Growth 

When you join the team at Gordon Biersch, you are joining the CraftWorks Family. With over 200 restaurants and 14 unique brands, we have unlimited opportunities for our team members.

Managers and Team Members are trained on core principals and systems throughout CraftWorks brands. With this foundation, it is easy to transfer and advance throughout our company no matter the brand or location.

We are currently investing in and refreshing all of our existing locations. We will be opening 3-5 new restaurants in 2013 and 8-12 in 2014.

Training and Development
At CraftWorks we realize that training is integral to our success. This is why every new team member whether hourly, management, or corporate can expect intense, interactive, and individually focused training. But every company says that...so what makes CraftWorks different?

Management Training
We have designed our management training with the experienced manager in mind. New managers will not spend weeks in the CraftWorks training system relearning the basics. Our expectation is that you come to the table with that knowledge. By cutting out the basics we can immediately immerse our new managers in the CraftWorks Way!

The CraftWorks Way can only be taught through experience so that is what we do. A new manager's training consists of multiple weeks partnering side by side with certified trainers in each hourly position, learning how to function as a leader on our team. This time is imperative to learn the foundations of our Mission; Every Guest, Every Time. Along with hands-on practice, every day will consist of prescribed readings from our Management Training Manual; projects that help you apply the reading, and assessments that validate your level of learning.

What will you learn?
The 5 Critical Manager Functions
Advanced HotSchedules Techniques
Inventory Management through CTUIT
Recruiting and Selection Techniques through the R.I.S.E Program.
Producing Made-From-Scratch Food
Brewing Craft Beer in our restaurant's breweries
And the list goes on.....

Training is an Investment
CraftWorks understands the importance of quality training and that is why we invest so much time and resources into each new manager. Starting from our Restaurant Support Office you have multiple professionals that are helping to make you successful. You will brought on board by our Recruitment Team.

Next you will be contacted by our Training Department. Our Training Department will provide you with a personal training liaison that will help you transition into the Manager Training Program and continue to work with you throughout your career. This individual will help craft a training program that fits your exact needs and experience. Our Training Manager will be in regular contact with you before and during the training process. We also work closely with the training restaurant to ensure that every new manager is in a perfect learning environment. We work hard to ensure that every level of operational leadership from General Managers to our Vice Presidents of Operation is updated with the progress and potential of every new member of our management teams.

You will experience weekly one-on-ones with your General Manager. During these times you will review all the reading, projects, and the tests you have completed through DiscoverLink; our learning management system. This is the time to discuss what you are learning and in what ways we can prescribe additional training to ensure you are confident in your skills and abilities.

Whether you are joining the team as a FOH Manager, Sous Chef, Chef, or General Manager you will have access to every training resource CraftWorks has available. Training will culminate during your "MOD" or Manager on Duty shifts which includes a Regional Manager follow shift. This is the time when you get to showcase everything you have learned while our experienced managers observe you. These are great times when your skills are honed and your confidence grows.

Management Development

Our training program will draw you in but our development programs will keep you engaged. CraftWorks is dedicated to providing our managers with a pathway of learning that will keep them dedicated to our people, food, and beer.

Our manager development system is known as the Tiering Program. Tiering provides our managers with the knowledge and tools to develop and advance in their career. There are three main components to the Tiering Program which aid in identifying future leaders.

Tiering Checklists: The Tiering Checklists are the foundation of the program; the checklists include a list of tasks and competencies divided into tiers that progressively build on one another. There are checklists and pathways for each management position.

Development Modules: Development Modules teach our philosophies and procedures to managers that are progressing through the tiering process. These modules help develop future leaders through more in-depth training on our critical management functions. They also provide real life scenarios and projects that test manager's understanding of processes and validate their skill.

Quarterly Tiering Calls: These quarterly calls are completed with our Operations Leadership. Regional Managers are asked to partner with their General Managers to assess every manager's current level of skill. Candid conversations are had between our Operations Leadership and the People Services Department to identify individuals that possess the aptitude and interest to advance. The managers identified will be selected to participate in advanced leadership training.

AGM to GM Transition
Developing new leaders is critical to continuing our success. That being said, another aspect to our development programs is the AGM to GM Transition process. This separate program helps to develop our AGMs into successful General Managers. Below are the essential components of this transition process.

1. Candidate Completes BHI Performance Plus and Self-Assessment: Potential General Managers will take a Performance Assessment. This includes a combination of personality and reasoning assessments which evaluate a candidate against other industry leaders. After completing the assessment an AGM will complete an in-depth personal self-assessment. The Self-Assessment is a crucial step in helping both the candidate and Regional Manager assess their future potential.

2. Assessment Results Evaluated: CraftWorks provide a rating, ranging from poor to excessive, on 24 reasoning and personality components essential in restaurant leadership. The Regional Manager will then compare the results to the AGM's self-assessment of the same components. The Regional Manager will then begin to develop a clear picture of an individual's strengths, opportunities, and overall potential to become a successful General Manager.

3. Developing an Action Plan: Once the results are interpreted, the Regional Manager will review them with the candidate. The focus of this time is to review the BHI results, discuss any discrepancies between the BHI and the Self-Assessment, and build an AGM to GM Action Plan. This plan will be used to guide and develop an individual, through regular follow-up from the Regional and General Manager, into a successful General Manager.