What was your entry point into the workforce? In this episode of People and Strategy, Denny’s SVP of HR and CLO Fasika Melaku discusses how the service industry tends to be that first door to employment. She reflects on her experience as an immigrant, working in the hospitality industry, and creating employee development programs at Denny's.
What was your entry point into the workforce? In this episode of People and Strategy, Denny’s SVP of HR and CLO Fasika Melaku discusses how the service industry tends to be that first door to employment. She reflects on her experience as an immigrant, working in the hospitality industry, and creating employee development programs at Denny's.
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Mo Fathelbab:
Welcome to today's episode of People and Strategy. I'm your host, Mo Fathelbab, president of International Facilitators Organization. People and Strategy is a podcast from the SHRM Executive Network, the premier network of executives and thought leaders in the field of human resources.
People and Strategy is the podcast delivering in-depth conversations with HR executives and people leaders to advance the field of human resources by providing engagement and thought leadership to senior executives. In today's episode, we'll be devoting time to the topic of opening doors in the workplace.
For this conversation, I'm excited to be joined by Fasika Melaku, SVP of HR, and CLO at Denny's, where she oversees HR initiatives and learning programs for the Restaurant Group. Fasika, welcome to People and Strategy podcast.
Fasika Melaku:
Thank you, Mo. I am so excited to talk to you, talk about People and Strategy, and access.
Mo Fathelbab:
Well, I feel the excitement all the way over here, and I'm excited to talk to you as well. And let's get on with it. So in this period of this episode, why is opening doors and creating access so important to you personally?
Fasika Melaku:
You know what, leave it to you to get right to it. Right? Leave it to you to get right to it. So I'll share this. I am where I am today because people gave me access to what I wasn't born with, right? So I'm sure I was born with my heart. I know that. I know I was born with my two legs. I know that, I'm blessed. I had my whole body, but I wasn't born with the instant of going to college.
That wasn't something that happened because I was born in Ethiopia. My first seven years I had a roof, but my floor was different than probably yours, right? I lived on a dirt floor. I had access, and that access got me to where I am today. That access that I had, got me my son, Jackson. So when I look back at my life experiences, it was access. It was people seeing me for who I am and believing in what I could be. And that opened doors. That's why.
Mo Fathelbab:
Okay, I love that. And I want to hear a little bit more. So let's talk about this access. What was the first point of access that was made available to you?
Fasika Melaku:
So I think the first point of access was that I was adopted. And in the opportunity to be adopted, I have two mothers today. Both are beautiful, both helped create the person I am today and are living with me today. But that was the first.
I think the other access points included the opportunity to come to America. So I came to America, had an opportunity to do that, open doors. It is not lost on me that there are millions of people who may want to come here and don't have the opportunities.
It's also not lost on me that you don't have to reach your access or access doesn't have to open doors in America. That doesn't have to be. You can be wherever you are. It is about one person seeing one person and one person helping the other.
One CEO that made a tremendous impact for me was John Miller. And one of the things he talked about from the very beginning was to get, you have to give. And so I think that is the fundamental richness that I believe in.
Another part of that, when you asked that question is I thought about a word that is in my culture called Subonia. Subonia is about seeing you. I am seeing you today, but not only am I seeing you, I'm seeing whoever your ancestors and whoever came before you. And so who is that? And who are you today because of who that is? Or who is beside you?
I think to me it was those pieces and those access points. And it came in many forms. Not only my mother that said, "I can't give you the gifts I want to give you. So I found another mama for you for a short time." But it was also coming to the States. It was my school teachers when I came to the States and embraced me.
It was my first job in the restaurant industry that got me here, and that was at Red Lobster. It was that general manager that saw me. So access can happen anytime, anywhere that you have another human seeing that human potential.
Mo Fathelbab:
I love that. Now, you said something that touched me. I want to just make sure I heard it correctly.
Fasika Melaku:
Sure.
Mo Fathelbab:
Did you say you're living with both of your mothers?
Fasika Melaku:
Yes, I have both my mamas with me today. So the mother that birthed me, Asnagich, she is beautiful. She looks like me. I look like her actually. And I have my mother, Pat. Pat Melaku was the young woman who actually taught English in Ethiopia. She was here in America, went to Ethiopia in the Peace Corps, taught English, and that's when she met my mom. And so it was that, that helped. So my husband would say he's probably the only husband with two moms, but I am so blessed.
Mo Fathelbab:
Yes, indeed. Indeed. So you're very aware of how somebody giving you access changed your life.
Fasika Melaku:
Absolutely.
Mo Fathelbab:
How has that played forward as you think about giving other people access?
Fasika Melaku:
So first and foremost for me, it was the very moment that I had a chance to open someone else's door. And what's so interesting is people always wait to say, right? And I remember thinking this. I remember thinking when I was serving tables at Red Lobster and I would see people coming in with their suits and thinking, "Gosh, when I am doing what they're doing, that I can come in my suits, and eat this business launch I'm going to..."
And what I didn't realize is I could then. I could give someone access then by helping them if they're a brand new server. So for me, I took that on in any situation that I'm in, whether it was a training manager, and that's where I first started. In the new restaurant opening business of Red Lobster, that's where I started. And when I could open doors there for others, I did.
Then it happened where I got to actually be in a spot where I created access for multiple and actually thought about access for all general managers or all team members. So to me, it's not necessarily though people wait for them to be in a leadership position. It's not. Magic happens when one human sees another.
Mo Fathelbab:
Magic happens when one human sees another. Those are beautiful words. I love that. Thank you. Thank you. So let's dive a little deeper into your story. You studied speech pathology.
Fasika Melaku:
Yes.
Mo Fathelbab:
And somehow ended up in HR. I'd love to hear how that happened.
Fasika Melaku:
Well, I went back. After that, I realized that my sweet spot was in the hospitality industry. That going home, because my focus was kids that needed help, whether they had a club, whether they had a growth, whether they needed to be able to see and realize how they could communicate. That was my focus. But what I realized is I took home everything with me.
I took home everything with me and really fell in love, when I started waiting tables, with the industry. Because for me, the hospitality industry is Americana for today. It is where you meet people of every walk in life. Anyone who may be struggling, who may have made it, who comes in. It's just such a beautiful tapestry of the world.
And the access points that gives. When I realized almost everyone's first job is in the hospitality industry, whether it's a service industry and I'm selling something. At a clothing store or whether it's the restaurant industry, that is everyone's first job. And I recognized that when that was my first job. I mean, and I'll tell you, when I came from Africa, I didn't know. No one said that you could do something and get paid. That wasn't... I won't say how old I am, but that wasn't known then.
I didn't know I could get paid. I started as a candy striper, and that's what I thought. Until 12th grade when my friends are like, "Why aren't you getting paid?" And it was then I realized that almost everyone in high school had a job, and almost everyone in high school had a job. It was either at McDonald's, it was either at a restaurant. It was a hostess, it was a cashier. It was somewhere where service was happening from one human to the next.
And that intrigued me. I fell in love with that, and I fell in love with the hospitality industry. And I fell in love with the open door that we could have and this tapestry of humans that we could bring together and open. I fell in love.
Mo Fathelbab:
I love that. I love that. And one of my first jobs was valet parking at a restaurant. So there you go.
Fasika Melaku:
There you go.
Mo Fathelbab:
You're right.
Fasika Melaku:
There you go. There you go.
Mo Fathelbab:
Absolutely. So one of the programs you mentioned to us is the Go Beyond program.
Fasika Melaku:
Yes.
Mo Fathelbab:
Yeah. So can you say more about that and how it contributes to opening doors?
Fasika Melaku:
Absolutely. So one of the things I think about humanity, is that in order for me to go beyond my current thinking, my current acceptance of actually me, I have to think about my story. I have to go beyond where I am today, the thinking that I may have, to bridge the future, to bridge into the area.
In order to do that, I have to unpack the experiences that have made me who I am today. And so Go Beyond was our opportunity to say, "How can we create a space where people can feel authentically valued and authentically value others?" And to do that, you have to unpack. I have to unpack the stories that may have hindered my opportunity to do that because everyone just doesn't come to the table ready to be seen. Everyone just doesn't come to the table ready to help someone be seen.
So how do we go beyond our current experiences, thinking, to bridge to another realm? To bridge to openness. To bridge to sharing. Bridge to empathy and understanding. And even bridge to understanding that you may have a different belief, that I have a different belief.
So I'll never forget the moment that our CEO, John Miller said, "Hey, I would love to create a space, authentically create a space where people can feel seen, heard, and have those conversations." And so I remember thinking, "Okay, I know you want to realm into this level of belonging, but this is not going to be another one hour session. This is not going to be another one day session." No, because that doesn't work, right? Bringing me in for an hour to help me unpack, to see how maybe my belief and your belief can co-exist. We've been trying to do that for years.
We spent billions of dollars as an organization, as an HR community, businesses, all the CEOs out there who say, "We have to combat this bias thing. We have to figure out a way for belonging. And you know what? We're going to do that in an hour." Where has that gotten us? Where has that gotten us?
And so for us, it was really about creating spaces where people could have those bold conversations, where people could lean in. And then understand what ties us? What are our values for this organization and what ties us?
So here's what we did. We said it can't be a day, it can't be an hour. It's going to be 30. 30 days of experiences, 30 days of leaning in. 30 days of me unpacking my stories and having conversations with you, in safe spaces. And so we had to create a safe space.
This was also so brand new. Can you imagine? I remember the first year, people were like, "What is she doing? What's happening?" So we decided to create. Go three years, set the stage, three years, go beyond. For three years we will have an experience for 30 days from CEO all the way down to our managers. We will be able to talk, engage. And in fact, we're doing it right now.
Right now is happening. We just finished our two-week mark. Every day for the last two weeks, since August the 12th, we have been unpacking. So every day there's a little bit for us to unpack. There's a little bit for us to share. We have had Go Beyond dates, days of community. Where yesterday, whether you were in Dallas Support Center, whether you were here in Spartanburg, we brought people together to share.
Mo Fathelbab:
And so when you bring people together to share, is it a one-day timeframe? And then they do it again 10 times a year? Is that what I'm hearing?
Fasika Melaku:
Really good question. So here's how kind of the nuts and bolts work. Every day, I am given, and in fact, I can show you, here's an example. This is a Go Beyond book that we have. Everyone has it. And every day there's an experience that people can engage in. And so that happens for 30 days straight.
Mo Fathelbab:
Got it.
Fasika Melaku:
Now, every week we have learning circles. And so learning circles help everyone get a chance to connect and talk about what we do as a large community. However, we do engage with our leaders. I fundamentally believe leaders make a difference. What I echo, what I show, you get to see does you really mean that? You get to see it in action.
So what I echo as a leader is so important. And you get to echo it back, and then you've got this volley of movement. So to do that, not only do we have 30 days straight every day, except for weekends, unless you want to go beyond a little bit more. Every day, 30 days straight. Every Monday we have learning circles where everyone engages.
And then every day, every morning, maybe twice a week, we ask our leaders to just connect with your internal team. So you've got these small bits of community. Whether it's large, small. We've heard people taking it home and talking to their kids about it and engaging with their kids, or engaging with their spouse.
Mo Fathelbab:
Beautiful.
Fasika Melaku:
Does that help?
Mo Fathelbab:
How big are the learning circles?
Fasika Melaku:
I'll tell you, my belief is a learning circle can happen between two people. But I'll tell you, my team would say that we have some, where you have the whole legal team is up on the 12th floor and they have their whole team engaging in conversation. That can be anywhere from 12 to, we had 100 show up at a learning circle on Monday that was virtual.
Mo Fathelbab:
Amazing.
Fasika Melaku:
So for us, it is more about the safe space that people can authentically create. We, so I have Peggy who is one of our learning managers, helps facilitate some of these programs, Peggy Ward. And so every Monday she will help facilitate a learning circle that brings everyone from the field to the different support centers. And then you have spaces of community where our leaders have done this.
And then of course to make it all, I would say spicy, we put an element of, hey, if you engage and you tell us you engage, there's some gamification. So people are winning because of the gamification. We have seen that gamification helps me by saying, "Hey, look what I won. Look at this." And they actually get to take it home.
And so we have cups, we have trunk organizers, we have just different things that people can say, "You know what, I won this, but here's why I won it. It was a raffle, yes, but I said that I experienced this or I shared my story in this way. And it is because of that, that stories then continue."
Here's what we know. We know that experiences matter. We know that safety matters. We know that community matters. And so when we built this, we built it with that in mind. And we wanted to also make sure that they could authentically lean in when they wanted to. So that's why all those different pieces are important.
Mo Fathelbab:
I love all that. And you've mentioned the word safety a few times.
Fasika Melaku:
Yes.
Mo Fathelbab:
I'd love to hear your definition of safety and how you curate that safe environment.
Fasika Melaku:
That is a big one. And I love that you asked that. Because first and foremost, I would say that safety probably means something so different for everyone. And it depends on your past experiences. It depends on whether you have had spots of un-safety.
When you think about that, you think about my experience and I come to the table. That's why Go Beyond is so important. I come to the table with background, with past. Some people call that baggage. I love it. Luggage. It doesn't have to be baggage. It could be luggage and I carry nice luggage. Or it could be a handbag, whatever it is.
Mo Fathelbab:
Could be a Gucci bag.
Fasika Melaku:
It could. It could be a handbag, it could be whatever. But I carry it. It's past experiences. So the first thing I would say to create safety is that we have to set a space for people to literally know what you mean. So we've defined safety as a place that you can be you.
Mo Fathelbab:
Yeah, perfect.
Fasika Melaku:
Without fear of retribution. Without fear of, "My boss is going to think this. Or I may not be able to get the next promotion because of what I said." So that is first, is being very visible in what we think as safety. And then being very visible with all our leaders, from the CEO down, to talking about it, saying that exact phrase, words matter.
So if they hear Fasika saying it, okay, that's Fasika. But if they hear my CEO saying it, that's a different story. If they hear Fasika and the CEO saying it, wow. Then let them hear Fasika, the CEO, and the IT chief saying it. You get added. You see that repetition is so important. So that's the next thing I think that has to be there, is safety.
So whatever organization is out there, whatever your story is on what safety is, okay, lean into that. What's most important is that everyone sharing that same language, and then you do it. You say it. Today, tomorrow, in five days, in 10 days. And then you say it again and again and again. Seven times, seven different ways. And you deliberately create experiences for people to see it. And I think to me, that's the number one. Sorry, I got passionate.
Mo Fathelbab:
I love it. I love your passion. It is obvious. I love it, love it. So I understand that 20% of managers at Denny's have a college education. And in 2023, Denny's launched the College Credits for Internal Training programs.
Fasika Melaku:
Yes.
Mo Fathelbab:
Tell us about that.
Fasika Melaku:
Let me say a little bit more about that. Right? So when I talk about college education, I am talking about the field. Like the support center, we have quite a few people that have probably more than 20% have that.
So when you think of the restaurant industry, here's what is so beautiful about the restaurant industry. There is a manager, I want to give you an example. There's a manager, he's in Florida. He runs a $25 million business, and he doesn't have a college degree. Oh, ask me if he has a high school degree.
Mo Fathelbab:
Not even a high school degree?
Fasika Melaku:
No, but he's killing it.
Mo Fathelbab:
He's killing it.
Fasika Melaku:
He's killing it. Listen, I don't know if I could handle a $25 million Denny's market, right?
Mo Fathelbab:
I think you can.
Fasika Melaku:
I would want him by my side. I don't know if I could go into a restaurant and kill it. I'd be like, "Okay, I could go into a restaurant, but I need to have an expert by my side." That's me, right? Because I know that's not me. He's able to do it. And he doesn't have either. He didn't have a GED or a college degree.
So for us, it is about saying it. And it's another point from an access perspective. So for us, is education important? Absolutely. Does everyone have to have it to be successful? No.
We just want to say that, "Hey, what you're doing is so important. By the way, what you're doing is so crucial." That we've been able to link what they do in the restaurant industry for Denny's to run our restaurant. We've been able to link that, specifically the management training program, to 30 college credits in three universities, colleges that are accredited.
Mo Fathelbab:
Amazing.
Fasika Melaku:
And that is important. That is important. So he's like, "I don't have to go to college." You don't. You don't have to go to college to be authentically you. You don't have to go to college to be successful. Everyone gets to have their own story as they want to unfold their own story. He doesn't have to. But if he wants to know that his MIT program that he took five years ago, today, that accounts for 30 college credits.
Mo Fathelbab:
Amazing. What an amazing program and what a great success story. I absolutely agree. You don't have to have, and a lot of companies are having to look at skills instead of degrees.
Fasika Melaku:
Yes.
Mo Fathelbab:
Right? We know that.
Fasika Melaku:
Yes. Yeah. And you know why? Because the world is changing. Like today. five years ago, we were looking at skill sets. You and I, and everyone watching this, we're looking at different skill sets than we are today. That we might be even thinking, "Oh, what do we need for tomorrow?" That's going to be something different. So the engine of mobility is going to be through designing skill sets, and that's different. That's where it lends itself.
Mo Fathelbab:
I know you're going to be talking about what doors you plan to open in the future as you look ahead and what you're setting aside. So can you give us a little preview into that?
Fasika Melaku:
Okay. Well, I can say this. When I think about the doors for the future and what we're looking at, we believe that every one of our restaurants are breakthrough centers for those communities.
So when you think about that, you think about every day. And I'll tell you, I've shared this with a couple people, but my favorite cake in the whole wide world is at Whole Foods. But Whole Foods, just think, where I go get my favorite cake is not in the same location that I go visit my favorite diner, Denny's. We're not in the same space. We're not in the same slot. We're completely different.
Denny's is an everyday America. It is for America in Americana today. That's what Denny's is for. And so when we thought about that, we thought about the significance that that holds. So at any given moment, we may have a team that runs our restaurants, runs this two, $3 million restaurant. Some may have no home, but are working hard. Some may be going to college, some may be taking care of four kids. Some may be fighting an unseen story and what that looks like.
So you think about that melting pot. When we talk about America, that's in that restaurant. So how can we break through? But here's the key. It's not just breaking through for the kids or team members or communities that work for us. It is breaking through for their families.
It is true movement in how we can create generational support. So when we think about that, we're creating right now some education that we're going to offer. Not only that for our teams, on finance. On thinking through how do you talk to your first boss? How do you get ready when you're about to have your review?
Whether you're a server or whether you're a clerk, or whether you're a manager, how do you get ready? How do you advocate for yourself? How do you open up a checking account? How do you think about your 401k? No one told me about 401k. And I have a mama who's really smart. Two of them. Two of them.
Mo Fathelbab:
Two of them.
Fasika Melaku:
One works for the UN and took her brothers, 10 of her brothers and sisters, through things. The other has a master's degree and is a speech writer. Both are brilliant, but they didn't tell me about 401k. So who's telling the rest? Who's telling everyone? Who told you?
Mo Fathelbab:
Exactly, exactly.
Fasika Melaku:
And what that looks like?
Mo Fathelbab:
Well, I'm so just blown away. You really have just demonstrated how much you are grateful for what you are given. And you're truly, truly playing it forward. So last question, Fasika, what is the one piece of advice that shaped your work or life the most?
Fasika Melaku:
So first I would say the advice I had and thinking through, is that everybody's on a journey. And I remember when I was going to America, and I remember sitting there, thinking about it, and what that looked like. I remember sitting with my mom and hearing my mom.
And one of the things, because I didn't know what was going to happen, right? All I saw about America was a postcard and it had snow that actually looked like a cutout. And when we went to New York, that wasn't snow. I was looking at it and that wasn't snow. And she shared with me at that moment that everyone has a story.
So my story was scaring me and how I connected with what kids would think of me. My story was connecting me. I had interesting hair. I had, Ethiopians have really beautiful wild hair. At that moment, I had that, and I was worried about that. I was worried about what kids would see.
So the most profound, I think, at that moment, share I've received is that everyone has their own story. And your story can either scare you or it can excite you, but it helps you lead to word of acceptance. And so how do we all think about our stories? And how do we all look in the mirrors and accept them?
Mo Fathelbab:
And that's where we'll end it for this episode of People and Strategy. A huge thanks to Fasika Melaku for her thoughts and opening doors in the workplace. You can follow the People and Strategy podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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