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

In this episode of L&D Disrupt, host Kelsey (HowNow) speaks with Leah Fellstad, 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.Chapters00:00 Leadership Lessons Learned01:32 Welcome to L&D Disrupt01:58 Leah’s Hospitality Journey03:05 From GM Goals to Training Passion04:21 Teaching in Singapore05:32 Back to UK L&D Growth07:36 Why Retention Starts With Belonging09:38 Rethinking the First Day of Onboarding13:28 Creating Meaningful Experiences14:58 Getting Managers Bought In16:11 Coaching and Building an Internal Pipeline21:11 Developing the “Accidental Manager”23:31 Learning Through Microlearning24:13 Creating a Leadership Corner25:15 Learning Through Mistakes25:56 Discovering Leadership Can Be Learned27:04 What Great Managers Look Like28:39 Creating a People Experience Under Pressure30:45 Giving Teams Ownership of Learning32:55 Keeping Long-Tenured Employees Growing36:03 The Future of User-Generated Learning37:56 The Squiggly Nature of Hospitality Careers40:02 Connecting L&D to Business Results42:31 What L&D Should Start, Stop and Keep Doing45:46 Why Human Connection Still Matters46:15 Final Thanks and Wrap