Merriam-Webster defines strategyas “a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal, usually over along period of time.” We have been neither particular nor careful in the past,but for the last year, I have focused on creating an employee development strategyand, ultimately, an engagement strategy for Fortis Construction. Historically,at Fortis, training was a function of immediate need and not one of long-termplanning. Despite the lack of long-term planning for employee development, thecompany has done an exceptional job of hiring employees who are driven,motivated, and smart. Based on these traits, a lack of focused training did notdeter the growth or success of the company.
My first question when eyeing the creation of a strategywas, “How can we do better?” Just because we had always operated one way didnot mean that it was the right way to continue running our business. I believedthat if employees were successful in the past with no tools, imagine howproductive they could be given tools, knowledge, and resources! After myinitial question, I sent out an all-employee survey asking specific questionsabout employee efficacy, detailed knowledge needed, and organizationalquestions so that I could target success factors for the strategy.
I received a 50 percent return rate on my survey, and trendsemerged that indicated there was a real need for new employee onboarding, aswell as ongoing skill development for employees with five-plus years of tenure.Armed with this knowledge, I had a clear starting point on what to do next. I assembleda training advisory group with mixed roles and tenure levels across theorganization. It was very important to address all segments of the employeepopulation.
As growth, and the battle for competent employees, continuesto escalate, a thoughtful and strategic plan is necessary. During gapidentification, creating an onboarding program and developing an individuallearning plan became priorities. It was critical to onboard new employeesrather than allowing them to flounder by just showing up on-site their firstday after completing new-hire paperwork. Identifying content for onboardingwas, in retrospect, a great first step in determining core curriculum as a foundationfor the overall strategy.
On the professional side, I wanted to make sure that beyondthe onboarding content, each role had 101- and 201-level content. So, the 101-levelcontent focused on knowledge and tasks that go beyond the new-hire knowledge,and the 201-level content was reserved for the more tenured employees. The 201-levelcourses also included outside vendors such as Dale Carnegie, Franklin Covey,FMI, and LEED. Given that I am a team of one, I must leverage outside resourcesand save my development time for topics unique to Fortis.
Requiring employees to complete learning plans or careerroadmaps also gave great insight on skill development needs across theorganization. It informed my belief that the strategy had to have multiplelevels of content both on the job side and the personal side for the employee. Thismultifaceted approach confirmed to the employees that the “whole” person isimportant to Fortis and that we were going to support them from a skilldevelopment perspective—it is not just lip service. This ultimately increasesemployee engagement.
Personal growth included options such as a book club (with print,eBook, and audiobook choices), digital resource subscriptions, life skillslunch-and-learn sessions, and a week-long after-hours education program that assembledinternal presenters in a “happy hour” setting. Internal presenters present onwork-related topics or a personal interest. This is a great way to inspiresomeone to learn something new in an informal setting. It also allows employeesto hone their presentation skills and share things that are important to them.
To recap, key steps when creating a training strategy:
- Ask the question. Allow people to have input. Asurvey coupled with an advisory group ensured I truly was answering the needsof each employee.
- Create a tool so that employees can devise theirown learning roadmap. Consider both job skills and personal skills that lead tohappier, more fulfilled employees.
- Devise a plan that is learner-centered soemployees have multiple options to obtain knowledge. Podcasts and eLearning arenew (and flexible) options for Fortis employees to add to their skill toolbox.
- Educate and share successes. I send monthlyupdates to employees to inform them of new content available and successes thattheir peers have experienced with the training they have taken.
