Careers in managed pubs: Moving ahead

Pub companies offer good careers with plenty of development opportunities.

Professionalism is no longer a luxury for the pub industry. It's a necessity. Customers are demanding better service. An increasingly tangled web of laws and regulations won't get any simpler with the new licensing laws. And competition from home entertainments and other leisure pursuits is hotter than ever. The quality of the people working at the sharp end, in the pubs, is vital.

That's why leading pubcos are investing in training and careers for their employees. It's not just a matter of winning their loyalty and retaining experience in the industry. Well-trained, professional people are needed to keep the show on the road.

Recruiting the right talent is the first step and Spirit Group, which became Britain's biggest managed pub operator at the end of last year when it bought 1,400 houses from Scottish & Newcastle, has launched a new recruitment drive to raise the standards across its 2,400-strong estate.

Among a number of initiatives is "Discover Life on the Other Side" which is targeted at pub customers.

Although prospective managers do not need any formal training or qualifications Spirit is looking for individuals capable of more than just pulling a pint.

Turnover of some pubs can be extremely high so applicants need to be financially savvy with an eye for a good marketing campaign.

Some culinary capabilities are also required and you have to have the ability to understand and keep abreast of legal issues affecting the industry such as the new Licensing Act and the Disability Discrimination Act.

One of the advantages Spirit has in the jobs market is its sheer variety of pubs. The estate includes brands such as Wacky Warehouse, John Barras, Chef & Brewer and Qs and new managers could find themselves in a traditional local pub, a city bar or a family restaurant.

Whatever the pub, full training is given to help them run a successful business, says Spirit Group HR director Joyce Woodrow. "Running a pub is more than pulling the perfect pint. Modern pub managers need to be business savvy, alert to great marketing opportunities and at the same time have a good head for figures. We recognise that our people are the secret to our success and we believe in rewarding their efforts," she explains.

Greene King Pub Company moved up to become the third biggest managed house firm when it took over Laurel's community pubs earlier this year and staff at its 770 houses are offered innovative training and development that has helped the company win a string of Publican Awards.

Among the latest initiatives is Springboard. Not to be confused with the hospitality recruitment organisation of the same name, Springboard is aimed at the pub staff Greene King calls "right-hand key holders".

Both right-handed and left-handed these are the people are identified as the ones who will run the pub when the manager is away.

The programme consists of several bespoke company courses including health and safety, food safety, cash control and security and also takes in the National Certificate for Licensees.

Nearly 400 people are on the programme and the first nine have already graduated and been awarded their Springboard "passport" on which they can record their further progress.

Greene King has already saved £1m since it started using its own staff instead of relief managers two years ago.

But, as the company's Simon Burton explains, the change brought "security issues and cash discrepancies which has cost us £150,000".

"We realised we had to train people better, especially with the new licensing laws coming in," he comments. "And there's a percentage we hope will make it through as managers of their own pubs."

Springboard graduates will get the chance to join Greene King's 13-week Manager in Training (MIT) programme, introduced 18 months ago to attract people from outside the industry.

More than 50 MITs have been appointed to pubs and are achieving an average like-for-like sales growth of 4.5 per cent. Three-quarters have stayed with the company, a good result in the pub industry.

In addition, Greene King has recently introduced Focus, a series of 90-minute "workouts" for managers in subjects like creativity and team management, and Elevation, a development scheme aimed at kitchen teams, an increasingly important area of pub business which established career paths often avoid.

Greene King's elaborate training programmes, steadily brought in over the past five years, are in part designed to change attitudes to training among staff - and they seem to be working.

Simon reports that course attendance has soared from 30 per cent in 1999 to 87 per cent today.

"We have successfully engaged people with training so that they actually want to learn," he says. "That's why we have invested in making 40 of our pub managers training managers. You need advocates of training at a local level."

Pictured: Greene King managers get creative during a company training session.​

Fast-track at Shepherd Neame​

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame is seeing the results of a fast-track development programme introduced last year to produce the next generation of managers for its 64 pubs.

Leading to an NVQ3 in Hospitality Supervision it combines two in-house courses with the British Institute of Innkeeping's Professional Barperson's Qualification.

Between them they cover licensing law and the practical skills necessary to good service and go on to develop managerial and supervisory skills through in-house workshops.

Candidates, currently numbering 44 assistant managers, benefit from a support network of mentors made up of pub managers, business development managers, the tied trade human resources manager and a field trainer.

"It's already raising standards of customer service and improving staff retention," says Sheps human resources manager Graeme Endacott. "And it will provide a new generation of pub managers from people working in our pubs."

Proof of that is Claire Isaac, who was on the initial pilot group for the programme and is already managing her own pub - at 22.

Case study: Cath Lees, the Crown & Anchor, Leeds​

Cath Lees has been working in the pub industry since her first part-time job as a waitress when she was 16. And now, at 28, she's an award-winning licensee.

After she left college, Cath began training as a commis chef then moved to bar work before managing her own pub, the Crown & Anchor in Rodley, Leeds.

"If anyone's looking for variety in their job then pub management is definitely for them," she comments.

"I love the fact that I can deal with people face to face and build up friendships with my staff and my customers.

"Plus there's the business management side of running your own pub. It can be very satisfying knowing you have responsibility. You get a feeling of tremendous pride when your sales are up and the business is running smoothly."

Voted Spirit Group's Newcomer of the Year 2003 for her division, Cath has really helped the Crown & Anchor reach its full potential.

She continues: "There had been several managers running the pub before I came in two years ago and the customers felt disheartened that nobody was staying long enough to really make something of it.

"Since I arrived it has become a proper local and my customers have showed their appreciation by using the pub more often.

"The best thing about managing a pub for Spirit is that I'm trusted to know what works best for my pub and my customers," she adds. "The Crown and Anchor never had before, but now we have a full menu and it's proving popular.

"I'm being assessed to become a training support manager for the company so I can really help to bring on my staff a