QSR: The Restaurant Industry Acknowledges the Call for Change as More Women Advance in Leadership Roles

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women have held the majority of jobs in the foodservice industry – nearly 54 percent in 2017 – but many of the top administrative positions have still been held by men. But that trend is shifting.

QSR Magazine reports that restaurant operators are increasingly open to offering top-level jobs to executives that traditionally have a larger female presence, such as marketing or HR thanks to companies realizing there can be a variety of leadership styles that work for the foodservice industry.

Jo Brett has been a rising star at Pret a Manager for 20 years and knows that it takes a commitment from restaurant leadership to promote talented women within the industry. Jo Brett climbed the ranks of the British company and accepted the role of President of American Operations four years ago. As she prepared for her role, she discovered there were no female operations managers on what would be her new team.

Brett acted on this opportunity to “promote from within” and recommended one woman be promoted to operations director, and when she came to the U.S., she brought two female operations managers with her.

QSR Magazine also connected with Jamba Juice's chief human resources officer, Humera Kassem, to discuss how mentoring continues to play a key role in helping employees move ahead, particularly for Generation Z. “Seeing female leaders is a big deal…we (women) have been talking about the glass ceiling for a long time, so having female leaders is very powerful”, says Kassem. About 40 percent of Kassem’s operating committee at Jamba Juice female.

Kassem along with many others are moving forward with a more “organic” mentoring approach, as there's an increased authenticity among younger members because they “tend to be more loyal and will stay longer” as more advancement opportunities open for women.