“It starts with the CEO,” Davis told CNBC's Make It. “They shape the culture. It definitely trickles down throughout the organization.”
In-N-Out's CEO is 42-year-old Linsey Snyder, who took over her family's business at the age of 27 after a series of family deaths. She started as a cashier, waiting in a two-hour line to snag a summer job at a Redding, Calif. location, Snyder told NBC's “Today” last month.
“I think there's a stigma that can come with being the owner's child,” Snyder said. “I just wanted to be respected like everyone else, to do it the right way and not get special treatment.”
Lynsi Snyder, formerly Lynsi Torres, owner and president of the In-N-Out burger restaurant chain, poses with her trophy after winning the National Hot Rod Association's Lucas Oil Drag Racing.
Bob Johnson
He said that in his early days as president, he felt pressured to be a typical buttoned-up, reserved boss — but soon found that being authentic was more beneficial to himself and the company. He traded his blazers for tank tops and athleisure and ran the company with a people-first attitude even in the face of inflation.
Snyder's equity in the fast-food chain helped him become a billionaire in 2017, and his estimated net worth has since increased, according to Forbes — to $6.7 billion.
“I was sitting in VP meetings saying, 'We can't raise the price that much,' because I felt it was my responsibility to find our customers. No,” he told “Today.”
In-N-Out ranked ninth on Glassdoor's Best Led Companies list, which examines CEO and senior management approval ratings and reviews, and sixth on its recent Best Places to Work list. Is. Anonymous employee reviews cite the great pay, people, perks and benefits that they enjoyed working there.
“They pay well, they offer benefits that are above average for the fast food industry and I think that helps them stand out in the industry,” said Daniel Zhao, a chief economist at Glassdoor. Told it. “And that decision comes from the top.”
Ninety-two percent of employees who submitted Glassdoor reviews approve of the CEO, the website says. “I was never bored and the pay was great for the work being done,” reads one review. “Flexible hours and ability to transfer to other stores is a plus,” notes another.
Zhao says good pay, flexible hours and career opportunities are important job features for many people, including fast-food workers.
“In addition to the strong pay benefits they offer, they also emphasize career opportunities to ensure people can advance within the company,” he says. “So it's not like working at In-N-Out is just a job. I think they try to encourage people to look at it as a career.”
Davis says other industries should take a page from In-N-Out's book. Storefronts typically have 10 employees, roughly twice as many as Davis's at rival fast-food chains, she says, and everyone is doing their part to make sure no one gets overworked. Don't do it.
“It's a sign that the company actually cares about what the worker has to endure when they're here,” Davis says. “Workplace culture means taking care of the people you depend on. And at tech companies, sometimes you depend more on the tech than on the people. In-N-Out still depends on the people. doing.”
The tech and retail industries in particular have been riddled with layoffs and pay cuts over the past year, with some workers finding out their fate through curt emails or impromptu Slack messages. Strict back-to-office orders in several sectors are leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some employees.
Davis recommends that business leaders use soft skills like empathy, understanding, and authenticity—so that when they need to make tough decisions, they can communicate effectively with employees without letting them down.
“If companies really take the time to leverage their dollars, investing in things that matter to people — not just the company's reputation — it's more valuable overall,” Davis says. It's proven,” says Davis.
“Don't underestimate the power of humanity and emotion that is essential in the workplace,” she adds.
Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are divisions of NBCUniversal.
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