Orchid Group is celebrating 10rounds of its Steps 2 Excellence Deputy Manager development programme. The anniversary marks five years of industry-leading training which has brought success for the company in terms of both results and people:
- Set up to give Deputy Managers the specific experience and knowledge required to run their own pubs.
- Leads the way in innovation, always offering a comprehensive and hands-on programme so Orchid managers set themselves apart from the competition.
- Uses assessments, evaluations and real-life challenges as integral parts of the course.
- 70 of Orchid’s current General Managers have successfully graduated from Steps 2 Excellence, demonstrating that home-grown talent is leading the way.
- Two are now Orchid Platinum Partners – the pub company’s ambassador scheme.
- Another has moved up to the Steps 2 Success Area Manager development programme.
- Seven Area Managers have already worked through the internal schemes to achieve their current roles.
- Five graduates are now Training House Managers and part of the Ready for Business Team. They support external General Managers coming into the company during their induction period.
Lucy Craig, Development Manager at Orchid Group comments:
“We knew from the beginning that internal training and development had to be an integral part of our business, and over the years the strong results and staff retention levels have proven the value of the Steps 2 Excellence scheme.”
“To see so many of our management team work up through the ranks is incredibly inspiring for other staff members and creates a really positive atmosphere where everyone knows their talents and dedication are recognised.”
Dragons’ Den challenge
The Steps 2 Excellence scheme includes a Dragons’ Den style challenge, where the trainee General Managers are tasked with pitching an idea that will boost their sales to a team of experts. The Dragons have included Head of Operations Jo Probert and Commercial & People Director Simon Dodd and 10 rounds of the real-life work challenge have been held in the last five years.
“The challenge breeds a healthy culture of competition within the company and helps us drive our sales and people forward,” says Simon Dodd. “They have brought some outstanding results for the pubs involved.”
Currently, 33 Deputy Managers are on the Steps 2 Excellence programme and as part of their Dragons’ Den challenge they are being tasked with adding a minimum £2,000 on to their pub sales. They will also be delivering training and coaching within their teams, so the effects of the programme are wide-reaching and will impact some 600 members of staff.
Chefs 2 Excellence
The 10th anniversary of Steps 2 Excellence has also been marked with the launch of a similar scheme called Chefs 2 Excellence. This is already showing inspirational results and 24 Chefs are enrolled on the current scheme.
The Chefs 2 Excellence and Steps 2 Excellence programmes are officially recognised as national qualifications to NVQ Levels 3 and 4, with Steps 2 Success also being mapped to Level 5. By working closely with Apprentice 1st, Orchid ensures that all training gives students hands-on real-life experience as well as the appropriate knowledge and learning.
Making Orchid’s future prosperous
Because of the strong performance that Orchid sees from pubs that are led by Steps graduates, it is also confident in investing in these pubs and further enhancing business success. Lucy Craig:
“With a vast number of inspirational success stories and results over the years we know our training and development schemes ensure we have the best people in our pubs. Together our kitchen and front-of-house teams make Orchid’s future truly prosperous and our programmes will remain a huge part of what we do.
“Allowing people to enhance their careers is a key focus in the Orchid culture and we are all extremely proud of this.”
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