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Skills England | How the Gov's new L&D plan could transform UK workforce development
HR Grapevine
Kate Hetherington
Chief People Officer at PizzaExpress
Kate Hetherington, Chief People Officer at PizzaExpress, pulls up a seat at the table with HR Grapevine to share more about her company’s track record of outstanding career development and talent mobility...
Kate Hetherington
Chief People Officer at PizzaExpress
Kate Hetherington, Chief People Officer at PizzaExpress, pulls up a seat at the table with HR Grapevine to share more about her company’s track record of outstanding career development and talent mobility...
It’s increasingly commonplace for employers to offer some kind of entry-level scheme designed to recruit early careers talent. Whether it is school, college, or university leavers, this pipeline of fresh talent is eager to learn new skills and cut their teeth in the world of work.
Unfortunately, many early career programmes lose their momentum at the entry-level roles, with the prospects of career development unfairly limited. Promises made during the recruitment process are not lived up to in the reality of retention.
But at one employer – beloved restaurant chain PizzaExpress – it’s not just garlic doughballs and oven-crisp pizzas on the table. New employees, from waiters and Pizzaiolos to corporate staff, are all given the delicious prospect of genuine skills development and career progression.
Kate Hetherington, Chief People Officer at PizzaExpress, pulls up a seat at the table with HR Grapevine to share more about her company’s career development practices.
Why is (early) careers development such an important part of PizzaExpress’ DNA?
PizzaExpress is a place where special memories are formed and many firsts are shared—first birthdays, first dates, and first jobs. So many of our team members start their working lives with us and continue to progress and grow their careers, and it’s important to us that we offer a pathway into this vibrant and rewarding industry which is full to the brim with opportunities.
We have people in our team who have progressed through different roles in the business, whether that’s from Pizzaiolo to General Manager or waiter to director-level positions… we’re proud to provide opportunities that support career growth.
We have people in our team who have progressed through different roles in the business, whether that’s from Pizzaiolo to General Manager or waiter to director-level positions… we’re proud to provide opportunities that support career growth
Kate Hetherington | Chief People Officer at PizzaExpress
Can you share an overview of your School and College Leavers Programme?
We are super excited to be able to offer a Business Management degree qualification to school and college leavers, where learners can not only earn and learn on the job but also have no tuition fees or loans to worry about. I will encourage my 12-year-old son to apply for a programme like this when he is old enough!
The School and College Leavers Programme is running across England and Ireland and is a three-year training programme to equip people with the skills to become a General Manager, with the programme aiming to set participants up for successful future careers. This cohort could likely be our next generation of leaders!
We've done away with the traditional CV and instead, we are asking candidates to show their true selves with a new platform called Vizzy which adopts a social media-style approach to the application process.
The reason behind this is we know that sometimes the opportunity for intern and work experiences isn’t equal for everyone. We aren’t screening people for the typical experience listed on a CV, such as internships. Instead, the platform allows us to see the individual without the paperwork. We’re delighted to be the first hospitality business to partner with Vizzy on this unique way of connecting with candidates.
