
8	Sanitation and Housekeeping (HE-209)
9	Statistical and Ratio Analysis (HE-210)
10	Consumer Satisfaction (HE-211)
2. Personnel
Management of personnel is exceedingly important to the success of a food service establishment. Make an honest check of these points in your personnel program and follow up any weak spots with an improvement program.
-	Is each employee treated as an individual?
-- Does your operation comply with all state and federal laws and regulations? Who is responsible?
-	Is the dignity of the individual employee and his/her right to privacy respected?

Key indicators of a sound personnel program are the use of job descriptions, continuous training, improving personnel relations and motivation, performance appraisals, discipline of employees, personnel evaluation ratios, and turnover.

Job Descriptions
A requisite for satisfactory performance is a clear understanding by an employee of exactly what he is supposed to do, how and when he is supposed to do it, and what end results are
Cooperative Extension Service • Purdue University • West Lafayette, Indiana