Some say the days of working at one place for many years are gone. But that isn’t true if the place is Notre Dame. John Glon, assistant director of student dining, has been here 32 years, and he’s hoping to help attract more than 200 new staff members to join him.
The University Enterprises and Events and the Campus Safety and University Operations divisions are offering referral bonuses to Notre Dame employees.
“I think the overall picture of what Notre Dame offers will be very appealing to people,” Glon said at a recent hiring event on campus. “Our pay is competitive, but what the University has that other places don’t have are incredible benefits.”
Many of the open jobs are within the University Enterprises and Events (UEE) division and include bartenders, cooks, guest services associates, food and beverage managers and more. Approximately 130 of the open positions are full time and 100 are part time.
Hiring opportunities at Notre Dame of this magnitude don’t come often, but this is a time like no other.
Campus is waking up from the pandemic. You can see it at places like the Morris Inn, where it is nearly business as usual. Weekend weddings and campus visits have picked up considerably, and move-in and home football weekends are just weeks away. Also coming soon is the debut of the new McKenna Hall, home to the Notre Dame Conference Center. In-person conferences and meetings there will not be far behind. Morris Inn managers oversee conference center staff.
“We need more than 100 new employees just for the Morris Inn and the Notre Dame Conference Center,” John Cheng, director of operations at the Morris Inn, said. “The food and beverage team needs help, and the operations team — which includes housekeeping and hotel guest services agents — does, too.”
It takes a lot of staff to make the visitor experience, like all things at Notre Dame, excellent.
“UEE is honored to support the important educational endeavors and many exciting activities across the University. To ensure we create exceptional Notre Dame moments, we remain focused on enhancing the experience for our current team members and recruiting talented new colleagues,” said Micki Kidder, vice president for University enterprises and events.
Of course, the University is not the only place hiring, and some businesses have found a smaller pool of candidates.
“The idea that there’s a labor shortage to me is a little bit of a misnomer. There are multiple factors at play,” said Daniel Graff, a labor historian, professor and director of the Higgins Labor Program within the Center for Social Concerns.
“I think that hospitality is competing with other sectors, so that workers can be choosier than they’re used to,” Graff said, adding, “Employers need to offer better terms to employees to bring them (in).”
The terms for the UEE positions are generous: Wages are between $13.50 and $35 an hour; there are opportunities for advancement; health insurance and educational and retirement benefits are available for qualifying positions; and staff members in hospitality and dining positions are able to enjoy a free meal while on their shift. Plus, UEE sweetened the deal with signing and referral bonuses.
Here’s how the bonuses work: Shelley Johnson, hired recently as a cook in Campus Dining, will receive a $1,000 signing bonus ($500 after working 60 days and $500 after working 180 days) for joining Notre Dame at this busy time. Meanwhile, Chasity Rockwell, who works in the Center for Culinary Excellence Bakeshop, will also receive $1,000 for referring her as long as Johnson stays with Notre Dame for at least six months.
Campus Safety and University Operations (CSUO) is looking for custodians and material handlers. That division is also offering the referral bonus program.
"We are incredibly grateful for all of our colleagues across the CSUO division as we collectively serve Our Lady's University. Regardless of the department within CSUO, be it Building Services, Mail Services, the Notre Dame Police Department or elsewhere, our team gets to be out across the entire campus working in every building and area and interacting with our students, faculty and staff colleagues," Mike Seamon, vice president for campus safety and University operations.
So what’s it like to work at Notre Dame?
“UEE is a fun, kind and joy-filled family, and we are excited to welcome new members to join us as we serve Our Lady's mission!” Kidder said.
Derrick Faulkens, who works at Rohr’s in the Morris Inn as a bartender and server, agrees. He’s been at Notre Dame for nine years.
“It’s a family atmosphere. Everyone here treats you like a brother or sister,” Faulkens said. “We all know we have a mission to take care of and we all work toward that mission and have fun together.”
Ashley Harrington, who works in the Morris Inn’s kitchen, also loves her job. She’s been here for two years.
“You never know what’s coming, and as cooks that’s what you expect. You don’t know what the day is going to be like and there’s just a kind of excitement that comes with that. It’s kind of a challenge,” Harrington said.
For a full list of open positions at the University, visit jobs.nd.edu.