Management Training
Newly hired managers are given the opportunity to participate in an intensive company-specific management training program. This management training program lasts approximately five weeks for Sous Chefs and nine weeks for Assistant Managers and provides the newest members of our management team with the basic tools they will need to be successful at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group. We pride ourselves on ... See more.
every restaurant location as a training location, so with few exceptions, a new manager will train in his/her home store under the guidance of his/her new GM. The General Manager’s role in management training is that of a mentor; GMs work similar schedules to their new managers so that they can follow-up daily on training progress and answer questions / provide direction. In addition to this daily interaction, GMs meet one-on-one with new managers on a weekly basis to completely review the previous week’s training and provide feedback.
“The Management Training Program is very inclusive and informative so be prepared for a lot of fun! The management team and training team are knowledgeable and are able to execute the program very well – they have been able to answer any question I have thrown at them. What I like most about the program is that what you read in the books is actually reality – it’s being executed and followed in everyday operations.”
- New MIT graduate, Gordon Biersch Las Vegas
There are several main components of the management training program including reading, systems training, activities and on-the-job experience. A new manager trains in every hourly role that he/she will be managing and spends a significant amount of time getting to know his/her hourly team. From the first week, a new manager is expected to attend manager meeting, participate in discussion and take notes on his/her observations throughout a shift. Development at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group is self-driven and new managers are expected to take initiative, ask questions and be participative learners throughout the training process.
New managers also have the opportunity to participate in reviews of their progress with a Regional Manager for the purposes of creating a development plan that is specific to the new manager’s strengths and developmental opportunities. In addition to the Regional Manager, General Manager and manager colleagues, a new Assistant Manager or Sous Chef also has the resources of the Corporate Team, specifically the Management Recruiter and Training Manager, for support throughout the hiring and training process.
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Management Development
Our Tiering Program, or management development program, provides our managers and sous chefs with the resources necessary to develop and advance in their careers with GBBRG. As our company and systems evolve, we are committed to providing our managers the opportunity to continue to learn, grow and ... See more.
find better solutions to manage our restaurant operations. The Tiering Program picks up where the MIT program leaves off, but it also accommodates managers with all levels of management experience. It is designed to provide hands-on learning, immediate feedback, goal-setting, and a detailed plan for development and advancement.
“The Tiering Program is individualized and suit your strengths and areas of opportunity. You are able to go through the program at your own pace. The time it takes you to advance depends largely on your experience, ability, and ambition. You are in control over your own destiny.”
– VP of Operations, West Coast
The foundation of our Tiering Program is the solid network of people who are committed to management development. The manager will have a close relationship with mentors at several levels, including the General Manager, Regional Manager, and other Assistant Managers. The manager will also be challenged to learn about themselves and grow through the process of self-development.
We provide the network of people access to tools and resources to foster development for all managers in the restaurant. The main component of the program is a set of checklists of specific competencies and tasks that a manager is responsible for accomplishing. The checklists are divided into tiers, which are integrated into areas of responsibility, and can be customized for the manager depending on his/her experience level. These checklists provide a hands-on approach to learning through our operations, and they are supplemented with many other tools and resources including meetings with mentors, readings, projects, and activities to gain further insight into the material. We also provide our Assistant General Managers and Sous Chefs the opportunity to perform transitional roles for a period of time, which allow them to assume the responsibilities of a GM or Chef, adapt to the hands-on aspects of the job, and fine-tune leadership skills.
"When I started with GB, the Tiering Program was invaluable for me as an Assistant Manager. It details many of the technical and leadership areas that you can grow in to become the best at what you do. The tiers broke down all of the various skills into an informative guide which allowed me to learn at my own pace. Through weekly meetings with my GM I was able to talk about the items that I needed help with, and with his guidance was able to be promoted to General Manager in less than 2 years! I still find the Tiering Program invaluable as a General Manager, because it gives my Assistant Managers a road map to their own development. In my weekly One-on-One meetings with each manager, we speak about the tier that they are working on and check off items together once they have mastered them. It really helps to give you the confidence you need to be an effective leader."
– General Manager, Gordon Biersch Annapolis
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Hourly Team Member Training
The new team member training experience at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group follows a specialized program created by our corporate team specifically for our restaurants so that every team member can be as successful as possible! New team member training is focused on the mechanics of a person’s specific role, but also the hospitality culture of Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group which ... See more.
emphasizes how every team member plays a role in creating exceptional guest experiences and a great workplace. The General Manager of each restaurant is responsible for personally completing Orientation and teaching Hospitality classroom to every new team member – that means two days of training personally spent with the GM. Training is a critical management function at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, so Assistant Managers, Sous Chefs and Chefs are also heavily involved in training. A manager reviews the performance of a new team member every day of training and has daily conversations with him/her to answer any questions and offer feedback. Certified Trainers are the last integral piece of new team member training in our restaurants. These team leaders were selected and certified by the management team and spend several hours each day with new team members in classroom and side-by-side with them (interacting with guests, preparing food, etc.) during a shift.
"We’re always tasting food as part of our training – when I first started I tasted everything and then every week we taste lunch specials and any items we’re focusing on; whenever a new menu rolls out we have food shows and review all of the ingredients in everything."
– Trainer, Big River Hamilton
Once this initial training program is complete, new team members have the opportunity to participate in ongoing development opportunities. Based on performance and interest, team members in every role can be promoted to a certified trainer position, expand their role to encompass more responsibility, participate in company rollouts, offer feedback to our corporate team through regular conference calls and roundtable meetings, and participate in ongoing training classes such as Beer School.
"These trainer conference calls are great because they give us the flexibility to decide what is best for our individual restaurant. We don’t all have to come to a consensus; just share our ideas!"
– Trainer, GB Palo Alto
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