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Part
5
Learning and Development
316
A working knowledge of each customer support system
is essential to do the job and one of the central tasks of the
training department is to bring new entrants up to com-
petence as quickly as possible. The following pattern is
adopted. New entrants join in cohorts of 8 to 10 and spend
their first week in the training room. As the week progresses
they spend periods in a pod sitting next to a ‘buddy’, listening
to calls. At the end of that week they are allocated to a pod
team and receive close ongoing support from the pod team
coach.
Given the emphasis on learning in the workplace, the
role of the team coach is critical and there are a number of
steps in place to support and enhance their role. A set of
skills and needs have been defined and these are delivered
to the 30 centre team coaches in 90-minute modules in the
training room.
Career coaching at Orange
Within Orange, coaching is used in various ways to support
people on-the-job and in leadership and personal develop-
ment programmes. The career coaching programme uses
volunteer line managers who have been trained to pro-
vide coaching to staff with whom they have no reporting
relationship.
The two objectives for career coaching are: 1) as part
of its overall talent management strategy Orange wants
to see employees take greater responsibility for their own
careers; 2) Orange is in a competitive market as far as skills
and resources are concerned and this effort is intended to
help with employee retention by engaging employees in
conversations about their careers before they look else-
where. Career coaching is offered to all staff, regardless
of grade. The programme consists of three sessions of
90 minutes each, with a line manager coach trained
specifically in career coaching.
Employees complete an online application, which must
have their line manager’s approval, and commit to the time
required for the coaching process over an 8–10 week period.
Included on this form is the question, ‘Why do you want to
be coached?’ with some examples of the reasons that
someone might choose.
The coaching process is tightly structured. The planned
outcome is for the employee to develop career goals,
which are discussed with the individual’s manager at
the next performance review. Coaches give employees
exercises to work on between the meetings, drawn from
a large selection offered by the talent management team.
After the process is completed, individuals are asked to
complete an evaluation form describing their experience of
the scheme, their coach’s style and the outcomes they
have achieved.
Coaching at Marks & Spencer
Traditionally M&S trained its customer assistants by taking
them off the shop floor for classroom-style training, but the
company has introduced a new role, that of coach. When
trainees join M&S, their coaches take them through all of
the training required for their immediate role, as well as
any additional training they may need once qualified.
Formal coaching cards are used, which address both service
and technical skills and tell the coaches what to assess
and what the learning should be. Each trainee is also provided
with a booklet summarizing the main learning points.
Implementing a basic skills programme at TNT
TNT UK Ltd has over 9,500 staff working throughout the UK
and Ireland. Its core business is express and logistics
delivery services both within the UK and internationally.
The basic skills programme was established as a joint
initiative between TNT and the Transport and General
Workers’ Union (T&G). T&G provided the trainers and a
contribution from the Union Learning Fund to establish the
programme; TNT provided the resources including the office
space, computers and refreshments. The role of the T&G’s
learning representative was crucial in identifying staff with
basic skills needs. Individuals were identified and encour-
aged by the union representative to join the programme.
The challenge was to motivate staff to take part in the
programme without it being perceived as a stigma. Tactics
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