IntraClean Training and Mentoring Program - Essay Example

IntraClean Training and Mentoring Program With todays economic crisis it is important that employees have a clear direction and purpose for their work. When many businesses are closing or downsizing those who survive are under more pressure and scrutiny by its employees and customers to do a superb job. IntraClean Inc. is no exception to this rule. They have seen people come and go with this new merger and new people have been hired to fill in the gaps. The task now is to train new hires and the old sales force where needed. Whenever there is a merger and no communication form the CEO as to why or the real purpose of the merger as in this case, rumors start and people fear for their jobs. It is human nature to see that morale goes down when these rumors are not put to rest. In light of this information the first responsibility for training is to make people feel comfortable in their positions and help them understand the role they have in continuing the growth of the company. The first place that training must take place is in the sales and marketing departments because these employees will be the most affected by the changes. As you know, upper management wants the team to be able to "hit the ground running" as quickly as possible. After a total assessment of the group and talking with employees and the CEO it seems that the training should have the following elements: 1. Solutions based selling -- this of course is the primary objective for training sot hat everyone understands how to do it and what they need to do. There are many people on the new team who already understand this method and will be helpful during the training. This will be very important for the IntraClean sales force because EnviroTech already participates in this method of sales. 2. Environmental issues -- since the CEO wants IntraClean, Inc. to be more environmentally aware all employees will need to learn the OSHA standards. While they are learning about sanitation needs they may even learn tips for helping the environment. 3. Since there is a need for mentors the group will need to work more effectively and efficiently as a team. Many of the EnviroTech people are used to team work so they will be instrumental in this aspect of the training. Some team building exercises should be built into the training to resolve or at least lessen the idea of "us against them". This should als help build morale. Both teams will need to learn how to mentor each other for the knowledge or skills they need. 4. Both groups should create common goals based on the needs of the company but also on their individual needs; these should be addressed during training. Mentoring Needs When people work in close proximity and they go through some sort of transition they will need to com closer as a unit. If the training is solid this will automatically happen as employees have to interact with each other in certain team building efforts. A good trainer can pair the group up in such a way that it creates a skill based for IntraClean employees and a knowledge base for EnviroTech employees. On the one hand, EnviroTech can learn about the company and its new structure with the IntraClean employees and EnviroTech can mentor in solutions based selling. This creates a win-win situation for both the company and the employees. There will be a need for a liaison that will work between the CEO and the other employees because one of the challenges in the past was a lack of communication. Although the CEO does not always like to communicate with everyone, a good liaison would be able to bring information back and forth easily. All employees will need to understand this new corporate structure and be able to address their needs as well as the needs of the customer. The liaison is important so that employees will not be left in the dark as they were in the past. Note: The liaison should be mid to upper management and have an already positive rapport with the old employees; they should also be able to build rapport easily with the new hires. A counseling component should also be a part of the mentoring program to help people transition through the new process. Perhaps someone from the Employee Assistance Program could be available to come in and talk about transition and then give information about how to use this services; some employees may need to take advantage of this service as they go through the process. Objectives of Training 1. To train staff to use solution based selling. They need to learn the concept and practice every aspect. They need to understand how what they have been doing is similar to what they are being asked to do. This will help them make an easier transition. 2. Create a strong mentoring program. It will be important to create compatible pairs for mentoring after the training. The ideal match is an EnviroTech employee who is skilled in this type of selling and a motivated sales person from IntraClean, Inc. 3. Give an understanding of the new corporate structure. This should be part of the training so that employees can get used to the concept and see how they are going to be changed. 4. Dissemination of information about the cleaning and sanitation industries. This is important to their new survival and they need to understand the trends in both of these areas. 5. OSHA Standards integration. Employees must know the OSHA standards and be able to work well within them. Format The best training format for adults is an interactive style. Most aspects of the training will be done in small groups with scenarios and projects that they will have to solve. This will be done at specific points within the training. This will also add to the team building efforts. OSHA standards will be done as an online test once they understand what they are and how they effect the company; they will be able to retake the test to reinforce the knowledge and make sure they pass it to the CEOs standard. Some of the topics will include: how to communicate more effectively with managers and customers, how to make presentations to customers, how to negotiate a winning contract and how to close the sale. Although most will have some understanding of these topics they will be used in the context of solution based selling. Standards of Performance There are a variety of leadership assessments that could be used to create a foundation for performance. The first step is to talk to the CEO to see what standards he wants the employees to attain. From this standpoint a baseline of performance measure should be found that can measure how employees worked with managers, each other and with customers; this should also include a self-evaluation. The assessment should be used to help employees improve their performance and it should help them develop goals. The assessments should be used for bringing out the strengths in each employee and as a planning tool for future career development needs. Evaluation and Feedback Any good training will involve evaluation and feedback. Training needs to be evaluated at the middle and end of training. There will be a questionnaire passed out to the employees in the beginning of the training to request their expectations from the training. Halfway through a questionnaire will be given to assess whether they feel they are getting what they need. The training can be adjusted to reflect the answers on the questionnaire. At the end of the program they will be asked to fill out an evaluation that covers the highlights of the training. This information will be gathered and presented to the CEO at the end of the training. Alternative Avenues for Future Training When a consultant gives a training they hope they have covered all the base and that the trainees have information they can use. Today there are so many different learning styles and people have different learning curves. Because of this it is important to provide alternatives to learning. One way this will happen is through the mentoring program. Each individual will have at their fingertips information and an individual they can go to for questions. The consultant will also provide a list of resources that will include online and community college courses that will be relevant to the ongoing needs for training, especially in sales. Read More