Aramark Building a Talent Pipeline For Future Leaders

Sep 12, 2014 10:00 AM ET
Campaign: Employee Advocacy

Training & Development - In Practice

Every year, thousands of talented young people graduate from college and begin the journey of building their careers. According to The Harvard Business Review, recent grads indicate that finding a good fit in their first job is extremely important to them, yet the sheer number of applicants can make it difficult to match the right candidates to the right jobs. Moreover, a candidate’s educational background and achievements don’t necessarily predict success in a particular career field.     The Aramark Accelerate To Leadership (A2L) management training and Step Up To Leadership (S2L) internship programs identify and support young people as they make this challenging transition from college students to young professionals.
  “These programs provide participants with training and experiences to help them successfully make the move to becoming professionals while positioning them to take on significant responsibility early in their careers,” said Michael Moeller, Aramark Vice President of Talent Management and Organizational Development. “Ultimately, these programs provide a deep pool of talent essential to supporting Aramark’s growth.”
  Aramark recruits campus hires from more than 75 campuses, primarily from our broad portfolio of Higher Education colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. Those entering the S2L internship program can participate in traditional summer internships as well as in-semester internships and co-ops. In 2014 more than 330 students were placed in Aramark internships.
  “Through S2L, interns get to know Aramark, and Aramark gets to know them. Successful interns who are graduating seniors are then invited to join A2L,” explained Moeller. “College graduates who go on to A2L gain even more experience with Aramark, from management training, to rotational assignments, to on-the-job experiences.” 
  The A2L program is specifically designed to build operational and leadership skills essential to career advancement and includes robust mentoring and coaching throughout the year-long development process. A2L participants may have an opportunity to help manage day-to-day operations, supervise employees, oversee safety and sanitation procedures and interact with clients and customers. At the end of the formal program, A2L candidates move on to new roles across Aramark that will help them further develop their careers.
  Over the past year, 400 college graduates have been hired into the A2L program at 360 client locations across 35 states. The new hires, some who are pictured here with Aramark President and CEO Eric Foss, are working across all lines of business and in many functional areas, such as Human Resources and Finance.  
  “I’ve always wanted to be a manager,” said Serge Gasore, who joined the Aramark A2L program. “A2L puts you there right away. I’m working every day to learn to be a leader.”