HR Corner Corporate culture built on learning by Charles Mak Diverse training programmes promote personal development In dealing every day with clients and contacts from around the world, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) has long realised the importance of all-round training and development for staff and has seen how it can have a significant impact on business results. Consequently, they have introduced an array of specialised programmes and subsidised schemes to provide employees with the necessary skills, give them new aspirations, and allow them to take ownership of their personal development. "We encourage all staff to learn continuously and to add value to themselves and their jobs," says David Ng, the HKCEC's human resources manager. In his view, new recruits must be ready to fit in with the company's learning culture from the day they join and should regard the in-house orientation programme as just the first step in an ongoing journey. The HR department checks initial progress after a month and an intense training schedule in customer service and job-related hard skills then follows. For any organisation with diverse international business like the HKCEC, language proficiency is a top priority for employees. "A full-time Mandarin tutor has been hired because we can see the growing importance of the language," says Mr Ng. "Staff can now have one-on-one sessions on a regular basis." Besides that, videos are shown in the staff canteen, providing short courses on topics such as conversational English and service skills, so that staff can pick up additional knowledge more easily. "We make use of all available channels to offer opportunities for learning," he adds. "We also plan new initiatives to help in meeting future development needs." We make use of all available channels to offer opportunities for learning In recent years, e-Learning has been adopted by many businesses as an effective tool and, in this area, the HKCEC makes use of a comprehensive learning platform developed by its corporate parent NWS Holdings Limited (NWSH). Staff can enrol and study online a range of courses covering everything from service standards to leadership and soft skills. "The response has been excellent," says Margaret Kwok, training manager for the HKCEC. "Some employees have completed 36 courses during their free time in just six months." As an example, one chef finished eight courses totalling 3,530 minutes of study time within the past three months. Training needs In order to keep pace with changing operational needs, staff are asked to complete questionnaires to identify the skills they most require. Also, whenever new regulations are implemented, such as for food hygiene or to restrict smoking in public places, courses are introduced or updated accordingly. Each year, staff are required to set out a plan for their personal development needs. "We rely on that information to arrange and implement appropriate training to enhance competencies," says Mr Ng. "The data helps us to decide on the programmes and the best methods of delivery for the year ahead. Besides e-Learning, we have started to utilise other innovative approaches such as experiential training for team building." While following overall group guidelines, the HKCEC has been given a free hand to come up with training policies to meet specific needs. "There is a great deal of flexibility," Ms Kwok says. "NWSH has a training team and generic programmes are available for staff, but some are offered by different subsidiaries. Each group company has a recognised area of expertise, so we focus on offering customer service training, while the construction subsidiary, for example, would concentrate on teaching aspects of project management." Spare-time study A learning management system is in place to monitor progress. It can record how much time employees spend learning online and when. "We have been surprised by the number of staff who take classes during their spare time, but then the system is designed to make that possible," Ms Kwok explains. The effectiveness of the separate programmes is gauged by analysing staff feedback and reviewing scores achieved on the customer satisfaction index. Annually, the HKCEC spends approximately two per cent of total payroll on funding training and education courses, but Mr Ng emphasises that this is seen as a very worthwhile investment. In particular, it has enabled numerous members of staff to go on to complete master's degrees in a variety of disciplines. "Many of them opt for marketing, business administration and management," Ms Kwok adds. "Based on the nature of each person's job, we will assess the level of subsidy to grant in support of their further studies." With a view to creating career development opportunities, the HKCEC has made life-long learning a central part of the company's long-term strategic plan. "It is an ongoing process for which the HR department and individual employees have a shared responsibility," Mr Ng concludes. "The way we look at it is that if staff continue to grow, so will the company." Salient points A focus on learning is an integral part of the corporate culture Training programmes are adapted as necessary to reflect changing needs Staff have an individual development plan to follow every year Online courses allow employees to study effectively in their spare time Taken from Career Times 25 November 2005, p. B16 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]