Most days this fall, Dining Services general manager Austin Benner wakes up and goes to work for a Dining Services that is 60% understaffed. However, after a semester of uneasy Marketplace menus and Jays Nest options, things are beginning to look up for Dining Services.
Dining Services is now offering $14.25 as an hourly wage for student workers, making them the highest paying student employment option on campus.
“Our job is to provide excellent food and service, and it’s disheartening that we can’t do that because of issues out of our control,” Benner said. “I’m supposed to be the general manager, but I’m covering hourly roles that should be filled by a student or a full-time employee.”
Benner, speaking in a chef’s coat in the Jay’s Nest, noted that he’s not the only one covering shifts. The director, office manager and executive chef are just a few positions that were forced to be flexible with the labor shortage.
With the increased wages, Benner may soon be able to hang up the chef’s hat and get back to what he does best—ensuring customer satisfaction.
“With more workers, we would be able to offer all our services again, like the Marketplace pasta place,” he said. “We would also be able to monitor the food in the Marketplace better, ensuring what’s going out is the best product.”
Not only would quality and quantity control improve with more student workers, but fun events would have a different feel.
“We can’t force people to work, but it would be really good to be back to being fully staffed and able to do special things, like theme dinners and the food truck out weekly,” Benner said. “Those are all things we want to do, and we want to provide the best experience, but I’ll be the first to say that we aren’t hitting my standards.”
After a holiday dinner that saw students taking to social media with displeasure, Benners words ring true.
The benefits of working for Dining Services include more than just the wage that nearly doubles other on campus jobs.
“It’s an on-campus job so you don’t have to pay to commute, and we work around your class schedule,” Benner said. “I have students that work two hours [weekly], and I have students that work 20 hours.”
Other benefits include lifelong learning skills. “Learning how to keep guests happy and how to interact with guests is a skill that everyone should have,” he added.
Elizabethtown College’s Career Development Center strongly encourages students to have an on-campus job for that exact reason.
“Students look at something like a Dining Services job, and think it’s unrelated to what they want to do,” Career Development Center Director Jane Nini said. “In reality, employers are looking at soft skills like time management, working as a part of a team and communication, and these are things you can develop or at least have a proven track record through most on-campus jobs.”
Nini said that a benefit of on-campus employment is the flexibility with supervisors.
“If there’s an area you would like to improve on, you can talk to your supervisor and say that you want a leadership role, and maybe you can lead a team shift, or train employees,” she said. “Those are great resume builders.”
On-campus jobs have the benefit of being flexible. Even if a student works just five hours a week, they’re still demonstrating to future employers skills like reliability.
“Employers are looking for a strong work-ethic, so if you’re just limiting yourself to a professional internship and you haven’t done anything else, it puts you behind,” Nini said. “If you haven’t filled in those experiences, they may question how self-motivated you are.”
With the rise of COVID-19, employers cut back on seasonal positions, and many students declined to take jobs that may have put them at risk. Now, with the pandemic in decline, jobs are back, but students aren’t taking them, and it could impact their future in the workforce.
“We are hoping that students will start to engage in employment,” Nini said. “You’re not only developing a track record, but whenever you engage in employment, you have the opportunity to network and expand to professional contacts, and that’s critical as well.”
Nini added that other options for students with work study funds include nonprofit work. “Be intentional about skills and developing your goal,” she said. “Make your supervisor your partner.”
Aside from Dining Services and community service work studies, positions are also open for roles in the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being, including intramural referees, group fitness instructors, student wellness advocates and fitness center attendants. Catering positions are also open. The Office of Admission is hiring Blue Jay Ambassadors, and Residence Life has open positions for Resident Assistants.
