How Top School Districts Turn New Hires into Long-Term Employees
Staff retention starts before a new employee’s first day. A clear welcome, one that says, “You belong here, and your work matters,” can shape how long someone stays.
A strong first impression and effective training can improve retention by 50% to 150%, according to The Culture Code by Dan Coyle. A few thoughtful messages at the start can help new employees feel connected, confident, and eager to stay.
Before the Employee Starts
Send a short email or letter with everything the new employee needs for day one:
Where to go and which entrance to use
Who to ask for when they arrive
What documents to bring
What to wear
Work hours and scheduled workdays
How payroll works and when to expect the first paycheck
Onboarding 101
Managers should be ready before the new employee arrives. Build a schedule that pairs the new hire with well-trained teammates, and rotate kitchen assignments so everyone develops essential skills. Cross training is a best practice in school foodservice. When everyone knows all the jobs there is less stress and a more cooperative work force.
Day 1: Make the First Day Welcoming
Successful districts map out the first 10 days in detail. On day one, the manager should meet the new employee at the assigned location and share a checklist of the skills and experiences they will cover. Explain where they will work, who will support them, and when they can ask questions. Give them a real introduction to the job — not a full day of washing dishes.
Cover these essentials:
The students eating meals and the meal schedule
The percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals
How nutritious meals support learning
Why the team’s work matters
Who to call, and by what time, if they cannot report to work
HR policies, district orientation, and any required videos
Safety and sanitation procedures
Start times, break times, uniforms, and end-of-day expectations
How duties will rotate as the employee gains skills
Set clear expectations: Ask questions, arrive on time, learn something new each day, smile at students, and help teammates. The shared goal is simple: serve students food that is nutritious, safe, and great-tasting.
Create a Sense of Belonging
People stay when their everyday experience feels meaningful and connected. Managers can build trust by showing that support and learning are part of the culture.
Try questions like:
Did you know children learn better and faster when they have nutritious food?
How do you like to learn new skills?
Questions like these send a powerful message: “You matter here.” They may also reveal strengths you would never discover otherwise — from chalkboard art to floral design or holiday decorating.
Day 2: Help the Team Connect
Introduce the new employee to the rest of the staff. A quick kitchen huddle can cover the day’s menu, recipes, production forecast, and any important school-calendar updates.
Make the meeting interactive. Invite each person to share a “secret power,” hobby, or useful skill. This gives everyone an easy way to connect and reinforces that the kitchen works as one team.
Clear expectations matter, too. In The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard, a One-Minute Goal helps employees understand exactly what success looks like.
Review the employee’s assignment for the day
Invite questions
Ask what they learned yesterday
Ask what they would like to try or already know how to do
A positive onboarding experience can make a new employee 18 times more likely to feel loyal and committed to the organization.
Day 3: Add a Work Buddy
Meet the employee at their workstation and introduce them to a work buddy who can mentor them for at least a week. The new employee should shadow this person while learning the next level of food preparation.
Give the work buddy a checklist that includes recipe forecasting, just-in-time preparation, food temperatures, and the larger purpose of serving nutritious meals to students.
Check in directly at the end of day 3.
Is anything about the job troubling you so far?
Where would more training help?
Explain the value of staying. Review payroll, summer pay, insurance, pension, and other benefits. Feature pensions at retirement celebrations, especially the long-term employees. School foodservice roles may offer some of the strongest benefits in the community, so make sure employees understand what is available.
Days 4–9: Keep Checking In
Talk with the new employee each time they report to their workstation. Support the work buddy, review the skills checklist, and discuss progress. Frequent, low-pressure check-ins make it easier to solve small problems before they become reasons to leave.
Day 10: Reflect and Look Ahead
Use the day 10 check-in to identify what motivates the employee and where they can grow. Don’t assume you know, ask questions:
What have you enjoyed most about preparing and serving food?
What is something unique about you?
What did you enjoy most about past jobs?
What are your strongest work skills?
Day 11 and Forever: Feeding kids is the best job in the world!
The best coaches want to give honest feedback because they have high expectations. Feedback should be given privately or quietly near the employee as soon as possible.
Hiring and retaining good employees is a core responsibility that you will have as long as you are a leader. If you succeed at that task, the rest of the job gets a lot easier and more productive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lora spent nearly 20 years as the Senior Director for the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) Food and Nutrition Program in Orlando, Florida. During her tenure, she tripled the meals served to one million every five days. During the pandemic, OCPS served 46 million meals, an increase of 28% from the 2019 school year.
Lora's extensive accomplishments at OCPS inform her current work with ProTeam where she is passionate about helping to empower nutrition professionals to improve access to school meals.