Doing More with Less: Cafe Rio’s CPO on Frontline Engagement, Cross-Training, and Practical AI

Summary

How do you keep 4,500 non-desk employees engaged when hybrid isn’t an option?

In this episode, host Emily Fenech sits down with Cortney Worle, Chief People Officer at Cafe Rio Mexican Grill (formerly HR leader at Road Runner Sports), to unpack what’s unique and universal about leading people in restaurants and retail.

Cortney shares her non-linear path to CPO (including a strategic step back), why engagement strategies must evolve every 18–24 months, and how Cafe Rio’s “Talk & Tacos” listening sessions with the CEO/COO surface real, fixable issues fast.

She gets specific on shifting from specialization to cross-training amid tight margins, rolling out mobile-first scheduling and shift swaps, and where AI actually helps today (dynamic labor scheduling) versus where she’s cautious (AI-driven hiring).

Cortney also tackles the “boundaries vs. growth” conversation and closes with simple advice: get out of the office and watch the work to find your next high-impact improvement.

Timestamps

[00:45] – Cortney’s journey: taking a step back to become CPO at Cafe Rio

[02:33] – The frontline HR reality: high turnover, non-desk workers, and limited peer benchmarks

[03:45] – Post-COVID shifts: rethinking recognition, comp, and what younger workers value now

[05:21] – “Talk & Tacos”: real-time listening with execs that drives concrete changes

[06:55] – From feedback to action: mobile schedules, in-app shift swaps, and faster fixes

[08:38] – Doing more with less: cross-training, agility, and reframing “not my job”

[11:30] – Boundaries vs. growth: addressing misused terms without missing real issues

[13:08] – Tech in restaurants: robotics vs. AI, and smart scheduling that frees managers

[15:34] – AI and recruiting: governance, bias risk, and why not to be an early adopter

[16:35] – Field-first leadership: don’t decide in a bubble—watch the work to find opportunities

Takeaways

- Build continual listening loops (e.g., small-group forums with executives) to surface high-signal, fixable problems.

- Revisit recognition, training, and comp every 18–24 months; the frontline’s needs change quickly.

- Modernize scheduling: give employees mobile access, enable shift swaps, and use AI to optimize labor by demand.

- Cross-train intentionally; frame it as career growth (trainer/manager paths) to overcome “not my job.”

- Discern language vs. reality: prioritize true toxicity and discrimination while coaching on productive boundaries.

- Apply AI where it’s low-risk and high-impact (scheduling, forecasting); be cautious with AI-led selection due to bias.

- Spend time on the floor; observing real workflows reveals bottlenecks you’ll never catch from a desk.

Sponsor

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Cortney Worle, Chief People Officer at Cafe Rio

HR Voices

Cortney Worle, Chief People Officer at Cafe Rio