Chipotle COO Jason Kidd says he looks at how employees respond to problems when assessing candidates for promotion. Issues are hard to avoid in restaurant operations, and how quickly staff address them can affect both execution and day-to-day management.
Kidd visits about 12 restaurants each week
Kidd visits roughly 12 Chipotle restaurants a week and holds team dinners at the locations. He uses those conversations to get to know employees and observe people who may be ready for promotion.
He looks for four traits when evaluating staff, including how they react when a problem arises. The other three traits have not been specified, so the full set of promotion criteria is not clear.
Bring a possible solution, not just the problem
Kidd values employees who do more than report an issue to a manager. They explain what happened, consider practical ways to address it and offer a recommendation. That approach shows a willingness to take ownership of part of the response rather than wait for a manager to decide every next step.
In a fast-paced restaurant, operational problems can emerge at any time. Employees who spot potential difficulties, take responsibility and look for ways to resolve them can help improve workflows while giving managers a view of their judgment and ability to follow through.
Explain the issue and suggest next steps
When a problem comes up, employees can take a few minutes to consider possible solutions. When speaking with a manager, they can describe what happened, outline one or two options and say which approach they recommend. This helps the manager understand the situation more quickly and shows that the employee is prepared to help move it forward.
That does not mean employees are expected to take responsibility for every workplace problem. The point is to go beyond describing a difficulty and bring an initial plan that can help the team decide what to do next. Through restaurant visits and team conversations, Kidd observes employees in their day-to-day work; how they handle practical problems is one factor he considers when judging whether they are ready for greater responsibility.