# Why is Chick-fil-A more diligent than our elders in allowing "membership"?



## earl40 (Jul 21, 2012)

This is a good read and tell me if this does not give you a slight feeling of uneasiness about the founder and his practice of vetting ?

"Many Chick-fil-A job candidates must endure a yearlong vetting process that includes dozens of interviews. Ty Yokum, the training manager for the chain, sat through 7 interviews and didn't get the job. He reapplied in 1991 and was subjected to another 17 interviews--the final one lasted five hours--and was hired. Bureon Ledbetter, Chick-fil-A's general counsel, says the company works hard to select people like Yokum, who "fit." "We want operators who support the values here," Ledbetter says"


PS. I enjoy Chick-fil-A.

The Cult of Chick-fil-A - Forbes.com


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## JoannaV (Jul 21, 2012)

Your comparison isn't exact. The employees who are vetted so heavily seem to be the franchise operators and the other big-wigs: so more akin to the process in selecting elders.


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## Quatchu (Jul 21, 2012)

Do we really want to make it harder for people to become church then it is to get into heaven?


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## OPC'n (Jul 21, 2012)

Well for one I don't believe everything I read in the news. You have *one* person stating this is their hiring process. This one person could be (and i have no idea that I'm correct) trying to bring a bad name to this business bc of the owner's stance against homosexuality. If you start seeing a majority of the employees stating this is their hiring process then Forbes has a leg on which to stand. The owner, Mr.Cathy, states this: "You don't have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they work,". So it seems to me that he isn't hiring those that "fit" but trying to help them succeed in the business.


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## earl40 (Jul 21, 2012)

OPC'n said:


> "You don't have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they work,". So it seems to me that he isn't hiring those that "fit" but trying to help them succeed in the business.



Bet ya a dollar part of the vetting process is to see if one is a Christian in there eyes. This reminds me of where I work and they said one does not have to be a SDA to be in administration. I let you guess how many are in upper management that are not SDA.


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## Edward (Jul 21, 2012)

To establish some context, the father of the guy who owns the magazine cited (and who himself built it into a powerhouse), Malcolm Forbes, was a closet homosexual.


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## Mushroom (Jul 21, 2012)

It's a private enterprise, and as such should be free to operate as they see fit. If their criteria is successful in acquiring the sort of people they want working with them in a way that suits their culture and benefits the company, more power to 'em. What makes me uneasy is when I hear people think that is somehow wrong. They're not hiding the fact, and for those who disagree, there's always KFC


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## nicnap (Jul 21, 2012)

earl40 said:


> Bet ya a dollar part of the vetting process is to see if one is a Christian in there eyes. This reminds me of where I work and they said one does not have to be a SDA to be in administration. I let you guess how many are in upper management that are not SDA.



You're wrong on this one. I have served as a general manager of a CFA and was in line to go to IMT (Interim Management Training) ... which is the next step toward ownership. They do have some guidelines, but one doesn't have to be a Christian -- I know a couple of operators who aren't (however, they have to maintain the company policies). But, the majority of operators are at least broadly evangelical.


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## Andrew P.C. (Jul 21, 2012)

I have to concur with Brad. We live in a society that thrives on private ownership, free market, and entrepreneurship. If one wants to run his company a certain way, he has the right to do so. It's HIS company,not yours.


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## Jack K (Jul 21, 2012)

earl40 said:


> Why is Chick-fil-A more diligent than our elders in allowing "membership"?



Are you suggesting church membership ought to be a year-long vetting process that includes more than a dozen interviews, some lasting five hours or more, with many good candidates still turned away?

I'm not sure I follow.


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## Mindaboo (Jul 21, 2012)

My kids and I went to Chick-Fil-A for a field trip a couple of years ago. It was very enlightening. They did talk about what it takes to own a Chick-fil-A. The manager told us one of the reasons it is so hard to own one is because they protect their territories, and they will take a few years to study an area to see if it will be a good fit. They also talked to us about the desire to see anyone who buys a franchise succeed. So, it may be more than just screening the people to see if they are going to work out well in the franchise. 

We've got three locally, and my daughter has applied numerous times for a job at each one. It's very hard to get a job there, because everyone that works there is happy there. They don't have much of an employee turnover. They also protect the kids by not scheduling them but one night during the week and one night on Friday or Saturday during the school year. The manager told us that they try to make sure moms with children in school will be home when their kids are home. They generally work the earlier shift. Also, if you work there for two years in high school they give a $2,000 scholarship for all four years of college, trade school, or seminary. I don't think many places care one way or the other about these matters. 

I don't know, but I was impressed. Since that time if my family has a choice we'll always give our money to Chick-fil-A. They also have a program here that if you bring your church bulletin in on Monday night you can get a full meal for $3. 

They have the best customer service I've ever seen. I've never gotten cold food or waited in line for more than 15 minutes. (and that was when we dressed like cows for a free meal) The place was packed.


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## jwithnell (Jul 21, 2012)

There was a time when immoral behavior, even well outside the office, would have been grounds for immediate firing with broad support from the community. Is everyone saying you want private businesses to be morally and religiously neutral, that making sure an employee is a good fit for a company is somehow creepy? I've seen this company go way out of its way to help a low-level (prior to ownership) manager when his wife was ill. The company stands up to an entire business culture that snubs its nose at the Sabbath.



> sued at least 12 times since 1988


 This says the opposite of what the reporters was trying to say: CFA is a large operation and in the cross hairs of groups like ACLU and Rainbow coalition. If only 12 attorneys in 24 years have found what they think is a hole in the company's employment processes, the company doesn't have legal problems in its hiring systems.


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## earl40 (Jul 21, 2012)

Jack K said:


> earl40 said:
> 
> 
> > Why is Chick-fil-A more diligent than our elders in allowing "membership"?
> ...



As Nicholas said I was wrong on the suggestion that they insist one be a Christian to be an owner, though I wonder how they can say "You don't have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they work". Seems like one major principle is missing in there philosophy......Hebrews 11:6

Now this quote from the article below does indeed seem to suggest one ought to "act" the part if you want to stay employed there. Though I realize I do not know the specifics of the lawsuit I still strongly suspect one need be a good actor, or a good Mormon, to stay there as an owner or manager.

"Aziz Latif, a former Chick-fil-A restaurant manager in Houston, sued the company in 2002 after Latif, a Muslim, says he was fired a day after he didn't participate in a group prayer to Jesus Christ at a company training program in 2000. The suit was settled on undisclosed terms."


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## Rich Koster (Jul 21, 2012)

I think Mr. Cathy takes the "not being unequally yoked" principal seriously. I respect him for applying it to his business. If I was going to invest my life savings and all of my efforts into a business, I would want people of like values working with me, and for me.


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## earl40 (Jul 21, 2012)

Rich Koster said:


> I think Mr. Cathy takes the "not being unequally yoked" principal seriously. I respect him for applying it to his business. If I was going to invest my life savings and all of my efforts into a business, I would want people of like values working with me, and for me.



I agree, though it _is not required_ that only Christians be managers or owners. This is my point.


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## Herald (Jul 21, 2012)

earl40 said:


> Rich Koster said:
> 
> 
> > I think Mr. Cathy takes the "not being unequally yoked" principal seriously. I respect him for applying it to his business. If I was going to invest my life savings and all of my efforts into a business, I would want people of like values working with me, and for me.
> ...



I think this issue has been settled.


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