EP Magazine

Chef training - an investment worth making

Training chefs delivers real bottom line results

By Brian Wisdom, chief executive, People 1st

I was interested to read a recent statistic which stated that chefs stay, on average, two years longer in a job where they are offered training and development.

It showed that chefs stay with employers offering training for an average of 6.5 years, compared to 4.4 years for those who don’t – something that could really have an impact on the bottom line of a business.

Chefs are expensive to recruit. People 1st’s 2009 Employer Survey found that the average direct cost of recruiting and inducting a new chef was £705. Having run a restaurant business myself I know that, when other factors come into play, the cost rises even further. As one leading employer told us, the downtime involved in training new chefs, the loss of productivity, replacement of uniforms and other factors, means it actually costs around £5,500 to replace a chef.

Anything that encourages them to stay with the business longer not only drives up your margins, but also reduces the cost of turnover. People 1st’s research team has estimated that businesses could save £529 per chef, per year, by  developing them. With around 47,500 chefs leaving their jobs each year, that’s a potential £25 million a year that the hospitality industry is losing.

Chefs are like anyone else – if you give them training, development and other challenges they are more likely to feel warm about your organisation and to stay with you. It’s just good practice when you have talented, skilled people to offer them development and training, not just within their role – but beyond it.

Chefs represent one of the biggest skills shortages the hospitality industry faces. Employers must realise that addressing this is not just about attracting new people to the sector, and perceptions of long hours and pay, but about retaining the workforce that we already have. 

Statistics show that it makes good business sense to train and develop your chefs. It doesn’t just create a balanced and settled team, but boosts the bottom line as well. If you also take into account the stress that is put upon managers and teams when turnover is high, you cannot put a price on keeping your chefs happy.

If that means investing in their skills, it’s an investment worth making.

Comment: Philip Corrick, executive chef, Royal Automobile Club

“We employ 80 chefs across two sites, so it’s important that we look after them in terms of their development. At the lower levels, cooking is the most important
part of the training but moving up the ranks, man-management, leadership and delivering the budget take on a much stronger emphasis. We run guest chef promotions in our fine dining restaurant and involve leading hotels and restaurants across Europe, which allows us to send members of the team to various kitchens as part of their development. Our head chef at Woodcote Park has been with the club for over 10 years, and the recently promoted head chef at Pall Mall is in his sixth year with the club. The club’s commitment to training has been a huge support in running the operation. I personally attended a general management programme at Cranfield University which has helped me immensely. We also encourage junior members of the team to move on and gain experience in other establishments, and they often return. It is a tough call to train chefs who move on but, if the experience has been a positive one, they will spread the word and your business will benefit.”

Comment: Martin Bates, chief executive, Craft Guild of Chefs

“It is no surprise to the Guild to find that chefs will stay, on average, two years longer with an employer that offers training. Our members come from across all
sectors of the industry and, in general, wish to hone their skills whether practical or theoretical. Training enlivens the work environment and helps them to progress
along their chosen career path. An establishment that offers its employees training will find this investment rewarded with loyalty and a more skilled workforce."