Targeted eLearning in a fast-paced industry
Chris Corbin and Jeremy King have been partners in business for over 30 years. During that time they have created some of London’s most iconic and best-loved restaurants, including The Wolseley, The Delaunay and Brasserie Zédel. The Beaumont in Mayfair is the first hotel from Corbin & King, and has won numerous awards since opening in 2014.
The challenge
A large proportion of Corbin & King staff (over 50%) do not speak English as a first language, and for many new staff, this can be a barrier to their ability to communicate effectively in the workplace. Some of these are in junior roles purely because of this area of weakness; despite being experienced and more than competent in terms of knowledge and skill, their language skills hold them back. Finding time for traditional face-to-face English language training is difficult to schedule given the fast-pace and long working hours in the hospitality sector.
Corbin & King wanted to address this specific need for their business with the aim of developing, engaging and retaining staff. There was also a duty of care – a lack of functional English in certain environments, particularly kitchens, could increase the risk of injury.
"London School Online worked closely with us to develop bespoke materials for our staff. They were prepared to tweak existing modules to ensure our company ethos and standards were portrayed. Their support was, and is, phenomenal." Adam Kirkaldy, Learning & Development Manager, Corbin & King
Our solution
London School Online created a co-branded, mobile-optimised eLearning platform which, in addition to providing four distinct levels of general and hospitality English language training, also introduced Corbin & King’s culture and values in an engaging and memorable way. As well as being educational, the platform is a valuable resource with information on the company estate and its history, reinforcing the key messages from the company induction. We worked closely with Corbin & King’s Learning & Development team and line-managers to agree realistic and achievable targets for employees.
Results
Corbin & King have seen immediate results from the eLearning platform, with very high levels of engagement and course completion rates to date. The ability to monitor and track progress at any time enables key stakeholders to see evidence of how staff language and comprehension is improving. Line Managers have remarked on how much better their teams are at communicating in the workplace. Scope for further training modules exists as we look to build on and improve the current offer.