Professional Identity & Practice: Professional Development Report

This report delves into the realm of professional development, exploring its significance for various stakeholders within an organization, particularly focusing on the Wagamama restaurant chain. It highlights the key benefits of ongoing professional development for employees, employers, and even governmental bodies, emphasizing enhanced productivity, improved morale, and strengthened company reputation. The report further investigates the skills and competencies that professional employers, like Wagamama, seek in potential candidates, including teamwork, interpersonal skills, and customer service abilities. It also examines the role of learning theories in personal and professional development, providing insights into various approaches and strategies. Finally, the report includes a simulated job interview for a restaurant supervisor role and analyzes its strengths and weaknesses, offering practical insights into the interview process and the skills required for success in the service industry.

Professional Identity &
Practice

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
LO 1 .............................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Examine the key benefits of on-going professional development for different stakeholders within
an organization........................................................................................................................................3
P2 Investigate professional employer expectations of skills and competencies within a specific
organization ............................................................................................................................................7
LO 2..............................................................................................................................................................9
P3 Assess own abilities, skills and competences for a specific job role....................................................9
P4 Review a range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional
development processes.........................................................................................................................10
LO 3............................................................................................................................................................12
P5 Construct a development plan to enhance chosen skills and competencies....................................12
LO 4............................................................................................................................................................15
P6 Undertake a job interview for a suitable service industry role.........................................................15
P7 Review key strengths and weaknesses of an applied interview process..........................................16
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................18

INTRODUCTION
Professional Development involves learning how to earn as well as maintain different
professional credentials like academic degrees, attending different conferences as well as various
learning opportunities. If an individual wants to be successful in their career, it is important to
have necessary skills and knowledge (Bossio and Sacco, 2017). Professional development is an
ongoing process and it helps employees in remaining competitive in their jobs. Employees who
actively pursue professional development gain the advantage of keep their skills and knowledge
up to date as well as relevant. Organization chosen for this report is Wagamama restaurant, a
British restaurant chain that was founded by Alan Yu in the year 1992. The company is
headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The restaurant chain serves Asian food that is based
on Japanese cuisine. This report explains the key benefits of on-going professional development
for different stakeholders of an organization and also describes the expectations of professional
employer of skills as well as competencies within an organization. Lastly, the report also reviews
different learning theories as well as approaches that are used for the purpose of personal and
professional development. Interview for a restaurant supervisor in a local hotel is also included.
LO 1
P1 Examine the key benefits of on-going professional development for different stakeholders
within an organization
On-going professional development can be beneficial for different stakeholders within an
organization. Continuous Professional Development or CPD makes sure that an individual
maintains and enhances different skills that are required to deliver a professional service to the
customers (Cope and et. al., 2017). Wagamama restaurant has many stakeholders both inside as
well as outside the organization, namely employees, shareholders, customers, competitors,
suppliers etc. The key benefits of an on-going professional development for employees within
the company can include enhanced productivity as well as increased knowledge. It also helps in
boosting their overall job satisfaction because when they perform more effectively, they gain
more confidence which further leads to an increase in their motivation levels (Professional
Development Training: A Win for the Entire Team, 2020).

Wagamama restaurant offers its employees regular training and development
opportunities to its employees so that they get a chance to enhance their skillset because they are
the ones who represent the company. Continuous Professional Development helps the company
in becoming more appealing and thus, offer better services to the customers. This further leads to
the company gaining a larger base of customers who are loyal to it. On-going professional
development is most important for the employees as it acts as a value add on the CVs which can
help them in future while searching for a new job (Cruess, Cruess and Steinert, 2018). They can
keep their overall qualifications update and thus, stand out from others. Also, when the staff
members attend a training program, they get a chance to interact as well as network with each
other which can lead to new and improved career opportunities.
The government is also considered to be a stakeholder for an organization and it can
benefit from continuous professional development of the employees (Tinkler and et. al., 2018).
This is because a highly trained and skills staff can help the company in meeting the demands as
well as expectations of the customers, both nationally as well as internationally. This further
helps the government of the nation in generating large revenues. It also helps the government in
implementing new systems within the country. On-going professional development can be
broadly divided into two categories, formal and informal work-related CPD. An organization can
make itself more appealing with the implementation of on-going professional development. This
is because it will ensure that standards across the organization consistent as well as high. As a
result, the staff is committed and engaged in their respective jobs.
Continuous Professional Development can also be beneficial for the employer as it
promotes a greater workforce engagement (Erickson and Pinnegar, 2017). Also, employees get
an opportunity to contribute effectively to the team in the decision-making process within the
workplace. Also, CPD assists the employees to advance in their respective careers and thus,
move to new positions where they can lead and manage teams of their own. Not only this, the
process also helps in developing a deeper understanding of the different tasks that staff members
within a company are expected to do and develop skills accordingly. Therefore, it is very
important to practice on-going professional development for both organization as well as its
employees. This was the company will be able to satisfy the needs of the customers in the most
efficient way.

Major benefits from the point of view of employees
Improved employee Performance - From the point of view of employees, ongoing
professional development helps in improving their overall performance. This is because they are
more engaged and committed to their respective jobs. This is also because the employees get an
opportunity to interact with each other and learn different things which they can implement to
enhance their overall performance. They should be provided with rewards, appraisal based on
their performances, performance recognition and benefits so that they feel motivated. This way
they will be motivated and encourage to perform in the desired manner. Thus, this is the benefit
from the point of view of the employees.
Improved employee morale and satisfaction - Ongoing professional development also
contributes to improving the morale of the employees and increase their job satisfaction. This is
because they get an opportunity to enhance their learning. If the employees will be skills and
committed to their jobs, the company profile as well as goodwill will automatically enhance.
This will ensure that the company is able to retain employees for a longer period of time. Lastly,
employees also get a chance to be more productive and efficient.
Addressing Weakness – Ongoing professional development helps the employees in
addressing their weaknesses because training and development sessions can help in enhancing
skills and developing new one. This can contribute to the overall productivity of the employees
and they become more committed to their jobs. As a result, they identify their areas of strengths
as well as weaknesses and perform in an effective manner. Thus, ongoing professional
development should be encouraged among the employees if the company wants to enhance its
profitability.
Strengthened company profile and reputation – Ongoing professional development
allows the employees to share knowledge across different departments. Thus, they are more
focused to their jobs and committed towards the same. Thus, it is important to promote ongoing
professional development within the workplace if an organization wants to retain its employees
for a long period of time and thus, improve their overall productivity. Customers will have a high
perceived value of the company and thus, will want to buy products from the company. This will
lead to an increase in the overall profitability of the firm.

Builds confidence & credibility - Employees confidence and credibility play crucial role
in performance or productivity of employees. It is important for organization to conduct different
practices and task that will lead to support in building confidence and credibility in employees. It
is essential that employees know their skills and capabilities as this will help in being more
confident to perform business task in correct manner. Employees should have trust on their
potential as this will lead to enhance confidence and credibility.
Be more productive and efficient by reflecting on your learning & highlighting gaps
in your knowledge & experience - Reflection of personal learning is very effective and efficient
procedures in order to determine own skills or capabilities. Through the reflection on own
learning an individual will be able to revise the whole situation in which learning activities is
conducted as well as determine the area which is clearly understood and which does not. It is
important for an individual to correctly perform reflection process as this will assist in
determining or highlighting the gap of own experience or knowledge. Reflection will help in
analyses the over all experience of learning which is enhanced.
Major benefits from the point of view of employer
Helps maximize staff potential by linking learning to actions & theory to practice - It
is crucial for employer to take correct action or theory in order to enhance staff potential or
capabilities. Training and development program is effective approach of action which can be
consider by organization to maximizing potential and strength of employees. There are various
types of training program which can be consider by employer for developing skills and
competences of staff member. Employer needs to identify and determine the skills which needs
to be developed in employees so that organizational task could be conducted in effective
manner. Employer should motivate employees as well as resolve issues as this will lead to
maximize potential of staff.
Promote staff development which leads to better staff morale and a motivated
workforce helping to give a positive image/brand to organization - There are different ways
and techniques that could be consider by employer for motivating its staff workforce as well as
enhancing staff morale. By enhancing staff morale and motivating workforce will help in giving
positive brand image of organization. In order to promote staff development employer needs to
create and develop positive working environment for employees. Recognition and appreciation

will lead to support in boosting the moral of employees to conduct task in better manner as well
as motivate them to successfully accomplish desired goals of organization.
CPD support from the employer as far as the employees are concerned improves
motivation and retention - There are number of benefits that could be attain by employer with
the support CPD. This is an effective way that will lead to increase capabilities and potential of
employees and motivate them to work with in the organization. Through the support of CPD
plan employer will be able to save the training cost of business. CPD will lead to have major
impact on retention or motivation of employees as it is correlated between the values or
undertaking of CPD as well as commitment with the job role.
Adds value through the active process of reflecting, so staff will consciously apply
learning to their role & organizational development - Active process of reflection will help in
consciously learning of employees regarding their roles. This will lead to direct direct impact on
development of organization as well as capabilities of employees in order to conduct business
role in more effective and accurate manner. Active learning process is valuable for staff member
as this will help in enhancing learning process of employees for carrying out their role correctly.
P2 Investigate professional employer expectations of skills and competencies within a specific
organization
Professional employers within an organization expect the candidates applying for vacant
jobs at the company to have certain important skills. Wagamama Restaurant is one of the leading
restaurant chains in the United Kingdom and thus, employers within the company look out for
candidates who have the following skills –
Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills – Both teamwork as well as interpersonal skills are
important skills that employers expect individuals to have (Grubenmann and Meckel, 2017).
Employers expect their team members to be comfortable in working with each other while doing
their respective jobs. Organizations today promote team work in their workplace in order to
enhance the overall skills as well as productivity of their teams. When members within a team
work collectively, they combine their respective skills and knowledge in order to attain desired
output.
Communication Skills – Both verbal as well as written skills are required by almost all
jobs today as they help the employees of an organization to communicate with the customers

effectively. Therefore, understanding proper grammar, spelling and punctuation etc. are essential
requirements that employers within an organization look for. If a candidate finds it difficult to
communicate effectively, their chances of getting a job with Wagamama Restaurant is difficult.
This is because the company lays importance on effective communication skills as the
employees have to address the needs as well as concerns of customers.
Problem-Solving – Organizations can come across sudden problems or situations any
time, which is why employers expect the candidates to possess problem-solving skills (Harden
and Loving, 2019). Whenever a problem will arise, employees will be able to resolve the
problem before seeking help from their team leader or manager. These skills are important
because they help an individual in controlling any potential risks that can affect the overall
performance of the company. Also, they can find an innovative and creative solution to a
problem.
High Level of Integrity – Integrity can be defined as doing the right thing like being
honest, presenting the work on time etc. Employers expect a high level of integrity from the
employees. This is one of the most importance competencies that employers of Wagamama
Restaurant expect from the employees because those who work with integrity are trustworthy
and more reliable as compared to other employees. Therefore, candidates who apply for a job
within an organization should be consistent with their work and communicate openly.
Time Management – Employees in all organizations are expected to finish a certain
amount of work within a time frame. In order to do this effectively, it is important to have time
management and organizing skills (Helmich and et. al., 2017). The employers of Wagamama
Restaurant expect the potential employees to be efficient and organized in their work. This not
only helps in completing the task on tie but in a structured manner as well. Employers of the
respective company do not expect the employees to be wasting their time and socializing with
co-workers during office hours.
Passion and Attitude – This is another important skill that employers of the respective
company seek in the potential employees is passion and attitude towards their work
(Competencies Employers Want, 2020). Candidates who apply for a job at Wagamama
Restaurant are also screened for their attitude, if its positive or lethargic. The employers do not
want people who have a negative attitude towards their co-workers and customers.

LO 2
P3 Assess own abilities, skills and competences for a specific job role
I have an experience of working with a small restaurant business as a restaurant
supervisor, wherein I was responsible for overseeing the different advertising and
communication campaigns on television as well as social media, exhibitions as well as
promotional events (Hong, Greene and Lowery, 2017). The job provided me with various
opportunities of working as part of a team. I was able to work effectively and complete tasks that
were provided to me well within the deadline. I have good communication skills, both written as
well as verbal because I had to interact and network with a lot of people as a part of my job. I
also possess time management skills and have a habit of organizing and scheduling my time as
per the importance of tasks provided to me. Apart from this, as a restaurant supervisor I had to
oversee that all restaurant operations were carried out in an effective manner and that the staff
was properly trained. I had to make sure that all the employees within the restaurant complied
with the different safety regulations relating to food and health and that the complaints of the
customers were resolved..
Whenever I am given a task, I put in a of hard work and all my efforts in getting it
complete in the most efficient way. I was once working as part of promotions team in order to
promote a newly launched product from the company. I was responsible for carrying out market
research in order to get an understanding of the different market trends as well as creating
awareness about the brand in order to attract as many customers as possible. When the campaign
for product promotion was over, our team leader provided feedback to each ember of the team
regarding their performance. I was told to have effective research skills and a good
understanding of the product that was to be promoted in the market. But the team leader also told
me that although I have good communication skills, I should still work upon them I order to
enhance the overall way in which I speak.
I also possess a high level of integrity which means that I work with honesty and can be
relied on for any task. Also, I am able to build long-term and healthy relationships with the
suppliers as well as clients. I was sometimes asked to interact and collaborate with the managers
in order to prepare budgets and monitor expenses. The manager of our team used to involve all
his team members during the process of decision-making. We were encouraged to put forward

our views and share thoughts as well as feedbacks (Kyratsis and et. al., 2017). This helped me in
enhancing my motivation as well as confidence levels. Therefore, I possess creativity skills and
also have an innovative way of approaching a problem as well as finding solution to it.
Also, working as part of a team helped me in acquiring skills that not only helped me in
performing well, but will also be a great value add on to my CV. Creativity is a skill that almost
all companies seek while hiring candidates and I possess creative thinking skills. The skills will
be helpful in finding solution as well as in coming up with a new and innovative ideas. I am a
competitive and a hardworking individual who prioritizes the work assigned without
procrastinating it. Also, being able to connect and network with other has helped me gain their
trust, although I need to work upon my presentation skills as well as knowledge about the latest
technology. This was also one of the feedback given to me by the team leader.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths – One of the strengths of a restaurant supervisor is that they are enthusiastic
and inspiring at the same time. They are also good at working alone and leading a team of
people.
Weaknesses – Poor planning skills and getting easily bored with the routine work can be
counted as weaknesses. One of the other weaknesses can include absence of detailed planning
skills.
Opportunities – A restaurant supervisor has the opportunity to enhance their skills so
that challenges can be faced effectively. New career direction is also an opportunity for a
restaurant supervisor.
Threats – Having no or little experience in the field as well as competition from the
peers can act as major threats.
P4 Review a range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional
development processes
Many theories and approaches have been developed over the years relating to learning.
Most of the theories that are developed explain the importance of learning and how is it
conveyed from one person to another (Lawson and et. al., 2017). Learning can take place both

formally as well as informally, as part of a group, mentoring, coaching, self-learning etc. The
different theories as well as approaches for personal and professional development processes are
explained below –
Theories
Behaviorism – This is a learning theory that is based on the assumption that an
appropriate behavior can be taught to individuals through continuous repetition of a particular
task along with feedback. If an individual is offered positive feedback, they will listen to it
carefully and work upon the same in order to succeed (Mylrea, Sen Gupta and Glass, 2017). On
the other hand, continuous negative feedback can bring down the overall motivation levels of
employees and discourage them from working effectively. This theory views the learners as
blank slates who should be provided with experience. Also, changes in the behavior of an
individual is acquired through association between responses as well as stimuli.
Cognitivism – This theory is concerned with role that the mind of a person plays in
processing the learning as well as developing opportunities. Cognitivism theory of learning does
not pay focus on the observed behavior. It is based on the assumption that environmental
conditions play an important role in facilitating learning among individuals. Learners are viewed
as information processors under this theory and focuses on the internal processes as well as
processes that take place during learning. This theory encourages the learners to explore the
learning material and built deeper understanding of the same. As a result, the individuals develop
effective problem-solving skills as well as long-term learning.
Approaches
Coaching – This is an important and commonly used approaches to learning that
basically focuses on improving the overall performance of an employee. This is typically used as
an approach for personal development of an individual working within an organization. Many
organizations have external coaches, mainly for employees who work at a higher position
(Olausson, 2017). Wagamama restaurant has coaches within its workplace and sometimes the
managers of the company act as a coach to their respective team members. They provide
guidance and support to them whenever there is a need. This helps in improving their overall

morale as well as contribute to their personal development. As a result, they are more focused
and engaged in their jobs.
Consultancy – Consultants pay an important role in an organization as they assist
employees by being an educator, facilitator and a resource. Wagamama restaurant has
specialized consultants who help employees both newly hired as well as already existing ones.
They are responsible for enhancing the overall learning within the workplace through the
application of principles of psychology. The consultants work closely with the management of
Wagamama restaurant and help the solve common issues relating to the business. This is done
through reorganization and elimination of unnecessary issues as well as finding solutions to the
same. Respective company hires consultants for specific projects. Consultants help the
employees within the organization by advising them regarding particular tasks and issues that
they may come across.
LO 3
P5 Construct a development plan to enhance chosen skills and competencies
A professional development plan outlines the goals, competencies, required skills and
objectives that an individual need in order to accomplish his/her desired goals and objectives. It
also contributes to the overall improvement as well as career development of the person (Provan,
Dekker and Rae, 2018). It is important to have a professional development plan because it helps
in identifying skills that a person needs to develop in order to move forward in their respective
careers. The plan not only supports professional development of the individual but personal
development as well. A professional development plan in order to earn a job of restaurant
supervisor is described below -
S.
No.
Learning target Present
Proficiency
Target
Proficiency
Development
Opportunities
Criteria for
Judging
Attainment
Time Scale
1. Presentation
Skills
7 9 An individual can
improve overall
presentation skills
by practicing
effectively before
delivering a
Managers and
Team Leaders
30 days