Branded Restaurants

Q: If you had to characterise your company’s plans for 2012 in a single word, what would it be?

Engagement; our employees will be surveyed twice a year via MySay - an online survey.

Our customers will have even more ways with which to feedback to us and let us know the things we are getting right and the things that we're not getting so right.

Q: What’s the most exciting initiative currently taking place/set to be launched within your business?

2012 will see the launch of one-to-one coaching for new managers for their first six months of their career in Tragus in order for them to achieve their initial goals. With the engagement initiatives above, our managers will be better informed regarding their performance from both a customer and their own team's point of view.

Q: Describe the levels at which you recruit within your restaurants.

Within our restaurants, the restaurant managers are responsible for recruiting team members from kitchen assistant up to sous chef and supervisors. The managers are provided with application and interview forms which feature scenario-based questions and food tasting exercises! Management recruitment is managed centrally at the support office by the recruitment team.

Q: Describe typical/potential career paths for candidates entering your restaurants.

We have some fantastic examples of employees starting in our restaurants as kitchen assistants and ending up as area managers! Employees are encouraged to seek out new opportunities as they arise within the restaurants and across our brands.
Waiting staff and chefs are encouraged to move back-of-house or front-of-house, and then move into supervisory positions.
They may then take the role of head chef or assistant manager, then of course, restaurant manager. From there, head chefs can become senior head chefs and run kitchens of excellence within their area. Restaurant managers can become area coaches. We then have our senior restaurant managers, who are our potential area managers of the future.

Q: What qualities do you most look for in potential employees?

It sounds cheesy but passion! Passion for customer service, food, our brands and a keenness to develop - both themselves and their team.
How would you characterise the working culture at your business?
The majority of our restaurants are open seven days a week, 365 days a year; some from 6am in the morning until after midnight, so by nature, the working culture has to be, and is, flexible. We do insist on fun and have worked hard to instil a culture of recognition and reward at all levels.

Q: What do you think qualifies your business to be seen as an employer of choice?

From day one in Tragus, all employees across our businesses have access to an online academy of training and development tools and courses to further their career. We have a dedicated learning and development team to support the managers and team members with their aspirations and performance.
Employees can, and do, move across and upwards within our brands. We offer our managers a lucrative bonus scheme, which does pay out each quarter, and our restaurant managers are offered private medical insurance.
We operate an online "Tragus rewards" incentive system to allow managers to instantly reward their teams. Tragus also has a well-received and well-used £1,000 management referral scheme.
Above all, Tragus has fantastic brands and passionate employees and we welcome all likeminded people with open arms.

Q: If you had to characterise your company’s plans for 2012 in a single word, what would it be?

Exciting!

Q: What’s the most exciting initiative currently taking place/set to be launched within your business?

As ever there are lots of exciting things happening in Nando's. If I had to think of the most exciting it would be moving to a four-region structure to accommodate our continued growth. With this move there will be some great opportunities for our people to progress and for externals to join Nando's.

Q: Describe the levels at which you recruit within your restaurants.

We recruit at all levels within our restaurants. Nandocas, what we call a member of our family, are the people who bring our restaurants (and central support teams) to life. A Nandoca in a restaurant may start as a cashier or griller, progress to buddy trainer and then supervisor.
The main restaurant management job we recruit for is the Patrão - the name we give the general manager of a Nando's restaurant and means head of the family in Portuguese. Patrãos share in their restaurant's success through both our bonus and partnership programmes. The other roles we recruit in the restaurants are first and second assistant managers and they make a huge contribution to the running of the restaurant.
Nando's restaurants are grouped together into regions, with each overseen by a regional managing director who is personally responsible for between six and 12 restaurants and takes full accountability for the profit and loss of the restaurants within their region. Half of our regional managing directors progressed from Patrão and some of our regional managing directors have progressed to the role of regional director.
To ensure the quality and standards of our restaurants are always at the highest possible level, we have an operational centre called central support. Vacancies in our central support functions don't tend to come up as often as those in our restaurants but we're always on the hunt for fresh talent.

Q: Describe typical/potential career paths for candidates entering your restaurants.

We help new starters get used to the way we do things before giving them a specific restaurant job. This role will depend on their skills and our requirements. If someone is looking to move into management, then becoming a supervisor is the first step. Supervisors are given the chance to prove themselves; to see if they have the passion and ability to start a career in management.
We are proud to have won some amazing awards for our training but we have never had a sheep dip approach. Training is tailored to the needs of the individual and we do this by giving feedback, completing reviews and providing a personal development plan.
Our career paths are limitless and we have all the tools to help individuals achieve their own career goal. Look at our managing director. He started as a management trainee and is now responsible for the whole of Nando's UK!

Q: What qualities do you most look for in potential employees?

Although every role within Nando's demands slightly different skills, we have five values that all Nandocas live and breathe. We look for people who take pride in themselves and in what they do. They should have the passion to deliver great service to all customers and be as enthusiastic come the end of their shift as they were at the beginning. They should have the courage to always be honest, take responsibility and make decisions. They should have the integrity to respect their fellow Nandocas and customers at all times.
We are one big family so "family" team-player qualities are crucial as Nandocas will be surrounded by other Nandocas who want each other to succeed. Although we're serious about our values, we also expect people to have fun.
If we meet someone who has no experience in the restaurant, hospitality or retail trade before joining Nando's, it doesn't matter. What matters most is having the right approach towards work and customers, someone that pours their heart and soul into everything they do.

Q: How would you characterise the working culture at your business?

If there's something that really sets us apart from our competitors, it's our approach to doing business. We believe that making money and being profitable should always be fun. Nando's is a very positive company with serious ambition - a serious business with a playful side.

Q: What do you think qualifies your business to be seen as an employer of choice?

Back in March 2010, we topped the Sunday Times Top 25 Best Big Companies to Work For list. Of all the awards we've won across the years, it's probably the one that's meant the most to us, because it was our people explaining why Nando's is the best of the best.
Recognition to us isn't just financial; it's about rewarding all of our Nandocas, day-in day-out, for doing a fantastic job. This includes our annual conference, annual family days, regional social events, four week sabbatical after five years' service, a free meal every shift, 20% discount when not working and so the list goes on...
We know we don't always get it right so twice a year every Nandoca gets the chance to voice their opinions on our staff survey. In between surveys we hold Nandoca forums where a representative from every restaurant can speak directly to the Full Monty (board of directors).
Our philosophy is simple and has never changed since our first restaurant in the UK opened in 1992 - happy staff = happy customers = happy bank manager. Everything we do is and always has been built around this.