At Red Robin, Glenda is the Team Player Who Takes Charge

​“One, two, three, edge-to-edge, edge-to-edge. One, two, three, edge-to-edge, edge-to-edge.” Glenda’s table wiping process is precise—each table cleaned with unparalleled focus and care.
 
Glenda works at Red Robin in Renton, where she gets the restaurant ready for the day before opening—a job that she, her managers, and her job coaches agree is a perfect fit. Glenda has been at the job for a little over seven months, gaining confidence by proactively adding new responsibilities and even taking on another shift on Saturdays.
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Northwest Center supported Glenda in finding her job and continue to provide job coaching so Glenda becomes confident in her skills. John Manning, the Employment Consultant who supported Glenda’s job search process, says, “Glenda is extremely independent and capable, but can get overwhelmed easily in loud or stressful environments,” Manning says. “We worked hard to find a good fit. The match between Glenda’s strengths and the management team and culture at Red Robin was apparent from the beginning.”
 
Glenda’s list of responsibilities is long and ever-growing. “I change the batteries in the Robin [the device on each table where customers place orders], clean the tables, wipe down seats, wipe the windows, wipe the computers, clean the sinks, and whatever else needs to be done,” she says.
 
But Glenda doesn’t wait for her managers to assign her new tasks; if she sees something that needs to be done, she takes charge.
 
“Glenda noticed when one of the chairs had a tear in the fabric,” says Christina Simmons, one of Glenda’s Northwest Center job coaches. “She took steps to notify management and ensure the chair would be fixed, and since has diligently documented and worked with management to fix tears or scratches on chairs and tables across the restaurant.”
 
When asked her favorite part of her job, Glenda doesn’t pause: “My coworkers!”
 
“Glenda lights up any room that she walks into,” says Mary Maxwell, another of Glenda’s job coaches. “She loves being part of a team. Glenda’s positivity and excitement for the job make everyone’s jobs more fun and fulfilling in turn. People are excited to go to work when they know that Glenda is there.”
 
What’s next for Glenda? “I’m always finding new ways to help the team, to save steps,” she says. “I see a problem and I fix it.” With that attitude, it seems the sky’s the limit.