HMSHost Reviews

Current Employee – been working at HMSHost full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Hours are rarely cut due to such a high demand for all year around business. Working in one of the world's busiest airport means you will always have a job.

Cons – The Parking situation for employees is Time Consuming because you will have to park at an employee parking lot ten minutes away from the airport. It just adds unnecessary time to your commute to and from home.

Advice to Senior Management – Show Appreciation to Employees.

Current Employee – been working at HMSHost full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Being multi-unit there is always something to do or a store you can work in, so you are never bored. The pay is better than street side stores

Cons – No benefits, no room for growth, management is detached from the hourly employees

Advice to Senior Management – Listen to the associates, work in the units, be hands on

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at HMSHost part-time for less than a year

Pros – Valuable experience, friendly workers, good starting job, free lunch, paid training

Cons – During the summer months the plaza was very, very busy. Only two people were ever scheduled in the store at a time so this meant that when shelves needed stocked or one of us went on break, there was just one working. Sometimes we would have two or three buses pull in and have lines wayyy out the door. Something always seemed to be broken in the store as well and I never saw much care from any of the managers to fix things. I had very little training and my managers never seemed to know what was going on. My drawer was messed up multiple times because they screwed up my voids (if a customer no longer wanted an item or we double-rang an item we got a void because we were not allowed to fix this by ourselves). Many times we had to hold up the line because we were not allowed to keep $20s in our drawer or accept a $100 bill without a managers help. The managers were always up at the fast food place and rarely checked on the store. I usually called up to the front two or three times a day for change. Hours were very scattered...sometimes I would get 10 and sometime 35. Always expect to work at least a half hour later than scheduled because at least with my managers, you didn't get pulled from your drawer for 10ish minutes after your shift.

The point system is ridiculous. My second day of work I got a call and my manager was rude and asked if I was coming in for work that I was half an hour late. I told him that I did not work that day. He then asked if I looked at the second schedule and I (not being told about another schedule) said no. I ran into work and got points because no one told me about a schedule. I requested off two times when I worked there, I put in my requests months ahead of time and got scheduled both of them. Each absence was 3 points and once you hit 12 you were fired. The one, I was in Myrtle Beach and called for my schedule. When they told me I worked two of the days I would not be home I told them I had requested off but they insisted that I did not. Luckily they found someone to cover so I did not get points.

My location was off the turnpike, not in an airport like some other places, so we get a lot of truckers. Being a younger female, this was concerning. Many were nice but there were some creepy ones. There are two stores in the back of the plaza but one of them closes early and they only put one employee in the other to cover a closing shift. I closed almost every time I worked and was therefore alone at the back of the plaza. There are not many customers that are in the plaza at 10 and 11 and night so many times it was just a few truckers. As I said, some were nice but we did have to call highway patrol out for one because he was crude and scared me and the girls in Starbucks quite a bit.

This could very well have been just the place I worked at so don't let it deter you.

Advice to Senior Management – Train your managers better, don't give a key to someone just because they have seniority.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at HMSHost full-time for more than a year

Pros – Great working experience in high volume food

Cons – Union makes it impossible to hold accountable any employee

Advice to Senior Management – Start firing people

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at HMSHost full-time for less than a year

Pros – There definitely aren't any pros. If I could give it negative stars, I would.

Cons – Bad pay, bad management, no sympathy/empathy or concern for their employees, unsanitary food, no training, everything else....

They do not train. I was told how to do the cash register in 30 seconds and then was thrown on one, by myself, and expected to know it perfectly, then I was yelled at because I needed help. Then same thing happened to me in the back while I was making food. I was there for one day and then was put back there by myself and expected to know how to make and cook everything and to know where everything was. They give you instructions ASSUMING you know exactly what they're talking about. Also expected to do the work at other restaurants because they won't schedule people at the proper time.

Some health issues arose after I started working there and they would not work with me and did not care. Even with a doctors note. And fare warning they LOVE to write people up for anything. You will also get written up if you call in sick. Doesn't matter if you're in the hospital with viral meningitis, you have cancer, or someone died or you have a not from the doctor or hospital....they will write you up for calling in sick.

The food is unsanitary for SO many reasons, it's disgusting. You get free lunches but I won't eat there. The pay sucks. There is no management on overnight, only supervisors who don't know what they're doing or don't care. Also, during the summer when it's busy you sometimes won't get a break, even if you're working full-time hours. They discriminate with their breaks. The week I was doing day shift I was forced to take my break two hours after I started my 8 hr shift. And I took it with all my fellow white employees. When I brought the issue up I was told they don't send people on break during the busy lunch hours. HOWEVER, if you looked out into the lobby during those exact hours, EVERY day....who was sitting out there in groups of 10 or more? All of the minorities. I guess they are afraid one of them will complain and yell discrimination....because who discriminates against a white person, right?

I could go on and on but I'm certain this box has a text limit.

Please, save yourself the trouble and the stress and just go somewhere else. The pay isn't worth it, trust me.

Advice to Senior Management – Learn your jobs!!! Train your employees. Have a little more sympathy/empathy. Learn how to be more observant of what is ACTUALLY going on around you!

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at HMSHost full-time for more than a year

Pros – Interesting locations (I loved working in an airport)
Meet new people
Great tips
Predictable busy and slow times

Cons – Disorganized and undereducated management
Severe penalties for being the slightest bit short or over
Atmosphere of untrust
Required to be part of a union
Focus on seniority rather than who is actually good at their job
Petty and uncooperative coworkers

Advice to Senior Management – Take a look at who you're hiring as management and middle management, These businesses could be run by people who are actually happy with their jobs rather than forced into feeling overworked and untrusted, but you keep promoting those who take shortcuts and don't care about their employees. Happy and empowered employees are what makes a customer service business (restaurant, coffee shop, retail store) really stand out to customers, and yes it is entirely possible (and maybe even easier) to make a profit and have honest employees when that's your focus.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at HMSHost part-time for more than a year

Pros – You meet all kind of new people every day its cool

Cons – Nothing I loved the job

Advice to Senior Management – Work hard

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at HMSHost full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Stable company, structured job positions, delineated expectations, clean and organized work environment, opportunity to apply for other positions within the company, most hourly positions under a Union Contract w/ collective bargaining and basic job security, ability to transfer if you would like to relocate to another part of the country. Medical Ins., Dental Ins., Vision, Life Ins. and Short Term Disability Ins. available for employee, spouse and dependents for reasonable cost. 401K available. Paid vacation, and paid sick days accrue after working for the company per Co. policy. These are unusual perks for food service hourly employees.

Cons – If you are used to working for a small privately owned business where decisions are made in house and at the discretion of the owner, you may find the chain of command and "policies" here frustrating. Very strict rules regarding absences and sick "call outs". If you are frequently late to work, or sick (including having dependent children that get sick frequently, or cause you to be late...this job might be unworkable). Many of the positions are in airports, and you will have to allow extra time to park, walk in, and get through security prior to clocking in. This takes extra time for your commute, and when you're due on at work at 4:30 am, it can be aggravating.

Accept that as a hourly employee, you may often feel like a number, a body to fill a schedule slot, and that your personality, creativity, expertise, experience, etc. are for the most part unrecognized. This company is HUGE. Everything is standardized, conforming is expected, and there appear to be no rewards for being innovative, thinking independently, etc.

Advice to Senior Management – For New Hires: Provide access to a Physical HR Department that explains the benefits available to employees, and the deadlines within which they should/ may apply. For instance, the "short term disability insurance" is a very valuable benefit, and extremely cheap and affordable. Unfortunately, new hires don't realize that if they don't opt for it immediately (within two weeks of their first day), they will have to go through a medical evaluation (and potential rejection) should they opt for it later. It is only as a new hire during the first two weeks of work that they may choose to have the short term disability and are guaranteed acceptance. An on site HR Department/ or official HR Representative is needed.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at HMSHost full-time for less than a year

Pros – Free lunch, sick days, vacation days, health, dental, and vision benefits, chance for advancement, good co workers, decent schedule, some decent managers, 401k

Cons – Pay was low, Union dues, cost of health benefits, managers favored some people over others, some of the managers did not know protocal of running a restaurant. Some managers sat down all day and did nothing. Servers would try to boss you around and tell you that you were seating certain people a certain way and yell at you. Did not really promote from with in.

Advice to Senior Management – Work a little harder, write up bad behaivor listen to the lower employees. Move people to positions they ask for if qualified. Need to learn ins and outs of the business they are in.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at HMSHost for more than 7 years

Pros – Nice Airport, Busy environment, Interesting cliental

Cons – Bad management. Almost impossible to qualify for benefit program. False promises.

Advice to Senior Management – Learn to value your employes, their experience and include them instead of making everyone feel like there is a constant which hunt. Plan for the cyclical cycle of the calendar. In the slow time plan for the busy, work with week links, don't act surprised when it gets busy. Get a manager that actually "manages". Someone how can build a team, moral, and sales. Not just police corporate polices. This could be an awesome place to work. Lets make it awesome together.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company