One of the challenges SaladStop!, which has 180 employees, faces is a high turnover rate for new hires within the first 3 months . To counter that, the company has started offering better training programmes to give its staff more knowledge and create confidence to stay on with the company.
To support SaladStop! in streamlining and simplifying its HR and training capabilities, SPRING Singapore engaged Ark Solutions Consultancy Director Kris Loy to act as mentor under the SkillsFuture SME Mentors programme.
Part of the Human Resource Industry Manpower Plan, the SkillsFuture SME Mentors programme is fully funded by SPRING Singapore.
Ms Loy mentored SaladStop! once a week from September last year to June this year.
Simplifying Training
Prior to that, there were 12 blueprints or modules that each new staff had to learn. The training was conducted by designated trainers from headquarters who would go to various outlets.
To keep updated, all staff had to return to headquarters once a month, which disrupted operations.
The first thing Ms Loy did was to streamline and simplify the training modules from 12 to four.
She said: “I worked with the team to review and simplify the modules so that outlet managers could use the blueprints [to teach their staff], which are straightforward, simple and short.”
To make sure that new staff are adequately trained, the four new blueprints are pegged to their three-month probationary period.
Ms Loy explained: “When the staff comes on board, there is a training plan that covers the four blueprints. Every blueprint that they go through, there will be an assessment.”
At the end of the staff’s probationary period, outlet managers will make a recommendation to the HR department if the staff is adequately trained and ready to be converted into a confirmed staff.
Ms Loy added that the current system is more structured in the form of training, assessment and feedback, and recommendations.
Knowledgeable and Confident
SaladStop! Director Katherine Braha Desbaillets said there has been much improvement since embarking on the SkillsFuture SME Mentors programme.
Having just concluded the pilot phase with three outlets, SaladStop! will be rolling out the new training system to all of its 16 outlets in Singapore from August this year. With outlet managers taking over the training, Mrs Desbaillets added that the management can now take a step back as they focus their resources elsewhere within the company.
She said that her employees are now more knowledgeable and confident, and the company now has a higher retention rate.
MNCs Taking Initiatives
Nine months ago, multinational information and communication solutions provider, Dimension Data has adopted Workday, a cloud HR and finance management platform.
The first phase of implementation emphasised on data accuracy when importing employees’ personal particulars, payroll and training certifications. Staff can access their information on their mobile or laptop anytime, therefore greatly reducing the time that a HR operation specialist spent on administrative work by 30 per cent. This has allowed the team to perform more value-added tasks.
To find out how they could further harness data to drive strategic business decisions, Senior Country Head of People & Culture Ivy Chew and her team member attended Singapore University of Technology and Design’s “Introduction to HR Analytics” on 31 March 2017.
At the recent The Singapore HR Awards 2017, Dimension Data earned the HR Advocate Award for its exemplary practices over three consecutive years in two categories – Learning & Development and Manpower Resourcing & Planning.
Moving forward, her team will be unlocking and exploring more features of Workday.
“We now analyse attrition trends and performance across various units as well as identify talent and skills gaps. We will be looking into how we can leverage meaningful data to paint a holistic overview of the business and feedback to the management,” said Ms Chew.
Source: NTUC This Week
