Case Studies » Building a Learning Curriculum
Company Challenge
In this large corporation, the Administrative Professional staff totaled
over 500 and extended into regional sites and the main corporate office. Each site had a
different approach to training and there was no formal or structured training in place for
the Administrative Professional team. Orienting a new team member took an average of six
months, productivity within this group varied widely, performance measures were non-existent,
and the staff of Administrative Professionals felt disenfranchised because of the lack of
formal training.
RightHands Resources™ Needs Assessment
A needs assessment was put in place to determine
the performance criteria of the entire staff by interviewing the individuals who were considered
to be exemplary workers. Additional assessments addressed the needs of the entire team.
Focus groups with management included an assessment of the skills that the Administrative Professional team could learn that would also enhance the productivity of the management
team. These assessments determined that a learning curriculum built around well-defined job
competencies should be put into place. A structured training curriculum would also support
performance measurements and hiring practices.
RightHands Resources™ Industry Research
Industry resources were found for skill development
based on job competencies. Job competencies were developed based on the needs assessments.
Various industry resources were employed to support the learning curriculum.
RightHands Resources™ Solutions
Two structured learning programs were developed: One
for newly hired individuals and another for tenured staff. New hires were brought together to
a central venue for training. The four-day session included instruction and application for the
customized computer software used throughout the company, instruction in business practices
(i.e. business writing, business etiquette), electives based on competency needs and a structured
orientation into the company culture.
A curriculum was put into place for the tenured staff also. The curriculum was based on job competency development and delivered regionally. Performance assessments determined the training curriculum content. Individuals only attended the sessions that addressed specific, individual learning needs.
Outcome
Formal training for the Administrative Professional staff was so well received within
the company that executive management linked training to compensation and created a training
manager position for the new structured Administrative Professional training curriculum. The
training resulted in greater productivity, as reported by management and the Administrative
Professional team. Management reported that the reduction in busy tasks, (i.e. creating PowerPoint presentations, sorting through email, creating Excel spreadsheets) allowed them to spend
more time on strategy and innovation. The Administrative Professional staff reported significantly
increased job satisfaction and many said that they felt more appreciated and more of an
integral part of the company.