How to hire lots of people and train them fast

University of Alabama football coaching legend Nick Saban uses the term “the process” so often, it’s become an internet meme. For the Crimson Tide, an injury or a setback — or in some cases, the rare loss of a game — can be negated, if the entire team is executing on a well-defined, well-planned, process. Backed by Saban’s six national championships, the process plainly works.

'I don’t think any store opening has been perfect, but we want to get as close to that as we can. We always want to get better.' Nina Franchina, PDQ

Nina Franchina, director of training for Tampa-based fast-casual/fast-food chain PDQ, gives Saban a run for his process. She’s used it so well, PDQ is one of the fastest-growing chains in its field, a crowded landscape where multiple competitors jockey for supremacy. The company, with about 75 locations, spread from 40 in Florida to one in Utah, had $132.2 million in sales last year.