Pros
Benefits are available to all employees at a reasonable cost. My employment at Olive Garden impressed me with the Darden Corporation's policies overall. Assistance in purchasing shoes on a payment plan was available as well as waiter tools being provided at no cost upon hiring. (apron, pens, swipe card holder, a tie,) Training program is informative and lengthy, especially for the less experienced, but affords the opportunity to try MANY menu items and the wines (21 and over only) which is beneficial regardless of experience level. At the Olive Garden, the bussers do the majority of prep work for shifts and there is no sidework to speak of, just cleaning your station. :) The Darden corporation has a program called "Darden Dimes" in which employes can opt to donate a dime or more per paycheck to a "fund" that assists employees in times of need. THEY ACTUALLY DO THIS, it doesn't just disappear without you knowing where it goes. During a hurricane in 2008, Ike, we were closed down without power for a few days. Each employee that filled out the form received an average of 250 dollars on a prepaid card to help with expenses during the shutdown. Management was very good about scheduling around staff's requests when provided in a timely manner.
Cons
The downside is not particularly the fault of Darden, but there were some interesting choices made regarding hiring choices for the front of the house. They do make you fill out a personality test of multiple choice questions, sometimes none of them actually were acurate of myself. They administer this to you post first interview if they are interested in further interviewing you. Strange, but becoming more common in the industry.
