Training senior leaders at T5

Frontline managers, known as service team leaders (STLs), are key to ensuring that security at our airports is efficient and effective. The opening of Terminal 5 meant we needed to recruit around 50 new STLs. Rather than advertising externally we looked for potential leaders among the security officers already working at BAA.

We launched a training programme to give 59 BAA security employees the skills needed to become frontline managers. This included intensive leadership training, as well as the standard training on areas such as bag searching and monitoring scanners. Participants were trained on all aspects of being a manager, including how to coach their team, diversity and inclusion and how to handle difficult conversations. They were also assigned a ‘coach’ from human resources who supported them through the course.

49 security officers completed the programme successfully to become service team leaders. They will each manage around 15 people in the security areas at Terminal 5.