In this episode of L&D Disrupt, host Kelsey (HowNow) speaks with Leah Felsted, L&D Manager at Crimson Hotels, about why great learning starts with treating people like people.

Leah shares her journey from hospitality to teaching and L&D, and explains how her experience managing teams shaped her approach to learning, leadership and employee experience. From achieving 86% staff retention in a previous hospitality role to helping reduce turnover at Crimson Hotels, Leah has seen first-hand how much belonging, strong managers and a better first-day experience can influence whether people stay.

She takes us inside Crimson’s approach to onboarding, including pre-join welcome guides, first-day hotel tours, buddies, phased compliance learning and regular check-ins — all designed to help new employees feel part of the team rather than simply complete their training.

Leah also explores how L&D can build a stronger internal talent pipeline by developing “accidental managers” through leadership training, coaching, apprenticeships and mentorship. She shares practical examples of giving employees ownership of learning, from team-created training checklists to user-generated videos that capture real knowledge from the workplace.

And while AI is everywhere in L&D, Leah makes the case for keeping the human experience at the centre. AI can assist with the work, but it can’t replace the person-to-person connection that makes people feel supported, confident and like they belong.

The conversation also explores how L&D contributes to business outcomes, from reducing risk and improving compliance to strengthening guest experiences, retention and operational performance.

Chapters

00:00 Leadership Lessons Learned
01:32 Welcome to L&D Disrupt
01:58 Leah’s Hospitality Journey
03:05 From GM Goals to Training Passion
04:21 Teaching in Singapore
05:32 Back to UK L&D Growth
07:36 Why Retention Starts With Belonging
09:38 Rethinking the First Day of Onboarding
13:28 Creating Meaningful Experiences
14:58 Getting Managers Bought In
16:11 Coaching and Building an Internal Pipeline
21:11 Developing the “Accidental Manager”
23:31 Learning Through Microlearning
24:13 Creating a Leadership Corner
25:15 Learning Through Mistakes
25:56 Discovering Leadership Can Be Learned
27:04 What Great Managers Look Like
28:39 Creating a People Experience Under Pressure
30:45 Giving Teams Ownership of Learning
32:55 Keeping Long-Tenured Employees Growing
36:03 The Future of User-Generated Learning
37:56 The Squiggly Nature of Hospitality Careers
40:02 Connecting L&D to Business Results
42:31 What L&D Should Start, Stop and Keep Doing
45:46 Why Human Connection Still Matters
46:15 Final Thanks and Wrap

People Serving People: How Better L&D Drives Retention, Belonging and Growth | L&D Disrupt | Episode 110

L&amp;D Disrupt

People Serving People: How Better L&D Drives Retention, Belonging and Growth | L&D Disrupt | Episode 110

L&D Disrupt