Albert Einstein inspires employee development at Stonegate : Pub company’s people policies are based on the great inventor’s approach

Purpose – Describes how Stonegate Pub Company has introduced a career-development pathway with scientist Albert Einstein as its figurehead. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the pathway and its associated training, the form it takes and the results it has achieved. Findings – Explains that the program has been successful in reducing employee turnover, increasing the number of vacancies filled from within the firm and improving customer service. Practical implications – Reveals that Stonegate Pub Company, which recently opened a dedicated training center in Birmingham, UK, won the Innovation in Training award at the Scottish Training Federation’s 2014 awards, in recognition for its successful Albert’s Apprenticeships. Social implications – Demonstrates that the design is fun, quirky, engaging and irreverent, with a desire to appeal to the disengaged learner, the gamer and the personalities who make up a large percentage of the company’s teams. Originality/value – Shows how initial research followed by continuous improvement has resulted in an exceptional employee training and development program that has outstripped the company’s expectations of it.