Case study: New manager orientation and assessment for software company
Challenge
A North American social networking software company had experienced significant company growth over a one-year period. To manage their expanded customer base and increased call volumes, the client enlarged their workforce by 100%. Although a comprehensive two-week training program was provided to new front-line employees, no formal corporate orientation was available to new managers and executives. Orientation provided was inconsistent between departments and in some instances non-existent. Over the subsequent two years, the client was challenged with a management turnover rate of over 50% per year.
Solution
Management employee survey results and feedback from exit interviews initially identified that a corporate orientation program would greatly benefit new management employees. To initiate such a program, Limestone Learning’s managing partners conducted a comprehensive content analysis and interviews with new management employees to identify requirements. Focus sessions with all levels of management were also held to introduce the program objectives, timeline and new-hire training requirements, gather suggestions for program topics and increase buy-in to the program. Company executives were included in each feedback session to show support for the program.
From this foundation, a five-day new manager corporate orientation program was developed. A pre-assessment skills and knowledge questionnaire was developed and sent to managers prior to attending training to provide the trainer with information on how the orientation experience could be customized for each session. The orientation program included face-to-face training courses, CEO welcome video, hands-on workshops, company tour and scavenger hunt, completion of required documentation, and departmental and executive presentations. Assessment developed for the orientation program included a corporate orientation board game, training games, quizzes, group discussions, skill practices and case studies. Post-program evaluation included on-the-job observation of the new employees by their managers in combination with skill questionnaires sent one month and three months after training was completed to assess the level of skill transfer and applied learning to the job.
Results
The Corporate Orientation program was extremely successful. The program generated a lot of excitement and support from all levels of management. Feedback from new managers was extremely positive. They felt valued by the organization and believed the orientation program provided them with a solid foundation to succeed on the job. The client benefited from a considerable decrease in the time required to train management employees back on the job, realized a greater degree of employee satisfaction and experienced a significant decrease in management turnover and associated costs.
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