Whitsons continues to expand at an impressive rate and is seeking fresh new faces to contribute their talents and share in the company’s success. Our diverse career opportunities include management/culinary positions such as foodservice directors, chefs, chef managers, district managers, and corporate support staff in areas such as sales, marketing, accounting, human resources and administration. Non-management opportunities include drivers, shipping and receiving, utility, cashiers, food production and service staff, among others.

Opportunities in various positions are available throughout the region, in areas such as:

• School Nutrition, for both public and private schools
• Corporate Dining, including onsite cafés, executive dining, company stores, kiosks and pantry service
• Residential/Healthcare, for senior living communities, medical centers and other facilities
• Prepared Meals, manufactured in our USDA-inspected, FDA-registered, BRC-certified culinary centers and delivered throughout the country
• Emergency Dining, for various natural and manmade emergency situations
• Vending Programs, including snacks, beverages, fresh and frozen foods

Our team members are an important part of our success. By investing in their future, we are ensuring the success of our clients’ dining programs through retention of dedicated, satisfied team members who care about their jobs and the customers we serve. Our career development programs, promotional opportunities and incentive programs provide team members with opportunities for professional advancement, personal growth and job satisfaction.

Core Training Programs

All team members are fully trained in customer service, sanitation, food handling, safety, culinary standards and operations, allergen control and other critical topics as part of our core curriculum. We believe proper training is an ongoing process and we regularly update our training and certification procedures. Whitsons has established procedures and safeguards to ensure we serve quality food—and we achieve this goal through our ongoing training initiatives.

Supplemental Training
Our regular classroom and on-the-job training programs are supplemented by educational programs, such as annual school manager meetings, attendance at industry food shows, participation on our internal ACT research and concept development council and support from our corporate trainers. All core training is provided onsite at the team members’ location. Online training is additionally provided through web-based training. We believe these programs provide our team with valuable knowledge and skills to build their own careers, as well as continuously infuse new ideas into the school nutrition program.

Achieving Culinary Excellence™ (ACE) Program
ACE is a four-year accreditation program, with designations after the completion of each of the four years of coursework: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum ACE. The ACE program is a continuing education opportunity offered to all team members, and includes classes that enable them to enhance their operational knowledge and provide a better customer experience. Whitsons provides awards and recognition for each ACE level achieved. Course curriculum includes a broad base of topics:

• Culinary skills and concepts
• Operational management
• Food safety management
• People management

Center for Excellence™ (CFE) Bonus Program
CFE is a highly prestigious achievement that recognizes the accomplishments of an entire team and marks the location as a showcase account and Whitsons training center. Every onsite team is eligible to achieve this recognition, which marks the culmination of various personal and team achievements. One of the most important requirements is a rating of 95% or higher on the annual quality audit scores. In addition, all team members at the location must complete the ACE training requirements for the year. Whitsons provides a special bonus package consisting of monetary rewards and additional benefits for those locations that earn CFE status and recertification must occur annually. All team members at every level, from onsite to support, receive a bonus for such an achievement, and are presented with incentives to maintain this status each year.

To encourage team members to continuously strive for excellence, we offer an array of benefits for managers and hourly team members, depending on our negotiated contracts with clients and unions, which may include the following incentives.

Comprehensive Benefits
Whitsons offers all full-time team members the opportunity to take advantage of a full complement of employee benefits, including health benefits, retirement savings plans, life insurance, long term disability insurance, paid vacation and personal time, family and medical leave and civic responsibilities such as jury duty.

STAR Program
STAR (Strive To Achieve Rewards™) is a points-based system that rewards team members who contribute to team building, business building and client retention. Team members earn STAR points for such things as participating in committees, exceeding weekly sales or participation goals, volunteering to be a Guest Chef or recruiting a new team member. Team members save their points toward gifts such as Whitsons shirts, jackets and hats, Wüsthof knife sets, DVD players, Coach briefcases and even iPads and flat screen televisions. Points may be cashed in at any time through the STAR link on Whitsons’ website.  STAR is available to all active team members employed by Whitsons, including both full and part time staff.

Bonus Program
In addition to base salary, Whitsons provides the opportunity for both managers and non salaried staff to receive a financial incentive. This award is given to individuals and/or teams who have demonstrated their ability to increase operational efficiencies and/or profitability.

Team Member of the Month
Whitsons has a company-wide team member of the month program. In each of our regions, we recognize an hourly team member who demonstrates outstanding motivation and performance. Winners of this award receive STAR points and a certificate of recognition, as well as acknowledgement in our corporate newsletter.

Location Manager of the Month
Whitsons recognizes one location manager of the month companywide who has provided exceptional team leadership to their team members and exemplifies Whitsons standard for excellence. They also receive STAR points, a certificate of recognition and acknowledgement in our corporate newsletter.   

Anniversary Recognition
Team members are acknowledged for their hard work and commitment with STAR points annually on their anniversaries. Special milestone anniversaries of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service are also recognized with special pins.

Personal Accomplishments
As a family-owned company, we recognize that team members’ personal and family accomplishments are important, and are proud to celebrate with them and announce their personal achievements, marriages, births, children’s graduations, etc. in our corporate newsletter and monthly internal e-newsletter.

Achieving Culinary Excellence™ (ACE) Program
ACE is a continuing education program offering team members classes that will enable them to enhance their operational knowledge and provide a better customer experience.

Center for Excellence™ (CFE) Bonus Program
Whitsons also provides a special bonus package consisting of monetary rewards and additional benefits for those locations who earn a rating of 95% or higher on their annual quality audit scores.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Whitsons offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at no cost to all full and part time team members. Services include confidential counseling, work/life services, financial and legal consultation, wellness coaching and many other programs designed to help team members and their families solve difficulties that can impact their health, personal well-being or job performance. The EAP is offered to help Whitsons’ team members find solutions to personal problems, big or small, that may have the potential to become overwhelming. Team members have access to a confidential, 24/7 toll-free hotline, where trained counselors provide information, direction and resources.

Annual Manager Meetings
Each year, Whitsons hosts meetings by segment and region to bring managers, leads and cooks together and present pertinent company-wide information and new resources. Benefits of these meetings are multiple:

• They provide an opportunity for the sharing of important new policies and programs that have been developed, as well as offer preliminary training workshops on each.
• The food exposition portion of the meeting introduces team members to new approved products and recipes that can be worked into their menus.
• Team members have the opportunity to meet and/or network with each other and share ideas in a forum that encourages interaction.
• Cash and other prizes are given away to thank teams for certain accomplishments, and giveaways help to keep the meetings exciting and motivational.

Our compensation policies, incentive programs, contests, evaluations and opportunities for advancement have enabled Whitsons to retain a team of highly qualified and dedicated team members that remain with us for many years.