Here's What The Stars Mean On Cracker Barrel Workers' Uniforms

Cracker Barrel may market itself as a place that's part of old country America in the modern day serving up old comfort-food breakfasts, but the restaurant must still adhere to current standards of employment, training, and marketing. Employees must follow industry standards and practices of training and courtesy that they would at any other restaurant. But how exactly can Cracker Barrel ensure that its employees are upholding the values of both Cracker Barrel's old-fashioned hospitality and modern-day standards?

If you've ever seen your server's uniform at Cracker Barrel, you may have noticed that they have little stars on them. One employee might have two stars while another has four. Those stars don't refer to any ranking method or employee hierarchy — instead, it symbolizes where the employee stands on their Personal Achievement Responsibility (or PAR) system. This system is Cracker Barrel's way of measuring and training its employees on how to be better servers, such as in the skill of helping customers or working harder to make their place of work more welcoming for both customers and staff alike.

But how exactly do stars help to measure how well an employee is doing? What exactly is the criteria of the PAR system? Do employees earn any rewards for reaching the highest number of stars? All these answers to Cracker Barrel's impressive employee ranking system follow below.

Like most restaurants, Cracker Barrel understands that good employees are the bedrock on which a successful business is built. Cracker Barrel has created the PAR system to train employees in what makes a good employee and refine and hone their skills.

There are four PAR levels, with each star corresponding to a level. "Each level teaches elements critical to an employee's development and understanding of the Cracker Barrel culture," says its website. This includes a focus on teamwork and relationship building. But how exactly can an employee move through each level?

Should Cracker Barrel employees feel ready to climb the star ranks, they're welcome to test their knowledge and skills on a PAR exam. Each exam will quiz the employee on their different skills through a variety of questions and scenarios built around the culture of Cracker Barrel. If an employee happens to fail the exam, they are always welcome to re-apply and try it again until they pass. Some attractive incentives exist for employees who ascend higher in the PAR program.

While learning how to be nicer to customers or upholding Cracker Barrel's values is all good, to get an employee to want to work better, you're going to need to offer a little incentive. Cracker Barrel also thought of this, offering employees various benefits within the PAR system.

With each level, employees will be given an increase in pay, employee discounts, and greater responsibilities. Someone with three stars, for example, may earn more than someone with one star. This encourages employees to work harder to pass their PAR exams, increasing the benefits they get and refining and working on their skills to become better employees.

The exams can only be taken after one has worked at Cracker Barrel for a specified amount of time. An employee is first eligible after one month or so of work, while the exam for the highest PAR level can only be taken after 450 days of employment. This means it may take a bit of time to fully advance through all four tiers — perfect for allowing employees to build and practice their skills.