Professional Development Programs
7
OH 7-1
7-1
 Hospitality Human Resources Management
and Supervision
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
 Explain the importance of professional
development.
 Describe basic professional development
strategies.
 Identify procedures for professional development
planning meetings.
 Provide information about professional
development programs for managers.
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Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
 Explain three commonly used professional
development methods.
 Identify other professional development methods.
 Describe basic procedures for developing
succession plans.
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Develop Employees
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Overview of Professional Development
 Professional Development refers to experience,
training and education provided to help
employees do their current jobs better and
prepare them for other positions.
 The term refers both to actions taken for a single
employee and actions the operation takes to
improve employees in general.
 A professional development program can
involve formal training activities or informal
activities such as coaching.
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Overview of Professional Development
continued
 Employees require all skills needed for the job
 A skill gap is the difference between the skills an
employee presently has and the skills that are
needed.
 There are several ways that managers can learn
about skill gaps
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Personal observation.
Reports by supervisors.
Reports or complaints by other workers, customers, or
vendors.
Routine performance evaluations.
Overview of Professional Development
continued
 Advanced skills can increase productivity.
 Employees need different knowledge and skills.
 Changes in equipment or procedures may be made.
 New governmental regulations may be mandated.
 Employees desire different jobs.
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Responsibility for Professional Development
 The operation is responsible for providing
professional development methods and
opportunities, including paying for the costs. In
return, an employee will be better able to help the
establishment succeed.
 The immediate manager is responsible for
assessing development needs, recommending and
assisting in the development of goals and methods,
and assessing progress.
 The employee carries most of the responsibility for
his or her development and achieving the agreed-on
goals.
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Professional Development Strategies
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STEP 1: Establish Goals While Considering
the Budget
 Goals should focus on the operation’s needs
first and then the employee’s goals.
 Managers should be aware of the amount
budgeted for professional development and then
consider priorities when developing plans for
specific employees.
 Goals should be measurable and written plan
established, which should be signed by the
manager and the employee after agreement.
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STEP 2: Select Development Methods
 After goals are agreed and budgets approved,
methods to acquire the necessary knowledge
and skills must be identified.
 Consider opportunities within the organization:
cross-training or on-the-job training, OJT.
 Educational opportunities that relate to the goals
of the program might be sourced outside the
establishment.
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Select Development Methods
continued
 Examples of educational opportunities:
 Local trade schools or four year degree programs
 Trade or professional association resources
 Books, videos or computer based training
 Classes and materials available on the Internet
 Special questions should be addressed
 How will different activities in the plan be prioritized?
 How much time will each activity take
 What does the operation expect as a result of
successful completion of the activity
 How will the plan be evaluated?.
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Select Development Methods
continued
• A sample worksheet
that a manager can use
to assist an employee in
attaining knowledge and
skills for another
position.
• A series of these
development plans can
be used over time to
address transfers or
advancements.
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STEPS 3-5: Approve, Implement, Monitor
Progress and Evaluate Plan
 Throughout the program, the manager and
employee should meet to discuss progress and
ways to overcome obstacles.
 The manager should:
 Observe the employee’s new and exiting behaviors
 Provide feedback
 Discuss progress being made to achieve goals
 Evaluation is easier if the goals are measurable.
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STEPS 6-7: Celebrate and Maintain Success
 Evaluate and celebrate success along the way
 If additional resources and training are needed; the
dollars and time invested will need to be evaluated
and determined if sufficient budget and time are
available.
 The employee may be asked to provide a written or
oral summary of the learning experience.
 Successful completion of agreed-on activities
should be followed by recognition of success.
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Employee Development Planning Meeting
 What—meeting to plan employee development
goals and how they will be achieved
 When—in conjunction with, but separate from,
an employee’s performance review
 How—a planned series of steps
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Preparing and Starting Employee
Development Planning Meetings
 Meet in a quiet and private place.
 Have a clear agenda, collect data about the
employee’s developmental needs, and use an
outline.
 State that you want to help the employee to
improve.
 Consider a time frame for development.
 Listen to the employee’s needs and concerns.
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An Employee Development
Planning Meeting
 Being prepared for
and sincerely
interested in helping
the employee to
improve will help to
assure a successful
meeting.
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Discussion Topics in
Goal-Setting Session
 Current work assignments and required
knowledge and skills
 Current skills and knowledge of the employee
 Corrective actions, if any, that are needed
 Employee’s career plans, and the skills and
knowledge required to meet his/her goals
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Types of Developmental Goals
 To attain a skill or knowledge
 To improve a skill or attitude
 Skills – Intellectual or physical actions that help
accomplish a goal.
 Knowledge – Information stored in a person’s mind,
such as facts, concepts, rules and procedures
 Attitudes – Feelings about facts or situations that
influence behaviors, such as liking to help people or
disliking being interrupted
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Types of Developmental Goals
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continued
Setting Employee Development Goals
 Each employee’s goals will likely be unique, but
they should support the operation’s overall
goals.
 Managers can help staff establish personal and
professional goals and to align them correctly.
 Goals can be agreed upon formally (in writing)
or informally (verbal statement/agreement)
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Determining Opportunities for Development
 Within the operation, including general and
cross-training
 Opportunities within the community
 Formal education programs
 Trade/professional association resources
 Community library materials
 Internet resources
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Establishing and Implementing
the Development Plan
 The supervisor-employer agreement must
address
 The plan’s time frame and goals
 Method(s) for development
 How the method(s) will be monitored and measured
 The supervisor and employee should meet as
agreed to discuss progress and provide
feedback.
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How Would You Answer
the Following Questions?
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1.
Who is the person most responsible for an
employee’s development.
2.
A _______ represents the difference between
the skills an employee has, and the skills that
are needed.
3.
A manager (should/should not) ask staff to
clarify personal development goals.
Continuous Improvement
 Continuous improvement through professional
development is essential for success in
restaurant and foodservice management.
 Certification is one way to do this.
 Certification requires an individual to
demonstrate a high level of skill and to meet
specific performance requirements by
participating in a rigorous process.
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Continuous Improvement
continued
 Examples of Sources of Certification:
 National Restaurant Association
 Foodservice Management Professional (FMP)
 ServSafe food protection manager certificate
 ServSafe Alcohol certificate
 ManageFirst Professional (MFP) credential
 The State and local restaurant Associations
 International Food Service Executives Association
(IFSEA)
 Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF)
 American Culinary Federation (ACF)
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Continuous Improvement
continued
 Networking is a process in which persons build
relationships to:
 Help with their career advancement,
 Keep updated in the industry and
 Seek advise about common operating challenges
 How?
 Attend meeting, seminars and conventions
 Participate in community events
 Participate in local job fairs
 Join the local Chamber of Commerce
 Volunteer as a community mentor
 Active member in professional organizations
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Employee Development Method—
Cross-Training
Cross training allows manager or their employees
to learn a job related to their own, often by
working closely with an employee
currently doing the job.
Step 1 – Prepare a list of important skills in each job.
Step 2 – Identify the employees to be cross-trained.
Step 3 – Implement cross-training opportunities.
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Delegation
 Delegation is a process of working with and
through others to complete a task or project.
 Allows employees to attain work tasks and
responsibilities that are not a normal part of their
position.
 Tasks appropriate for delegation: fact finding
tasks, detail work, repetitive tasks, “standing in”
tasks.
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Delegation
continued
 Several steps should be used if the delegation
process is to be effective:.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Preparation: Manager and employee work together to
select the task to be delegated, which the manager
clearly defines
Planning: Manager should meet with the employee to
describe the assignment in details and discuss all the
facts and required results.
Execution: The manager turns over the project or task to
the employee.
Assessment: A meeting to discuss the results, process
and lessons learned
Appreciation: Acknowledge the employee to recognize
their effort and contribution.
Mentoring
 Mentoring is a process which an experienced
employee provides advice to less experienced
employees about concerns relating to the job,
establishment, and profession.
 Mentors can be provided as a part of orientation.
 Long term mentoring relationships can provide
input and continuity for an employee’s
professional development.
 Mentors serve in many roles as they interact
with the employees assigned to them.
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Mentoring
continued
 Effective mentors have significant experience in
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the operation/industry.
They are in higher level positions than the
employee being mentored
They enjoy a favorable reputation in the
organization.
They are accessible.
They have time and interest in helping the
person being mentored.
Mentoring
continued
 Mentors are good communicators with effective
interpersonal and listening skills.
 They are good motivators and learn and listen to
determine and understand the goals of the
person being mentored.
 They respect confidentiality and provide honest
feedback.
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Mentoring
continued
 Those participating in long-term mentoring
relationships for professional development
purposes often go through several stages.
 The stages are defined in the text book on page
225.
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Employee Development Programs
Can Be Ineffective
 Managers must confront the challenge of determining
whether retraining will successfully address a specific
problem.
 Seldom does a single event or developmental program
move an employee all the way to the final goal. More
typically, several feedback and planning sessions must
be conducted during multiple improvement periods.
 It is difficult to modify attitudes.
 Training may not overcome physical capabilities and
aptitudes.
 Some people cannot learn certain things.
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Developing Succession Plans
 Succession planning is the process used by
many organizations to ensure that employees
will be recruited for and prepared to fill key
position when they become vacant.
 These are sometimes geared towards those
individuals recruited for “fast-track” positions.
 Several steps should be used to develop
succession plans:
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Developing Succession Plans
continued
 Step 1: Review job descriptions to determine which
position to include in the plan
 Step 2: Write the succession plan
 Step 3: Develop a training program and select or
recruit employees for each position in the
succession plan.
 Step 4: Train the employees, evaluate trainees, and
revise training activities as necessary.
 Step 5: Evaluate the plan periodically to ensure it is
still useful.
Details on each of these steps can be found on pages
229 and 230 of the text book.
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Next Week
 Article review on any topic covered today
 Position Checklist – create a checklist for your chosen
position: sanitation, opening, or closing (one checklist). In a
short paragraph indicate how often the checklist is to be
completed and who is responsible to verify/review employee
completion and what actions should be taken if incomplete.
Or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) – write a Standard
Operating Procedure for a task your chosen position would
perform. The SOP should include: 1) Task, 2) Detailed steps
to achieve task, 3) Specific order of steps, 4) Level of quality
expected, i.e. speed of service, food safety or hospitality that
employees are expected to demonstrate.
 Read Chapters 8 & 9
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Key Terms:
Certification The process through which an organization
grants recognition to an individual who meets certain
established criteria.

Cross-training Training in which an employee learns how to
do work normally done by someone in a different position.

Delegation A process of working with and through others to
complete a task or project; it shares authority and entrusts
employees to accomplish the tasks assigned to them.

Developmental goal A description of the knowledge and
skills that need to be gained or improved on to eliminate or
reduce an employee’s knowledge and skills gap.

Knowledge or skill gap A difference between the
knowledge or skills a manager or employee already has and
those that are needed to do the job.
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Key Terms:
continued
Mentoring A process in which an experienced employee
provides advice to less-experienced employees about
concerns relating to the job, establishment, and profession.

On-the-job training (OJT) A one-on-one approach to
training conducted at the work site.

Professional development Any experience, training, and
education provided to help employees do their current jobs
better and prepare them for other positions.

Succession planning A process used by many organizations
to ensure that employees will be recruited for and prepared to
fill key positions when they become vacant.

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