Another Reason to Stay Clear of the National Restaurant Association…

Here’s Why You Should Stay Clear of the National Restaurant Association

You cannot talk about “optimizing our frontline” or “upskilling” for the Future of Work without talking about the role certifications play as blockers.

Which brings me to ServSafe.

I approached the National Restaurant Association two years ago about partnering with them to improve their ServSafe programming. It was clear that wasn’t something they were interested in doing.

Regardless, restaurant workers needed better materials than the ones the association was making them pay for, and we have continued to include those materials on our platform for free.

But what we can’t offer workers is the official certification they need to pursue a career in food services—an official certification that expires every 3-5 years, necessitating the regular purchase of inadequate materials for a test that cannot be attempted more than four times within a 12-month period.

Worse, this is mandatory training that restaurants readily compensate managers for but not hourly workers.

The NYT’s recent reporting is just the cherry on top: not only is this certificate the barrier to entry, to development, and to inclusion that I knew it to be, it actually takes money out of workers’ pockets to fund a lobbying effort bent on reducing workers’ pay.

This is just the latest example of the lengths some businesses will go to avoid investing in their people.

Blockers are everywhere. The #FutureOfWork that we believe in at 1Huddle means finding a way around, or finding a way through.

Until then? NRA—your talent pipeline, your problem.

About 1Huddle

1Huddle is a coaching and development platform that uses quick-burst mobile games to more quickly and effectively educate, elevate, and energize your workforce — from frontline to full-time.

With a mobile-first approach to preparing the modern worker, a mobile library of 3,000+ quick-burst employee skill games, an on-demand game marketplace that covers 16 unique workforce skill areas, and the option for personalized content, 1Huddle is changing the way organizations think about their training – from a one-time boring onboarding experience to a continuous motivational tool. 

Key clients include Loews Hotels, Novartis, Madison Square Garden, PIMCO, TAO Group, and the United States Air Force. To learn more about 1Huddle and its platform, please visit 1huddle.co.