Improving Performance through Learning, Coaching & Development - Essay Example

? Improving Performance through Learning, Coaching & Development Content Content 2 Introduction 3 Identification of training and development needs 4 Training needs and analysis 6 Introduction In the last two decades there have been a significant growth of the global economy which has led to the creation and innovation of new technologies, besides uncovering to us a mass of new products. Numerous businesses are searching for new ways to operate because attitudes to business and consumer needs are changing. Their reactions to client’s expectations and demands for a 24-hour electronic society have witnessed a tremendous growth in the service-based call centres. As a response to the need for better, bigger, quicker and cost effective communication, call centres are continually introducing improved infrastructures and more advanced technologies. This has resulted to an environment where the call length is measured in seconds, and overt and covert monitoring systems that make certain compliance of employees to precise operating procedures (Holdsworth & Cartwright, 2003, p. 131). Such a setting is what Endeavour communication firm in the UK is trying to adopt. The paper will discuss the firm’s transformation from a phone based call centre to a multichannel service offering centre. This requires coming up with a comprehensive training and development framework. The paper will highlight the basic skills and competencies that will form the basis of the new programme, where the training managers and their team have an assignment of designing and delivering a 4-week training and intervention, which will make sure all the front line staff are fully competent with the new systems and procedures before the launch of the new multi-channel call centre. It will further outline a proposal for training intervention, a description of how the programme would be implemented to meet the specific requirements, and lastly, discuss how reinforcement of the initiative would be done and evaluation of the programme to make sure that the learning outcomes have been realised. Identification of training and development needs Endeavour is an outsourcing provider operating customer contact centres both in the UK and abroad. It has three contact centres, two in the UK and one situated in India. Approximately half of the UK’s front line staffs are situated in one modern call centre. The firm does its recruitment and selection from the local labour pool. Consequently, the firm strives to embark on a major challenge of altering the business model from that of a predominantly phone based call centre to a multichannel service offering. As a consequence, the core drivers of a training and development program for an outsourcing firm like Endeavour include: shifts in customer tastes and preferences, new and challenging business opportunities, technology advancements, and management planning (Garavan, Hogan, & O’Donnell, 2003, p.21-23). The firm required to train and develop its employees because clients have numerous channels for communication. Therefore, it was crucial for the contact centre to provide them with a wide range of options to match their requirements, with the major aim being to enhance customer satisfaction. The range of channels consisted of the following: phone, web chat, fax, email, social media, internet, call queuing, and call back. Consequently, the front-line staffs of Endeavour needed to be trained on key board entry skills, call handling and product knowledge to be fully competent in these areas. Since the firm was launching a new product, this signifies that it was targeting a new market. This new market consisted of customers who were fond of using the phone, email, social media, and internet among many others. This would result to issues coming up such as mismatch of skills. Therefore, this need for additional training and development was as result of taking up new business opportunities. The refurbishment of the on-site classrooms and training resources led to the installation of special technology system that permitted the trainer to project whatever is occurring on any individual’s training-room PC. The introduction of new technologies like this require training of employees to enable them utilise them expertly at their places of work. Consequently, at their work stations they would be able to effectively use reporting systems and online desktop tools. With regard to the development from a phone based call centre to a multichannel service offering centre, it needs planning, training and assessment. Training and development will offer a major boost in the implementation of the new multi-channel strategy. The front line agents need to be trained on their communication skills and the process of assisting clients. Hiring employees it is considered good policy to invest in training and developing their skills. The core factors that determine the long term profitability of a firm is the quality of the employees and their development by means of training and education. Another aim of training is to emphasize the growth and development of personnel including creation of a pool of adequate and readily available replacements for the employees who may leave the firm or move up the ladder in the organizational hierarchy (Shaheen, Naqvi & Khan, 2013, p.490). Training and development also enhances the firm’s ability to adopt and utilise advancements in technology due to the sufficiently knowledgeable staff. The front-line agents of Endeavour will require training and awareness on the new systems, procedures and processes, and management of the time resource effectively. The other purpose of training is that it assists one to acquire the knowledge, skills and qualifications in a particular field, in this case receiving calls and advising customers at the Endeavour call centre. This allows a person to develop the ability to progress further in his/her career. Training and development is embraced by employees because it enables them to be articulate on the job and have the urge to acquire more knowledge on the field including soft skills training and technological skills. This would enable professional interaction with the clients and offer customer satisfaction. Training needs and analysis Training needs analysis is aimed at ensuring training tackles all the existing problems and it is linked to organisational objectives besides being relayed in a cost effective manner. Training analysis as cited by Holden involves: monitoring the current performance utilising methods like observation, questionnaires and interviews; anticipating future problems or shortfalls; and lastly, identifying the type and level of training needed, and establishing how this can be best offered (Holden, 2002, p.132). Training requires an analysis process is a chain of activities done to determine the problems or other issues in the workplace, and to identify if training is a suitable reaction. The training analysis would be done basing the anticipated introduction of new system, task and technology at the Endeavour (Garavan, Hogan & O’Donnell 2003, p.45-47). With regard to the methods of identifying training needs, training will differ according to employee backgrounds and their present status in the organisation. Trainee candidates will come from the following groups: new hires, veteran employees and trainees currently in the program (Hasan, 2007). However, since Endeavour Company is planning to transformation, the candidates will include the new hires and veteran employees. Considering the fact that the company recruits its employs predominantly from the local labour pool, the new hires need to go first. Hence, the training and development needs to focus on company orientation. The trainees are briefed with organisational policies and administrative details. For the older employees, they make significant contribution to training if they are co-mingled with new hires. Lastly, the training program should aim at keeping this group intact and be tailored according to their needs. Design training and development intervention The designing of training and development intervention is viewed as a major element in the implementation of human resource management policies and practises in any firm. The selection of the kind of training aimed at developing human skills is vital in designing the training process (Petridou & Spathis, 2001, p.186-190). The following steps are followed in designing a training and development intervention: First step is analysing the problem needed to be solved, where the managers of Endeavour need to equip the employees with new skills and knowledge. Identify if the problem can be corrected by offering information that would enable the trainees to obtain new methods of problem solving. Conduct an assessment to establish what the managers and participants expect from the intervention (Duggan & Media, 2013). Second step is that the training program needs to be designed in alignment with the learning objectives. The learners in Endeavour need to remember and be able to handle the new systems before the launch of the new multinational call centre. Third step is development of the training materials. In this case the tutors used the special technology system. Fourth step is implementing the training intervention. Upon completion the trainees would be required to apply what they learnt such key board entry skills and product knowledge. Finally, is evaluating the training program. The participants who include the employees of Endeavour need to be interviewed three to five months after the end of training to establish the influence. This would be ascertained if they really grasped the system training modules such as knowledge of the technology being utilized, going through computer and phone systems, call queuing, the process involved in call back, and entering calls and emails. Irrespective of the soft skill training, dealing with angry and frustrated clients remains a major challenge for the call centre agents. As result, a firm needs to provide such clients with proper guidance to relieve stress and frustration from their employees too (Bocklund, 2009, p.16). This new training intervention which would take four weeks would draw learners from the existing front-line employees together with all new call centre recruits. The learners would be recruited and selected both locally and abroad so as to enable the company gain competitive advantage against their competitors. Delivery of training and development intervention: Since the Endeavour Company predominantly recruits and selects its employees from the local pool, most of the times it ends up with students who make up the largest population of the staff. This is because the firm offers what may be termed as ‘stop-gap’ job. Therefore, many people do not take the jobs at the call centre as a long-term career. They need to provide cost effective tools in order to make training sessions interactive and competent, for example using You Tube to train on interactive techniques and importance of role playing (Williamson, 2007, p.65-66). Other sources of training include mingling the older employees with the younger ones to share their experience and motivate them. The young employees can learn further from books and collection of DVDs acquired from seminars for them to refer. Online training simulation programs are similarly very helpful (Walton, 1999, p.231). In this case, a tutor teaches employees on how to utilise virtual customer’s response and feedback on the calls. According to the requirements of this situation training and development should not only be a continuous process, but also should be done when a new product is being launched or new equipment has been acquired. Evaluation of training and development intervention Training and development activities need to be evaluated in respect of their effectiveness from both the personal and organisational perspective. A performance review process is the major technique used in evaluating training and development programs. Training evaluation is done for the following purposes: assessing if the intended learning and development aims have been met, continuous enhancement of learning and development; ascertaining if the resources were used judiciously; and establishing the value for money of the learning and development (Mavin, Lee & Robson, 2010, p.6-7). Therefore, while designing a training and development system, there are numerous strategic decisions made. The evaluation needs to establish the effectiveness of the training module. It can be evaluated at the following levels: Learning evaluation, Reaction, Return on Investment (ROI), and Application of the job. First, the reaction level involves filling out evaluations by the trainees at the end of the training program. Secondly, the learning evaluation is done by gathering information and analysing them to determine the number of employees learning. Thirdly, the application to job level is used to gauge the level of job application of the skills and knowledge utilized in the training program. Lastly, the evaluation of ROI is used to establish the consequences of the training system on the business productivity, the strategic business plan and the advancement of customer satisfaction level (Taylor & Bain, 1999, p.27-35). Although evaluating the adaptation of training by older employees is very crucial, the retention of older employees has been cited as a major issue in many firms (Armstrong-Stassen & Templer, 2005, p.58). A company like Endeavour does not retain many workers as many viewed it as ‘stop-gap’ job. Therefore, older employees need to be retained to offer guidance and share skills and knowledge on how the firm operates to the young employees and new hires. Moreover, training of older employees is viewed as a very crucial component of retention, and therefore availing of training for the elders plays an equally vital role in retaining them at the firm. However, many organisations are less likely to adjust training and development programs to accommodate the needs of the older employees (Armstrong-Stassen & Templer, 2005, p. 61-63). Moreover, the HR departments show little attempt to offer age awareness training to the managers of older employees. Through proper training and development, the older generation would be motived and pass on the knowledge and skills they have acquired through the years to the junior employees while mentoring them. This is a motivation factor to older workers as they are able to gauge their level of expertise and maturity to the younger generation (Ali & Ahmed, 2009, p.271-275). Recommendations The call centre agents need to be given autonomy to deal with the clients while at the same time being trained on the importance of controlling the conversation with customers into specific routinised areas and paths. During training analysis a broad range of training media can be employed, ranging from the traditional lecture-based teaching to the complex simulators. Since the company is employing the use of refurbished rooms with special technology system (SMART), it permits the trainer to project what is occurring on each person’s training room PC. This will ensure that everybody understands what is being taught by the trainer. The role of the tutor will now change from testing individuals to now concentrating on teaching, guiding, assisting, and developing. Therefore, it is recommended that it is up to them to establish the most appropriate and cost-effective media to be utilised for the different trainees. Since the key element in securing and retaining business quality is the front line staff, the front-line agents need to be developed and trained on the new systems, processes and procedures, and how they effectively manage their time (Holdsworth & Cartwright, 2003, p.136). Conclusion Training and development has the following benefits: the trainee employees are equipped with efficient skills with regard to their job; they will have the capability to perform their job faster which translates to a higher output which translates in high quality and quantity; it increases productivity of the staff; educes employee turnover; increases financial gains which result from increased efficiency; and lastly, decreases need for supervision. Acquisition of soft skills is very important if you are working as call centre agent. This is because handling angry and frustrated clients, CSA in considered as more stressful, less satisfying, physiologically health occupation, and less psychologically healthy occupation. Moreover, CSAs view themselves as being less empowered as compared to other officers in the office environment (Holdsworth & Cartwright, 2003, p. 138). Therefore, to successfully run an outsourcing business you need optimally utilise your core resources, such as employees, technological equipments, and customers. The training programmes were geared towards contributing to Endeavours long term strategic plan of learning, coaching, and development; to train and develop its major talent and search for recognition for efforts in training and eliminate stigma related with contact centre work. This can be attained by the employees learning how to work as a team to attain common goal. Training and development builds a more efficient, highly motivated, and effective team, which improves the organisation’s staff morale. To sum up, to evaluate the performance of the training system implemented the system should be reviewed upon whether these strategies have blended in the firm and it has improved the performance of the employees as well as the organization. This is attributed to the fact that a firm can not compete successfully without the right skills and targeted investment in learning and development. Reference List Ali Asghar, & Ahmed, S. M. (2009). The impact of reward and recognition on programs on employee motivation and satisfaction. International Review of Business Research Papers. , 5 (3), 270-279. Armstrong-Stassen, M., & Templer, A. (2005). Adapting training for older employees. Journal of Management Development , 45 (1), 57-67. Bocklund, L. 2009. 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