The Mac Factor: the importance of training staff

Kicking off a new regular column, John McNamara, chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), reminds licensees of the importance of training their staff.

I was extremely interested and not a little concerned last month to read the results of The Publican Market Report 2003​.

Trading has been tough for many within our industry this year but I was still shocked by the figures on training that this year's survey has thrown up. While I was pleased to see that 87 per cent of licensees themselves had taken some form of qualification, I was dismayed to find that only 26 per cent of licensees felt staff training was a focus for improvement in the year ahead - to my mind that is simply not good enough.

The conclusion drawn by The Publican is that many licensees see staff training as a luxury - costly in terms of time and money and a quick saving to be made when times are hard.

In a previous life working for a high street bank I once fell into this same trap. I was looking for a quick saving to balance the books and I decided to drop some of the staff training I had planned. My boss called me in to his office.

"If you think training is expensive," he said, "then try ignorance!"

And that really is more true today than ever. It has been shown time after time that training has an immediate impact on your bottom line. It not only improves staff retention by giving staff a firm career structure and pathway, it also boosts staff morale and this impacts directly on their attitude to customer service and standards.

Training can ensure consistency in service standards as well - remember that one bad visit can put a customer off visiting your pub ever again. So why take that risk?

While it is excellent that the Market Report showed licensees feel they benefit from training it does seem strange that they do not share this enthusiasm when it comes to their staff.

Our job at the BII is to make training as accessible as possible for all licensees and their staff and to keep costs down - and we are constantly striving to do just that. Our latest initiatives include the Barperson's National Certificate, the exam which can be taken over the phone meaning your staff don't even need to leave the pub to do it.

Likewise we have taken a long hard look at our Advanced Qualifications after licensees fed back to us that they would prefer a one-day course with pre-reading rather than spending too much time away from their business.

The message really is that qualifications are not just about hanging a certificate on your wall - they must have an instant effect on your business and an impact on your bottom line. Otherwise, what is the point?

In response to the disappointing Market Report statistics we at the BII will certainly redouble our efforts to drive this message forward - training is not an expense, it is an investment in the future of your business and it is the key to your success!