Ivar's

Patrick Yearout

An Overview of Patrick Yearout’s Professional Journey

My entry into the world of restaurants began in 1992 when a friend and I took over as owners and operators of a franchised sandwich shop. After seven years of working there, building up the business and discovering that I most enjoyed the training and development aspects of hospitality, I sold my ownership stake in June 1999 and accepted a Training Manager position at Ivar’s Restaurants.

I was promoted to Ivar’s Director of Training in late 2007 and added recruiting to my responsibilities in 2008. In 2018, I was promoted to Director of Innovation to help the implement new ideas and new technologies into the company restaurants and support center.

Yearout’s Experience across Recruitment, Training, Systems Administration and Operations

I draw on my experience in training and operations to focus on finding solutions for Ivar’s that are both practical and user-friendly. Having designed and implemented training programs, I understand the importance of simplicity and clarity to make sure that new systems we invest in are going to be both intuitive and easy to adopt. I also think it’s tremendously important to work with the end users (especially the front-line employees) throughout the process by gathering feedback and making adjustments to guarantee that any changes we introduce improve efficiency without overwhelming the team.

Encouraging Fresh Perspectives while Maintaining Operational Excellence

As I said in my previous answer, it is critical to get input from the people who will be using the technology and making it clear that their opinions are valued and essential to our success. If we were to shop around for a new point-of-sale system, for example, I might find a vendor whom I think offers a fantastic product at a great price, but that won’t mean much if our cashiers and servers find it difficult or confusing when trying to ring in orders. That’s why I involve them early in the process by gathering their feedback through demos and trials to ensure that whatever we end up with is well-liked by those who will be using it daily – that’s when you will achieve operational excellence.

“Prioritize networking and learning from others in whatever industry you are working in. The best way to grow is to step outside your own four walls and exchange ideas and best practices with your peers.”

Supporting Ongoing Development within the Organization

For entry-level staff, we focus on foundational skills like food safety, workplace safety, guest service and food preparation, and we utilize a lot of on-the-job training so that they can quickly gain the competence and confidence to excel in our restaurants. For experienced team members, our training is centered more on topics such as leadership, managing the guest experiences and driving operational efficiencies, as our goals is to help these folks refine their skills and stay engaged in their growth within the company. This approach ensures that all our staff members are continuously supported in their development and that overall operations steadily improve.

Addressing Industry's Recruitment and Training Challenges

We already saw a significant shift in recruitment beginning about 15 years ago – at that time, most job candidates would walk into one of our restaurants, fill out a paper application and (if qualified) meet with a manager sometime in the next week. But then the world changed very quickly with an explosion of online job boards, the invention of smartphones and Wi-Fi becoming available almost everywhere and as a result, now the overwhelming percentage of our candidates apply online without ever having stepped foot inside one of our locations. In 2024, we have to work much harder to attract candidates, as many of them are unfamiliar with our brand or the experience we offer. Additionally, we must move faster in the hiring process because these candidates can easily apply to multiple competitors at once – if we don’t engage with them right away, we risk losing out on top talent to other employers who respond sooner. To accomplish these goals and maintain a competitive edge in this arena, I spent a lot of time learning how to craft compelling job postings that clearly communicate our company culture, career growth opportunities, and the benefits of working with us. We’ve also streamlined our hiring process by incorporating automation and measuring response manager times to submitted applications.

For the training side, we’ve adapted to the evolving needs of the workforce by implementing a Learning Management System (LMS) to make our training programs more accessible, flexible and personalized. The LMS allows us to offer a variety of courses that employees can complete at their own pace, whether they’re new hires or experienced staff. Utilizing this technology, we can continuously update content to reflect the latest industry trends and best practices, as well as make sure that all employees receive the same high-quality training regardless of their work location or schedule.

Relationship-focused Approach to Training and Project Development 

We are currently exploring how AI can help us simplify these processes to save time and increase efficiency. By integrating AI-driven tools into our Learning Management System, for example, we hope to provide personalized training paths that adapt to each employee’s learning pace and preferences. This advancement will allow us to automate certain aspects of the training process while ensuring that managers still can offer mentorship and support where it’s most impactful.

Yearout’s  Hacks and Insights for the Budding Professionals in the Industry

My advice would be to prioritize networking and learning from others in whatever industry you are working in, as the absolute best way to grow is to step outside your own four walls and exchange ideas and best practices with your peers. My 22-year membership in the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) has been invaluable in this regard – it has allowed me to not only attend industry events and stay current on new trends and innovations, but also build solid relationships with colleagues from across the country. If I have a question or concern about anything related to training or recruiting or technology, I have a vast network of hospitality professionals I can reach out to for assistance at any time.