Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/44136
COVER STORY EDUCATION & RECRUITMENT Sourcing and Educating Talent by Deborah Parker Wong "Operations, technology and service are the impetus that drives the company, but our educational ideals are the engine that brings us to market." —Jack Brennan At Southern Wine & Spirits, career development means significantly more than reaching the next rung on the corporate ladder. The company's emphasis on promoting from within ensures that employees can chart a career path based on their own vision of success. Southern is commited to making the most of their employees, from entry level to senior management. This is apparent in the company's focus on all stages of education and career development, which is overseen by a handful of innovative educators. "Professional development at SWS begins with the recruiting process," says Director of Recruiting Suzi Potts, who has worked with the company for ten years. Potts and Recruiting and Training Managers Greg Clefisch and Sarinna Chavez regularly visit a wide range of universities and college campuses in California as part of SWS's recruitment program, where they strive to source the best talent for Southern. "Our company-wide promotion rate speaks volumes about our training and development programs," explains Potts of the company's allure, which has helped bring in and retain young talent like Ben VanAnda, an up-and-comer in his role as a Business Intelligence Analyst. "My decision to join the company had as much to do with choosing a corporate culture as it did with the potential for career advance- ment," explains VanAnda, now with the company for almost two years. Potts also credits recruiting efforts with the influx of talented entry-level hires into the organization, saying, "These efforts have resulted in dynamic sales and back office recruits—some of whom will be the next leaders of SWS of California." Training the Sales Force Once a candidate joins the company, SWS prepares them for success with an impressive orientation on company culture and the adult beverage industry at large. All new hires spend a full day with Human Resources and up to two weeks with designated trainers that provide on-the-job training, after which managers receive additional training. The company then offers employees a robust curriculum of professional and career development programs as part of its Southern Wine & Spirits taught a Core Selling Skills course, a series of four strategic classes incorpo- rating sales psychology, merchandising and emphasizing fact-based selling. "Customers are people like us, and we're teaching employees to identify with them and take all of their needs into account," said Judy Donahoe, an 11-year veteran at Southern who currently serves as Director of Training in Northern California. Her workshops Suzi Potts is Director of Recruiting for Southern Wine & Spirits of CA. University (SWS-U) program. "The key to adult learning is the immediate application of informa- tion," confirms Amy Laux, Director of Training and Development in Southern California. Laux, who uses accelerated learning techniques in her classroom to reduce stress and speed the transfer of information, is emphatic about sales training: "It's my absolute passion. I focus on breaking down the process of selling and then on implementing those steps in the field." For the past 12 years, Laux has dedicated to on- and off-premise selling include field trips to various suppliers and accounts as well as ses- sions with industry experts like Peter Marks, Vice President/Education for Constellation Wines U.S. and holder of the prestigious Master of Wine title. A Full Beverage Education Giving the sales force the tools they need to sell isn't enough for Southern, where a comprehensive "Beverage Basics" course covers the history and distribution of brewed, fermented and october 201 1 / the tasting panel / 51 PHOTO: REBECCA WILKOWSKI