A Chick-fil-A operator is making headlines for his winning recipe of work/life balance: offering full-time employees at Chickfila a 3-day work week. He received 429 job applications in just one week because so many people were interested in his 3-day work week model.

The Success of the Chick-fil-A 3-Day Work Week

Justin Lindsey, 41, is the local operator of Chick-fil-A Kendall in Florida. According to QSR Magazine, Lindsey was hitting incredible benchmarks but at the cost of overworking his staff. Many were logging 70 hours a week and sacrificing vacations. Since switching to this 3-day work week model he’s had 100% retention at the management level. The 3-day work week suits Chickfila well since locations are closed on Sundays. Lindsey says he created two “pods” of employees that each work the 3-day shifts together. Shifts begin at 5am and go until 6pm.

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The 3-Day Work Week Doesn’t Always Succeed

Susan Carnes is an account manager with Cooper Connect, a company whose sole focus is to recruit the perfect people for positions at Chick-fil-A. Carnes joined My Pleasure: The Unofficial Chickfila Podcast to discuss the 3-day work week idea. Carnes explains why it didn’t go so well at another Chick-fil-A location in the Atlanta area. Listen to our interview with Susan here:

How to Land a Job at Chick-fil-A

Does the 3-day work week sound attractive to you? According to Carnes, several other Chick-fil-A locations plan to emulate Lindsey’s innovative schedule. But how can you stand out from the competition of applicants? Susan has interviewed thousands of people for jobs at Chick-fil-A and shared some wonderful insight with us back in Season one. She shares why it’s so hard to get hired at Chickfila. You’ll definitely want to listen to Season 1, Episode 39, “Insider Tips for Landing Your Dream Job at Chickfila.”