Assistant Mangers and Shift Leaders

[system]

What is the difference between a shift leader and Assistant manager in your opinion.

How much do you all pay your assistants/ shift leaders? Where do you find them if you don’t have anyone you can use from within? Are they hourly or salary?

Any help would be appreciated, trying to lighten the work load but haven’t had either of these and don’t know how much they typically make.

Thanks

 

[fastbreakrob]

Anonymous:

What is the difference between a shift leader and Assistant manager in your opinion.

How much do you all pay your assistants/ shift leaders? Where do you find them if you don’t have anyone you can use from within? Are they hourly or salary?

Any help would be appreciated, trying to lighten the work load but haven’t had either of these and don’t know how much they typically make.

Thanks

Your chain of command should be something like this

Owner
Regional Manager (if you have multiple stores)
General Manager
Assistant Manager #1
Assistant Manager #2
Hourly Manager/Key Employee/Shift Leaders #1
Hourly Manager #2

Your hourly managers are just basiclly openers and closers. They come in with the prep cook and open the store, then the assistant manager comes in at store opening. Or vice versa the assistant manager goes home after counting down the money and the hourly manager finishes the clean up work. Hourly managers are usually not left alone in the store during busy operating hours.

 

[j_r0kk]

My structure is a little different. Of course, starting with the the big guys, my line of thinking is more along that path. I have zero assistant managers. I have M.I.T.'s (Managers In Training). I do NOT put anyone into a supervisory position unless they’ve gone through an interview process and have proven themselves in their current level (I’ve only promoted from within to date). Once they’ve shown they have management qualities I personally interview them to see what they’re thinking. The number one thing I tell them in the interview process is that I don’t want “assistants”. I want people to excel in their position and work towards becoming a store manager. I want people with passion and drive.

As far as the pay scale is concerned I’ll tell you now (and they’ll attest to it) they don’t get paid much. They’re paid a training wage while they learn and perfect their craft. The real money is when they get promoted to store manager and get the salary plus bonus. Here’s the pay scale I use:

MIT 1 - $7.00/hr
MIT 2 - $7.50/hr
MIT 3 - $8.00/hr
MIT 4 - $8.50/hr
STORE MANAGER - $500/wk w/ up to 20% of profits.

Bonus structure:

Total Bonus potential - 100%

Sales over budget…20%
Labor cost…20%
Food cost within .5% of ideal…20%
service…20%
product…10%
cleanliness inspections…10%

Hope this helps. -J_r0kk

 

[Daddio]

Send me some of you MIT4 guys I pay the 14 year old never had a job and don’t know how to work kids $8.50.

 

[canukfanlady]

OH MY WORD!! How I wish I could pay people that…Our minimum wage is 8.50 and all you can get for that is a snot nosed brat who is very wet behind the ears…ugh, count yourself lucky

 

[ADpizzaguy]

assistant managers are usually salaried and assist the manager. Shift managers are usually hourly and run shifts when the salaried management is not there. Shift managers are responsible for nothing more than running shifts, and cash control on those shifts. Assistants are responsible for a bit more.

 

[Gpizza92]

j_r0kk:

My structure is a little different. Of course, starting with the the big guys, my line of thinking is more along that path. I have zero assistant managers. I have M.I.T.'s (Managers In Training). I do NOT put anyone into a supervisory position unless they’ve gone through an interview process and have proven themselves in their current level (I’ve only promoted from within to date). Once they’ve shown they have management qualities I personally interview them to see what they’re thinking. The number one thing I tell them in the interview process is that I don’t want “assistants”. I want people to excel in their position and work towards becoming a store manager. I want people with passion and drive.

As far as the pay scale is concerned I’ll tell you now (and they’ll attest to it) they don’t get paid much. They’re paid a training wage while they learn and perfect their craft. The real money is when they get promoted to store manager and get the salary plus bonus. Here’s the pay scale I use:

MIT 1 - $7.00/hr
MIT 2 - $7.50/hr
MIT 3 - $8.00/hr
MIT 4 - $8.50/hr
STORE MANAGER - $500/wk w/ up to 20% of profits.

Bonus structure:

Total Bonus potential - 100%

Sales over budget…20%
Labor cost…20%
Food cost within .5% of ideal…20%
service…20%
product…10%
cleanliness inspections…10%

Hope this helps. -J_r0kk

While some may see a payscale that is low, I see a system that looks extremely sound. My only concern would be how do you keep those MITs around? If you promote within and your training is thorough, where is the room for advancement for the MITs? 1 store manager spot, but 4 guys vying for it? If the store manager pay is good, your turnover should be low, thus negating advancement of your MITs. Or are you (or your franchisor for that matter) throwing stores up left and right and that creates the room for advancement? What about benefits? Another question I have is what kind of hours do your MITs and store managers pulling?

 

[j_r0kk]

Gpizza92 writes:

While some may see a payscale that is low, I see a system that looks extremely sound. My only concern would be how do you keep those MITs around? If you promote within and your training is thorough, where is the room for advancement for the MITs? 1 store manager spot, but 4 guys vying for it? If the store manager pay is good, your turnover should be low, thus negating advancement of your MITs. Or are you (or your franchisor for that matter) throwing stores up left and right and that creates the room for advancement? What about benefits? Another question I have is what kind of hours do your MITs and store managers pulling?

Thanks for the comment as I also believe it’s a sound system. As far as new store builds are concerned: our company put up 4 new last year and 1 so far this year with two presently under construction and my second (which will be the 3rd in a row, company-wide) about to start construction (so we’ll be at 4 this year also… but by June).

Our hours of operation are 11am-10pm Sun-Thurs and 11am-11pm Fri and Sat, so even at 6 days/week my managers only put in between 45-55 hours. One thing I firmly believe in is “quality of life”. What’s the point of working excessive hours in the store if you don’t have the time to enjoy life outside the store? As long as numbers are within budget my managers can work 40 hours/week if they’d like. My goal for them is to set two schedules: 1) 40 hours at an operational level. 2) 10 hours marketing the store. I want them to take ownership in the stores and markets in which they manage.

-J_r0kk

 

[Gpizza92]

j_r0kk:

Gpizza92 writes:

While some may see a payscale that is low, I see a system that looks extremely sound. My only concern would be how do you keep those MITs around? If you promote within and your training is thorough, where is the room for advancement for the MITs? 1 store manager spot, but 4 guys vying for it? If the store manager pay is good, your turnover should be low, thus negating advancement of your MITs. Or are you (or your franchisor for that matter) throwing stores up left and right and that creates the room for advancement? What about benefits? Another question I have is what kind of hours do your MITs and store managers pulling?

Thanks for the comment as I also believe it’s a sound system. As far as new store builds are concerned: our company put up 4 new last year and 1 so far this year with two presently under construction and my second (which will be the 3rd in a row, company-wide) about to start construction (so we’ll be at 4 this year also… but by June).

Our hours of operation are 11am-10pm Sun-Thurs and 11am-11pm Fri and Sat, so even at 6 days/week my managers only put in between 45-55 hours. One thing I firmly believe in is “quality of life”. What’s the point of working excessive hours in the store if you don’t have the time to enjoy life outside the store? As long as numbers are within budget my managers can work 40 hours/week if they’d like. My goal for them is to set two schedules: 1) 40 hours at an operational level. 2) 10 hours marketing the store. I want them to take ownership in the stores and markets in which they manage.

-J_r0kk

That’s refreshing to see from another operator. My hourly managers don’t work overtime. If they need to work overtime we don’t have enough cooks/servers/drivers etc. Salaried managers work 40-45 hours. If we’re short help they cover. I find that helps keep your management proactive regarding recruiting and hiring. Your quality of life view is much like my own. Not as much burnout at 45 hours a week. Between my 2 stores I have 4 managers with 4+ years experience managing my stores. 4 years ago I couldn’t say that. But 4 years ago salaried managers we’re running 55+ hours a week. I haven’t trained a new manager in 2 years. I wonder if I still remember how

 

[Red_Baron]

I noticed in an earlier post Assistant manager 1 and assistant manager 2. IMHO, there should only be one assistant manager. The roll of the GM and the Assistant manager should be almost identical. The AM acts as GM in the GM’s absense. He or she may not be ultimately responsible for the store to the level of the GM, but the AM should be a direct extension of the GM, ensuring that product and service is as it should/would be if the GM were present. Since a GM is typically salaried and works only 40-60 hours a week, the remainder of the hours, or the bulk of it, would revert to the AM. GM may open, AM may close. Or vice versa. Shift managers would be essentially key holders who open the store and get it ready for the day. In some stores, they may close, but have limited financial duties. Inventory would always be done by GM or AM, scheduling always by GM, food ordering by either, complaint resolution by either (but referred to GM), etc.

Typically I would place a GM at 600/wk and AM at 455/wk, with one or two hourly shift managers at 7-9. This assumes, of course, that your store can afford it. If not, you’re working those hours yourself as GM and hiring an AM. Or if you really can’t afford to work the hours yourself and pay an AM, you should close down.

 

[Jimmy_D]

j_r0kk,

What is your minimum wage there? The fed is talking about raising it above our minimum here in New York, which is $7.15. I would imagine that would cause BIG problems for someone like you. Obviously I start at $7.15 and my top guys (food makers) that have been there for 4-5 years and are not managers make $10.00. Also my top guys are drunks and potheads, but they are my best workers so it creates a problem and certainly I can’t move them up to managers.
If its not a problem, ballpark me on what kind of sales your talking about per store.

 

[system]

I pay $5.50/hour cash. They get paid at the end of the night so they never have to wait for a check or payday. My manager gets $225 a week cash and he works 5 days.We are open 4-11 Sun-Thur and 4-12mid fir & sat.

 

[fastbreakrob]

Red Baron:

I noticed in an earlier post Assistant manager 1 and assistant manager 2. IMHO, there should only be one assistant manager. The roll of the GM and the Assistant manager should be almost identical. The AM acts as GM in the GM’s absense. He or she may not be ultimately responsible for the store to the level of the GM, but the AM should be a direct extension of the GM, ensuring that product and service is as it should/would be if the GM were present. Since a GM is typically salaried and works only 40-60 hours a week, the remainder of the hours, or the bulk of it, would revert to the AM. GM may open, AM may close. Or vice versa. Shift managers would be essentially key holders who open the store and get it ready for the day. In some stores, they may close, but have limited financial duties. Inventory would always be done by GM or AM, scheduling always by GM, food ordering by either, complaint resolution by either (but referred to GM), etc.

Yeah it really depends on the store and the situation but there is also a more senior assistant manager, and a junior one… If there is more then 1 assistant.

I worked at a restaurant one time that had 4 assistant managers, 1 GM, AND 3 Shift Managers. I was one of the shift managers (when I was 18)… But anyways, we really pumped out some volume there. I don’t think I’v seen a restaurant busier then this place. It was absolutely insane.

 

[system]

j_r0kk:

M
MIT 1 - $7.00/hr
MIT 2 - $7.50/hr
MIT 3 - $8.00/hr
MIT 4 - $8.50/hr
STORE MANAGER - $500/wk w/ up to 20% of profits.

Bonus structure:

Total Bonus potential - 100%

Sales over budget…20%
Labor cost…20%
Food cost within .5% of ideal…20%
service…20%
product…10%
cleanliness inspections…10%

Hope this helps. -J_r0kk

Too bureocratic for me. Besides we like to pay a living wage at my restaurant and people tend to stay for years. We pay most between 9.50 and 12.00 and hour for the basic jobs. We pay our managers 17.50 to 19.50 an hour. Real wages for a real job and real expectations. Our labor is at about 30% with those numbers because you need many many fewer good well paid employees than crappy low paid employees.

 

[j_r0kk]

Guest writes:

Too bureocratic for me. Besides we like to pay a living wage at my restaurant and people tend to stay for years. We pay most between 9.50 and 12.00 and hour for the basic jobs. We pay our managers 17.50 to 19.50 an hour. Real wages for a real job and real expectations. Our labor is at about 30% with those numbers because you need many many fewer good well paid employees than crappy low paid employees.

If the system you’ve got works for you… fantastic! The system I use has worked for me for many years now and is actually the only system I know.

One thing to point out is that you do as your market dictates. My market is “small town USA”. My customer base wants great product at an affordable price. In order to provide that service I must rely on volume. If I were to pay my employees those types of wages there’s no way I would survive. I don’t care how good you are and how long you’ve been there, if you’ve got too much business to handle you need other people. On a given weekday night I’ll have 4 drivers and 4 instores. On a given weekend night you can almost double it.

With your philosophy my labor would be well over 50% on any given night. So, it’s not a bureaucratic way of thinking. It’s just adjusting to my market. -J_r0kk

 

[system]

j_r0kk:

Guest writes:

If the system you’ve got works for you… fantastic! The system I use has worked for me for many years now and is actually the only system I know.

One thing to point out is that you do as your market dictates. My market is “small town USA”… -J_r0kk

Fair enough. My place is in a very large city.

 

[system]

One other thing to jr0kk. Your advice is good for people who need a formula.

So sorry for the bureaocratic remark.

 

[Devaughn]

Each job varies but where I work at it follows as

General Manager
Manager
Assistant Manager
Hourly Manager 1
Hourly Manager 2
Hourly Manager 3
Hourly Manager 4
Hourly Manager 5

Not entirely sure why we need five hourly managers.