Bella Italia has launched a Leadership Academia Programme with the aim of filling 70% of its restaurant managerial positions from its internal talent pool.
The scheme, which launched on 21st August 2017, demonstrates the company’s commitment to investing in its employees, to enable internal talent growth and a clear career path from Team Member to General Manager.
The programme is divided into three tiered stages: Stepping up, for team members looking to become Managers as well as Chef to Sous Chef; whilst Emerging Leaders focuses on Sous-chefs and Supervisors looking to step up to Head Chef and Assistant Manager; and Future Leaders, for Assistant Managers and Head Chefs looking to become General Managers.
Each stage has bespoke learning modules that give employees the information and experience they need to take the next step in their career. Participants are also required to attend external workshops away from the restaurant, which are given by Bella’s Learning and Development team.
Courses are structured so that the onus is on the individual to drive their own learning. The guidance, observation and assessment is all undertaken by senior members of the Bella team.
Wayne Morgan, HR Director, Bella Italia, said: “Attracting and retaining quality people, in an ever-shrinking pool of talent, is a challenge all operators are currently facing. We wanted to positively promote a career in hospitality and show that it’s possible to work your way up from the floor to management.
“We’ve introduced a structure and a culture that gives employees a clear vision of their career progression. The onus is on the individual to drive their progression, we just provide them with the tools and advice they need to take control of their career.
“By investing time and effort in our people, we create a loyal, highly skilled workforce who know the brand inside out and are experts in creating the exceptional dining experiences our customers know and love.”
The programme reinforces the businesses engagement strategy that targets three key areas: attracting and retaining quality talent; developing and training the leaders of tomorrow within the business; and embedding and reinforcing a culture that drives employee engagement.
Bella Italia currently has over 170 employees training in the Leadership Academia Programme to take the next step in their career.