Workforce training and communication: a holistic approach
Customer stories | Kaspar Schmauser
Imagine a platform where every employee, from new hires to seasoned staff, has instant access to essential tools, resources, and updates. At Kaspar Schmauser, this vision drives their commitment to building a motivated and loyal team that goes beyond basic training. This report reveals how Kaspar Schmauser's holistic approach to workforce training and communication enhances engagement, reduces turnover, and aligns employees with the company’s vision. By integrating technology, clear communication, and continuous learning, Kaspar Schmauser creates a culture where teams thrive and contribute meaningfully to shared success.
About Kaspar Schmauser
Kaspar Schmauser, a leader in modern German gastronomy, merges a plant-based diet with cutting-edge technology. Using a “smart casual concept” and an omni-channel approach through app, web, kiosks, and platforms, they offer customizable dishes like bowls, curries, and sweets. This makes Kaspar Schmauser a pioneer in digitalization within the industry.
From the beginning, the focus has been on smart concepts and implementation, placing employees at the forefront as the direct contact with guests. This led to the idea of including all staff—regardless of location—on a communication platform for everything they need to know about working at Kaspar Schmauser.
The challenge
In the catering industry, high staff turnover is common. Constantly training new employees can reduce efficiency and make it difficult to build long-term engagement. Kaspar Schmauser aimed not only to manage this challenge but to proactively address it by informing, involving, and empowering employees.
However, sustainable training often takes a backseat during busy restaurant operations. While "learning on the job" is essential, employees need access to information during breaks or quieter periods. For effective use, this information must be readily available, allowing staff to quickly find answers to everyday questions, like clocking in for breaks or closing the cash register.
Meeting mandatory training alone isn’t sufficient for retaining employees or aligning them with company goals. Genuine engagement requires open communication, active involvement, and access to independent learning resources.
The path to the solution
Kaspar Schmauser sought a modern platform that combined communication (such as internal news and documents) and digital training (e-learning), including features like certification and auditing. This led them to Fellow Digitals, whose platform was developed into a comprehensive solution integrating an intranet with an LMS, all in one app.
The Fellow app enabled Kaspar Schmauser to equip employees with essential knowledge and foster identification with the company’s values. Key elements included training courses on safety and hygiene to uphold quality standards, a so called “library” for quick access to important documents and recipes, and a news section to keep employees informed of company developments.
The platform also provided a space for community interaction, encouraging connection and integration through local groups and a global community, further enriching the company culture. All these things combined, the "Kaspar Compass" developed.
“The Kaspar Compass is our learning and communication platform, which is all about conveying training content - standards that we want to bring to our employees - but also about communication.”
Content at all levels
The next step was to create engaging content, including training on occupational safety and onboarding programs. To keep motivation high, the team introduced a “Happy Feed” for daily updates and light-hearted, business-related content.
Guidelines for content were established, emphasizing video material that highlighted three main takeaways. Each piece was refined to ensure clarity and value, with simpler solutions like posters used when appropriate. Practical relevance was maintained by regularly assessing content effectiveness, using feedback from restaurant managers to refine materials.
An open error culture
The Kaspar Compass was designed to grow with the company. New employees are immediately onboarded, gaining access to a central hub for communication and resources. Over time, traditional channels like WhatsApp will be phased out, making the Kaspar Compass the main tool for seamless communication. The platform's flexibility supports continuous development.
Sustainability in employee retention is vital for Kaspar Schmauser. The company fosters a positive error culture, viewing mistakes as part of the learning process. Team members are encouraged to give and receive feedback, share ideas, and collaborate on solutions, contributing to a supportive environment that earned them the Metro GastroPrize at the ROLLING PIN Convention in Düsseldorf.
Project results
The result is a fully comprehensive training and communication platform based on four main elements: Academy, Library, News and Community.
The academy includes mandatory training (e.g. hygiene training) and onboarding for new employees. The courses can be accessed at any time and are centrally located on the Kaspar platform so that they are not easily forgotten.
The library arranges knowledge resources like a bookshelf that can be accessed at any time. Here you can find, for example, manuals or recipes, the “Kaspar Codex”, as well as standard descriptions - everything you might need in your day-to-day work to do clean, high-quality work.
The news section provides the latest news from all branches, so that employees have the feeling that they know what is happening throughout the Kaspar Schmauser company, not just at their own location. The news feed is run very actively by the company management and contains everything about new branches, events, prizes won, etc.
The community is divided into different areas, the local or role-based areas such as “Service employees” or “Leipzig site”, where exchanges on specific work topics take place. And in overarching areas, such as the Kaspar Global Group, where all the people associated with the company come together
The Kaspar Compass ensures employees have access to essential knowledge anytime, whether on a PC or through the app. This availability boosts confidence, shortens training times, and reduces turnover, allowing employees to contribute actively to the company’s mission.
“The combination of communication and learning processes serves to engage employees and show them what is possible. Because: if you can identify with what you are offered and you feel comfortable, then you will stay longer. That's because it proves that we're all in this together.”
Conclusion
The success of integrating training and communication on a single platform highlights the value of combining these elements. Kaspar Schmauser’s example shows that when employees feel informed, supported, and part of a larger mission, retention and engagement improve significantly.
Kaspar Schmauser stands out as a committed employer, investing in its employees and giving them opportunities to grow. The result is a company that continues to evolve, driven by the dedication and collective strength of its entire team.
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