Translations

At API RESTAURATION, an approachable management team and employees at the heart of decisions

1. Organizational Governance

Strategy and organization

Sector Services

Year 2013

Country France

Transmitter

Context

API Restauration is a mass catering company founded in 1956. Today, it owns 34 central kitchens, more than 1,000 restaurants and 35 regional offices in France and Belgium.Its employees are the strength and the true wealth of the company. Each and every one of them matters. API wants to promote the recognition of all its employees, of their merits and to take into account their concerns.

Objectives

To promote the well-being of its employees and ensure social progress within the company
To facilitate their professional and personal development
To share and put into practice the company's values: proximity, simplicity, availability.

The exchange and dialogue contribute to the cohesion of the group. Social policy is based on the respect for employees.

APPROACH

In order to strengthen the bonds between the employees from the regions and the General Management, the latter carries out 2 “Tours de France” of the 35 regional offices every year: one to submit the commercial balance sheets, and the other to meet each and every member of the management during annual individual performance interviews. This approchable management style also relies on:

nearby regional structures which are autonomous and human-sized. A region is split up when it reaches about 250 employees. Each region is managed as a SME;
sector managers who supervise between 8 to 12 establishments; this proximity allows them to meet their employees and customers each week. They are able to quickly respond to their requests (within 48 hours);
chefs who are autonomous in the choice of their suppliers, in the organization of their site and of their menus;
regular meetings (Synergies) organized depending on the professios;
quarterly information and experience sharing meetings at a regional level

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

- Growth in turnover: +8% in 2012, +11.6% in 2011- Constant investment in the creation of central kitchens- 3,865 unsolicited applications in 2012- Governance which promotes initiatives- Involvement of employees in the “API d'OR” (a culinary competition) as organizers or candidates.- Internal cohesion and pride of belonging

Benefits

- Staff turnover well below the rate in the profession (4.8%)- 88% of the management comes from internal promotion- Close relationship between leaders and teams which helps everyone to know and recognize one another- Taking over responsibility for employees or creation of more than 1,600 permanent jobs over 6 years.