Development of Training and Mentoring Program

Career Development Plan Part II Development of Training and Mentoring Program Cesar B. Manuel HRM/531 March 24, 2010 Becky Shokraii Development of Training and Mentoring Program The critical first step in effective training and mentoring is to relate the training needs of the workforce to the achievement of organizational goals. The newly merged InterClean’s, CEO strategic vision for growth and continued success-both domestically and worldwide is to develop and introduce full-service solution packages, and simplified cleaning efforts in compliance with the more stringent environmental safety laws and regulations. The new company expects to reach the next year sales goals with corresponding 40% increase in profitability (InterClean, Inc Scenario). To accomplish these objectives, the company must shift gears to solutions-based selling that requires re-alignment of the organizational structure, staffing – particularly sales and marketing. To merge the two corporate cultures into a productive partnership is an enormous task and a significant challenge considering the timeframe of the merger. Obviously, to align to the CEO’s ambitious long range goals, analysis of training and mentoring program is critical at this point. The new sales force will be vital to the current and long term success in effectively supporting the company’s new direction. The program must enable the sales force to capitalize on their skills, experience and potential, and equip them with new tools, skill sets to be successful, and acquire competitive advantage. In addition, the new company structure must be responsive and able to manage the transition as the business emerges as an industry leader. Training Needs Assessments The major determinants of future success for effective workforce training are: (a) assessing the needs of the organization and the skills of the employees to determine training needs; (b) designing training activities to the indentified needs that address both task-work, and teamwork skills, and develop milestones; and (c) evaluating the effectiveness of the training (Nickels, 2008). Opportunities for guided practice and constructive feedback are particularly important for individual and team training. A quality training program could lead to higher retention rates, increased productivity, and greater job satisfaction among employees. With the job analysis undertaken, and the new skills sets identified and matched with the existing personnel inventory skills, the HR department must determine the training requirements to fill the gaps. The following are the organizational needs and key factors that must align with the new strategic goals (InterClean, Inc Scenario): 1. Provide turn-key solutions to institutional cleaning and sanitary industry. 2. Provide product training for clients’ employees, and end users. 3. Information sharing of relevant regulations and in some cases full service contracts. 4. Offer solutions and services that streamline cleaning efforts at the same time comply with more stringent requirements for environmental safety. 5. Compliance with federal, state, and local cleaning, and sanitary regulations. 6. Market leadership and global presence. 7. Meet target sales goals and 40% increase in profitability. 8. Customer and product satisfaction, through excellent customer service and high-quality products and high-quality service.

Training Program Objectives and Design Training and mentoring program will tie to business strategy and objectives and link to the bottom line results, and designed to train employees in relation to desired job behaviors. The training and mentoring program activities and objectives for InterClean are: 1. Product knowledge and Solutions training. Immersion on product lines and services and solutions selling. Training on product knowledge such as features, warranties and formulas for current, new, and product lines on development. Training on competitive products and services and products positioning. 2. Sanitation and cleaning industry. Knowledge and concepts of the nature and scope of the industry. Industry progress, emerging trends, developments, and industry forecasts. 3. Compliance and regulatory training. Legal aspect of the business. Training on Federal, state and local compliance standards for sanitation, waste disposal, chemical use, and environmental clean-up. Updates on state and regional compliance issues, legal regulations regarding cleaning and sanitation, industry standards, and understanding industry compliance concerns. 4. Customer Service Training and Value-Based Selling. Identify customer needs, effective response strategies, and customer interventions to resolve difficult situations. Develop positive service attitude, and working with customer service teams. Refine and strengthen sales force selling skills; develop techniques on sales control, master more sophisticated methods of sales, and potential customers approach, and qualifications. Competitive selling, objection handling, sure-fire closing techniques. 5. Communication training. Personal presentation skills, the art of nonverbal communications, cross cultural communication issues and techniques, business communication protocol, and developing effective listening skills. 6. Building effective Teams. Develop, train and mold the new sales force to a multi-functional teams. Better understanding on how to reach better outcomes by consensus decision-making skills and leveraging collective knowledge and individual collaboration. Managing conflict, power of persuasion, negotiation techniques, and strategies. 7. Automation training. Training on computer and computer software/applications, office suite and other industry related productivity software, and other company related applications or software. 8. Diversity. A necessary training for the new merger. Diversity training includes explanation about how people have different perspectives and views, and includes techniques to value diversity. 9. Ethics. Today 's society has increasing expectations about corporate social responsibility. Today 's diverse workforce brings a wide variety of values and morals to the workplace. Training Consideration To promote efficient learning, long-term retention, and application of the skills or factual information learned in training to the job situation, the training will incorporate the following essential ingredients: (a) goal setting, (b) meaningfulness of material, (c) practice, and (d) feedback (Casio, 2006). Motivation factor is critical in successful training and therefore, at the outset establish an attainable goal. Goal must be challenging and difficult enough that the trainees can derive personal satisfaction from achieving them but not so difficult that they are impossible to reach. Allowing employees to participate in setting goals increases the probability of success. Supplement the primary goal with sub-goals during training, such as trainer evaluations, work-sample tests, and periodic quizzes (Casio, 2006). Make factual material meaningful for easy learning and remembering. Present training materials by using examples, terms, and familiar concept to the target audience to reinforce and clarify key learning points. Trainees learning a new skill or acquiring factual knowledge must have an opportunity to practice. As with new skill, practice makes perfect. During the early stage, correction is applied if the behavior observed is not within standards. Overlearning is also important; give trainees the opportunity to practice the tasks several times until the task becomes second nature (Casio, 2006). For maximum result, provide feedback as soon as possible after the trainee demonstrates good performance. To increase learning experience, trainer must reinforce and rewards acceptable behavior during the training process. Emphasize team training, concentrate on common goal setting and discourage conflicting goal to achieve multi-functional team efficiency. Training Methods and Delivery Similarly important for the success of the new sales force training is the delivery of training. Training methods come in three ways: information presentation, simulation methods, or on-the-job training. For maximum effects, InterClean can use a mix of these training methods (Nickels, 2008). 1. Information Presentation Techniques. Use in-house Subject Matter Experts (Ving Hsu, Terry Garcia, Tom Gonzales, and Sam Walters) to provide the training. Use lectures, audio-visual (films, VTC conferences or discussions), interactive multi-media (CDs/DVDs), Intranet, and Internet resources. Invite regulatory key personnel from federal, state, and local cleaning and sanitary agencies to provide firsthand information about the industry. Lectures present training material verbally and are often used when the objective is to present a great deal of material to many people. To lecture a group is more cost effective than to train people individually. Lecturing may not be the most effective way to train for the following reasons: more of one-way communication, audience may have undesirable listening skills; hard to ensure that the entire audience understands a topic on the same level; by targeting the average attendee, possibility to under train some, and lose others. Audiovisual methods are the most effective means of providing real world conditions and situations in a short time. Consistency is an advantage material is never change even played so many times. Lectures on the contrary, can change with speaker replacement or influence by outside constraints. Audiovisual method has a major flaw, it does not allow much speaker interactions, and inflexible; it does not permit for changes in the presentation for different audiences and maybe cost prohibitive. 2. Simulation Methods. This method includes case method studies, role playing, behavior modeling, inter-active simulation for virtual teams, programmed instruction, laboratory training, and computer based-business simulations. Attendees can apply training received and can generate timely critiques and feedbacks. The process brings realistic decision making situations, and enable trainee to apply theories, and life experiences, and come up with alternative solutions for discussion. Furthermore, attendees can develop, or refine analytical abilities. Programmed learning is the use of computer-aided instruction and interactive video that allow the trainees to complete training based on their capability. Training can bypass learned material in favor of material with which a trainee has difficulty. 3. On-the-job training. With this method, mentoring will play a major role in training the sales force; employees are train while performing their regular jobs, peers, direct supervisor, or managers can act as mentors. To be effective inform the details of training plan to employees. Establish a timetable with periodic evaluations to inform employees about their progress. 4. Orientation. Employee orientation is the activity that initiates new employees to the organization; to fellow employees; to their immediate supervisors and key members of the organization; and to the policies, practices, and objectives of the firm. This is crucial for the merger. Management must consider providing orientation for all EnviroTech employees for successful employee integration. Training Evaluation and Measurement For optimum training and to satisfy the training objectives, the training program must be at least two weeks in length with consistent breaks and rest time. Train to standards and not to time. Evaluate training several times during the process. Determine training progress with established milestones. Evaluate employees by comparing their newly acquired skills with the skills defined by the goals of the training program. Note any discrepancies and make adjustments to the training program to enable it to meet specified goals. Many training programs fall short of their expectations simply because the training officials failed to evaluate its progress until it was too late. Timely evaluation will prevent the training from straying from its goals. Adopt a remedial training program as a contingency plan for trainees who did not meet the initial standards for re-training. In summary, employee training and mentoring include all attempts to improve employee performance by increasing an employee’s ability to perform through learning. As the new company prepares to train its sales force, it will be a significant challenge for the newly formed multi-functional sales team to be ready for the tasks ahead. References Casio, W. (2006). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits (7th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill. InterClean, Inc Scenario. (n.d.). Nickels, W. M. (2008). Understanding Business, 8th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.

References: Casio, W. (2006). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits (7th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill. InterClean, Inc Scenario. (n.d.). Nickels, W. M. (2008). Understanding Business, 8th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.