Cyrus Todiwala`s Cafe Spice Namaste in London has been praised in a new good-practice guide by the Department for Business (BERR), for its innovative staff training programme.
The guide highlights the benefits of good communication between an employer and its staff when it comes to training and has lauded several businesses, including Cafe Spice, for doing just that.
Saturday Kitchen chef Cyrus Todiwala implemented a staff training programme after realising all his staff lacked basic English language skills, let alone customer service skills. He believed external classes would have been off-putting, so set up an internal training programme, providing his staff with all the skills they needed through classes and improvised customer situations.
Since putting staff training and support at the forefront of their policies, over 90 per cent of Cafe Spice’s staff are educated to NVQ Level Two, and confidence has increased so much that the staff turnover is virtually zero.
Todiwala told BigHospitality the secret to training staff successfully is to firstly discover staff needs by asking each individual what they want. “Dialogue is very important, but you need to interest staff to do training, so instead of taking away from them by using their free time, use company time so they’re fully paid. You also need to keep them challenged constantly. That helps them stay longer because there’s more commitment.”
Skills Minister David Lammy said: "Effective dialogue over skills is a win-win for employers and staff, leading to a more committed and innovative workforce, enhanced productivity, and ultimately a stronger economy and fairer society.”
The government has proposed plans to give staff the legal right to request time to train, a move which BERR believes will encourage more two-way communication about skills training in the workplace.
To see exactly what BERR said about Cafe Spice, click here.