Hiring and promotion at Chipotle

Great LinkedIn post by Paul Patrone about incentives for employees and managers at Chipotle Grill.   Chipotle restricts its hiring to entry level positions and develops employees for managerial roles.  New hires are exposed to all aspects of the operation -- cash, cleaning, and cooking.  The one policy I really liked is that supervisors can be promoted only when they have developed an internal replacement for themselves.  Also, employees reporting to the supervisor are consulted as part of the promotion decision.

Even though the starting wage is just $9 per hour, the hiring process is very selective.  Before an interview, an applicant is directed to study the Chipotle careers website carefully.  Chipotle wants employees who are ambitious, happy, smart, polite, respectful, honest, conscientious, presentable, curious, motivated, hospitable, high energy and infectiously enthusiastic.  Part of the interview is designed to see if the applicant actually read the material they were assigned.  Employees are involved in the hiring decision.

Most employees working at Chipotle probably have no more than a six month time horizon, but the company seems sincerely committed to providing career opportunities.  Looks like a place where a high school graduate could get ahead and our economy needs more of those.