SOME OLD-SCHOOL TRAINING TACTICS ARE STALE AND NEED TO GO. OTHERS ARE TRIED AND TRUE AND SHOULD STAY. MORRISON HEALTHCARE’S CHEF THOMAS SEWELL GIVES US HIS TAKE. BY TARA FITZPATRICK TRAINING TALK: WHICH FOODSERVICE TRAINING TACTICS SHOULD STAY AND WHICH SHOULD GO? WORKFORCE
T homas Sewell is division chef, Southeast, for Morrison Health- care. Prior to that, he spent sev- eral years at the Florida Blue healthcare system, as leader of culinary P&L operations, where he got farm-to-fork initiatives started, started signature events like chef’s tables, and also worked with the GM on effective employee training on food safety and beyond. The veteran healthcare chef says training is a constant, but in different forms throughout the year. “We have teammates that have been with us for many years, but we have new teammates joining our teams daily,” Sewell says. “One-on-one, as well as smaller group training happens daily, but we do have certain times of the year we will meet as a larger group both in person and virtually.” Like many other areas of profes- sional life, individual personalities come into play. Human beings react to different things in a million different ways. So, as a trainer, it helps to quick- ly identify what kind of learning is best for each team member. Sewell has found that whether a new hire will jump right in or wade in slow- ly “depends on the new teammate,” he says. “Some will be ready to hit the ground running, while others will need to take a step back and evaluate the sit- uation. We have a very diverse team, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, so we evaluate their skills and use the train- ing tactics that will help them be more successful in their roles.” Here are a few of Sewell’s “stay or go” selections on training:
STAY
GO
Mobile learning. “Provides training materials that are easily accessible on mobile devices.” Apprenticeships. “Nothing can replace the hands-on learning experience under the guidance of a skilled mentor.”
One-size fits all training. “Providing the same train- ing to all employees is no longer effective.”
The “Netflix of Learning” Approach. “Platforms that only use AI technology for training don’t really work.”
FSD QUARTERLY
Q2 2024
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ADOBE STOCK
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