staff development
Would you be happy to work in the same job doing the same thing, from the time you leave school until you retire? Probably not. Staff development is all about making sure that employees are happy in their job, working to their full potential, and that their talents and skills – that could be of benefit to the company – are developed. This can mean encouraging staff to take on different responsibilities, moving departments or being promoted into a more senior role.
Three employees give details of their career development so far at Cadbury.
James – New and Interactive Media
How long have you been working at Cadbury?
I’ve been at Cadbury for about seven months, so I am relatively new. Previously, I worked in the telecommunications, e-commerce and knowledge management industries. To get to where I am today, after finishing my GCSEs I went on to study A level maths, chemistry, graphics and music. Next, I went on to study Internet Engineering.
What is your job title and what does your job involve?
My job title is New and Interactive Media Coordinator. My role involves managing the corporate websites and identifying opportunities for development across all Cadbury’s websites.
What do you enjoy about your job?
I enjoy working with different parts of the business. A typical day can see me working with Investor Relations, Human Resources and Design. I enjoy the fact that I can get on with things – my managers trust me to be able to perform my tasks with little input and allow me to make decisions on my own.
How does Cadbury develop you?
Cadbury offers plenty of training opportunities. There is a good review system that identifies what my training needs are and where I can improve. Since joining the company, I have been very impressed by the level of training available and the opportunities to develop and grow.
Cheryl – Community Affairs
How long have you been working at Cadbury?
I joined the company in May 2006. Previously, I worked for Business in the Community as the National Development Manager for Business Action on Homelessness. I worked with both business and charity partners in 26 cities. Prior to that, I worked in Marketing. I graduated from the University of Aston in 2007 with a combined honours degree in Business and Social Studies.
What is your job title and what does your job involve?
My job title is Community Affairs Manager UK & Ireland. My role is to support Cadbury sites to engage with Cadbury’s national community partners, including Young Enterprise, Business Action on Homelessness, the Youth Sport Trust etc. My role directly supports a network of over 30 Community Champions who implement local community engagement activity at their Cadbury site.
How does Cadbury develop you?
My role enables me to influence and work with the most senior people within the organisation for the benefit of the communities in which we operate, our employees and our business. Employees often find that their involvement in the community is a life-changing experience for them – this is fantastic to see and be part of.
What do you enjoy about your job
Cadbury is very good at developing people. When I first joined the business I was sent immediately on a management training programme which supported me to become a Cadbury manager. I have also attended specialist training courses within the field of CSR (corporate social responsibility) to enhance and update my knowledge and skills. Every employee also has regular one-to-one meeting with their line manager as well as half-year and end-of-year reviews. This process of continuous assessment enables you to reflect upon your own style and continuously grow and improve your skills set.
Mo – Knowledge Partner
How long have you been working at Cadbury?
I have been at Cadbury for five and a half years. I was originally employed as a contractor IT project manager but then I got a permanent role within the Knowledge Management team. My job has primarily involved working on Cadbury’s intranet. After I left school, I went on to study A levels and then to University to study for a degree.
What is your job title and what does your job involve?
My job title now is Knowledge Partner. I help colleagues globally to use our internal website called myCS. My role involves a combination of technical, business and training. It’s always varied on a day-to-day basis, which keeps things interesting!
What do you enjoy about your job?
I love working with people from all over the world. I also enjoy the external networking and conferences that I attend. I am tasked with gathering information about good and common practices and finding ways that Cadbury can use this to help improve our business.
How does Cadbury develop you?
At Cadbury there is a 360 feedback appraisal system. My customers, peer colleagues and managers are asked to feed back on my performance and their perceptions of me. This was incredibly useful, as it’s a way of gaining an honest understanding of how people view you so that you can know how to develop communication and people skills.
There are many development opportunities at Cadbury for those who want them – in training, secondments and CSR.
I have been fortunate enough to experience the work we do in our CSR arena to help communities first hand. I was selected BY Cadbury to be part of the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum Tsunami Task Force in September 2005. This role involved looking at the ways that Cadbury could assist with the recovery of regions affected by the tsunami in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
Cadbury also offered me volunteer experience working alongside Ghanaian farmers in the rural cocoa farming village, Adjeikrum through the Earthshare scheme. Working in Africa was a truly inspirational and humbling experience and it makes me realise what our company is about, which can be sometimes forgotten when you’re working behind a computer!
