"In order for people to feel successful in a role, they must be well trained and have resources readily available to them. These resources provide confidence. This is what Opus gives us.”
Kim Wathen McAdam is the Director of Human Resources at Pastini Restaurants. Pastini Restaurants is a chain of Italian-American in Oregon.
Pastini’s road to digital training
Pastini, like many other restaurants, conducted all training in person with paper manuals. Trainees had to sign an acknowledgment of training as well as complete a test after each training session. If one person failed to attend training, managers had to allocate extra time to train these individuals. At times, Kim and her managers used large poster paper to share training notes. Tracking 300+ employees became difficult. Papers disappeared. Measuring engagement was difficult. Time was lost.
Kim attempted to modernize her training technique by using PowerPoint presentations, but the lack of equipment to present the material made it more of a hassle. One desktop computer was used in one office at every location. It became difficult for managers to relay information to those who missed their training sessions.
Creating training material took months. It went through a series of changes and multiple people. Kim, the district manager and training manager at the time, and store managers dedicated their time to making training relatable and accurate. The team laminated these manuals and distributed them across locations. Things were going smoothly until menu changes occurred. Kim had her managers use erasable markers to add memos to outdated training material. However, Pastini ran into a larger issue.
How Opus kept Pastini workers informed and safe
“I explored a couple of other options, but they were all geared towards people that sit in front of a computer all day. At Pastini, I'm the only one that sits in front of the computer all day. Our people are on the floor, in the kitchen, on a patio. They're not sitting in front of a computer.”
The world changed in the spring of 2020. Training could no longer be done in person. Through these difficult times, Kim needed a new way to implement training all while keeping her people safe. On top of the pandemic, there were instances of unprofessional behavior. Training needed to be accessed remotely–and fast.
“Other platforms,” Kim says, “would take two hours to complete one training session. My managers wouldn’t be able to get that done, let alone my hosts or dishwashers.” Luckily, her search was over when she found Opus. “The fact that you could do training on your phone in 3 minutes is what sold me. I. can get people on board with that.”
“I’m not a super techy person, but Opus made creating content easy.”
Distributing training materials over a mobile device helped with Pastini’s engagement. In addition to the technology, Kim was impressed by the customer support at Opus. “Opus was really easy; I was even able to teach my co-workers how to create content.”
How Opus helped Pastini streamline training
“There was no longer a game of telephone. No questions of ‘was it four or six red peppers?’ They could now look at their phone and know exactly what to do.”
When Pastini had a Valentine special in the works, new menu changes were to be distributed amongst the 300+ employees quickly and efficiently. In the past, Pastini would have someone go store to store with a photo of the ingredient list. Although this system worked, there was a way to make it easier. With Opus, Kim was able to send out the training in a matter of minutes, alongside a photo of the dish and quiz. Kim was inspired by Opus and added elements of wine pairings, the details of how long this menu item will be served, and what happens when ingredients run out.
New hire training made easy with Opus
“Opus saved us time. Our managers don't have to go and find the new hire materials. They have it.”
Prior to Opus, managers took hours to complete one session of new hire training. This was not ideal for Kim, her managers, or her frontline teams. With Opus, new hires are able to get all the information they need on their first day, without any interruptions. “Training is now organized, clear, and concise. Opus makes us look better.” “With Opus,” Kim continues, “it shows that we care about our employees' development. It’s a big factor for people.”
Nearly 100% of the Pastini frontline team is now using Opus. This has helped Kim and her managers hold people to a higher standard. With Opus, Kim is able to track who’s completed their training. Even better, she’s able to track their success rate. “My managers are able to go to someone and see they got a 100% on a course; my managers can confidently hold their teams accountable.”
