A few summers ago, I worked at an Olive Garden in Portland for almost a year. It was one of the most harrowing experiences of my life. I had worked at other restaurants before, but never one like the OG, as we called it. First off, it was a corporate restaurant, which means there were strict procedures and guidelines for everything from uniforms to salad-making to how many chocolate mints you can give each guest. Each rule was strictly enforced by a bevy of managers.
However, despite my less-than-pleasant experiences following, my training was fairly pleasant and effective. Before I could begin working on the dining floor, I had to complete an eight-hour-a-day, five-day-long training. Before I was hired, I had to complete a 60-question, strange AI personality test, with random questions like “Do you enjoy philosophy?” and “Do you understand paintings?” asked by an unsettling blue avatar. I believe this was the first step of the “Person Analysis” element of the training process mentioned in Lecture 1 Developing Training Programs and measured personality.
So Creepy!
When I arrived to the in-person training, I was introduced to my trainer, Tiffany. She was bright, bubbly and determined to teach me everything there was to know about being an Olive Garden server. When you’re there, you’re family, after all. I trained with two other new hires.
After Tiffany began by sitting us down and introducing us to our responsibilities and each other, she had us watch some video modules, about 2 hours long, about food safety, uniforms, appropriate communication and relationships with coworkers, the online app used for scheduling, etc. She scrunched her nose and looked at us regretfully. “Sorry guys! I know they’re super boring.” The videos had pre- and post-measures as mentioned in Lecture 2, Evaluating Training Effectiveness via quizzes. According to Lecture 1 Developing Training Programs the video modules are classified as a presentation method of employee development as they are used for conveying facts or comparing alternatives.
After the videos, Tiffany told us everything we needed to know to be an excellent Olive Garden server. She had us practice carrying large oval trays on our shoulders while holding books on our heads for posture. She walked us through the menu. One by one, we pretended to serve the other trainees, and she gently corrected our mistakes. We talked together about our questions and our lives that brought us to Olive Garden.
According to Lecture 1 Developing Training Programs, Tiffany’s training approach included a mix of hands-on training via simulation and group building via group discussion and team training.
After we felt confident, we worked 3 shifts shadowing Tiffany with her tables. At first, we observed how she interacted with the guests, then we took the reins and began serving guests under her watchful eye. After each interaction, Tiffany encouraged us and gave us constructive suggestions. According to Lecture 1 Developing Training Programs, this is considered hands-on training, as it is on-the-job training. My very first table, two kind women, found out it was my first shift and tipped me $30! After that, I felt like I was ready to be a fully realized Olive Garden server.
Works Cited
Mike Cieri. (2026). Developing training programs [Lecture slides]. Oregon State University.
Mike Cieri. (2026). Evaluating training effectiveness [Lecture slides]. Oregon State University.