For 10 years, members of Boston College Dining Services staff have been recognized through a campaign called “We Are BC Dining,” designed to boost employee morale.
Exemplary Dining employees are showcased on posters with a professional photograph of them working in their respective roles, as well as personal information such as their hometowns, the number of years they have worked at BC, and their favorite dishes served in the dining halls. These posters are shared at internal dining staff trainings and meetings and are also hung in the serveries in the dining halls with different employees represented each week.
“I think employees are very happy and proud having their picture out there,” said Marcela Norton, an employee relations officer for Dining Services. “Our employees work so hard, they are on their feet all the time, and are always busy. When we do this for them, it helps them to be proud of their work.”
“I am from Africa; you will also see someone who is American, someone who is from Guatemala, and someone who is from Colombia. It shows what BC Dining is, diverse.”
The posters portray employees from many segments of the dining staff including the dish room, bakery, laundry room, concessions, and loading dock. Marlene Ramos, a second cook in Corcoran Commons, was featured on a “We Are BC Dining” poster working the grill.
“If they choose me to be on one of the posters, that means that they are setting me as an example,” said Ramos. “It feels good to be appreciated.”
The posters also introduce customers to the employees who are there to serve them, even those who work behind the scenes.
“We always try to get our employees the recognition they need,” said Beth Burns, human resources manager for Dining Services. “It really enhances how you do your job.”
According to Burns, on average a food service worker stays in the business for about 18 months; the average stay for a BCDS employee is 17 years.
Ramos has worked at BC for 17 years and said that she will probably retire here.
“BC is a great place to work,” said Ramos. “I love it here. It comes with safety, great benefits, and teamwork.”
In addition to boosting morale, a goal of “We Are BC” is to showcase the diversity of the BC dining staff, which represents 33 different nations of origin and 14 different spoken languages.
“It is great to look at all of the posters and see the diversity of BC’s Dining Services reflected,” said Ramos. “I am from Africa; you will also see someone who is American, someone who is from Guatemala, and someone who is from Colombia. It shows what BC Dining is, diverse.”
The posters have also been repurposed to help with Dining Services’ recruitment efforts, providing potential employees with a visual representation of BC’s dining staff and the many reasons why they enjoy working at Boston College.
“The pictures tell the story,” said Burns. “There is a lot of happiness among our staff; they like what they do.”
—Christine Balquist | University Communications | February 2019