Training Program Case Study Project 2 Mauro Garcia TECT 3303

Breakdown Company Name: General Electric (GE) Web Address: www.ge.com Training Costs: GE spends about $1 billion on training and education programs throughout the company at various levels. Training Program Chosen: Experienced Leadership Program This program is aimed at employees who have or are currently obtaining their masters degree and have at the minimum three or more years of experience at GE.

Introduction – Summary The reason this training program case study was done was to point out the vital techniques that go into the experienced leadership training program. This includes money and time spent, how the training is delivered and designed, if the training addresses important concerns such as diversity, technology, innovation, and motivation.

Introduction – Analysis This analysis will be done to review if the methods applied in the experienced leadership training program are effective and efficient. We will also review this program in its entirety in order to determine if changes need to be made to improve the program itself.

Target Audience As previously mentioned, the target audience consists of experienced employees who might or might not currently be in leadership positions, and are looking to advance within the company. The eligible departments for this training are: Engineering Human Resources Sales & Marketing Business Software

Training Program – Topics & Goal The training topics vary depending on the department an employee is being trained for. The goal of this training program is to develop experienced employees in various leadership roles by building problem-solving skills and producing more innovative projects and presentations that are aligned with the needs of senior management and GE.

Delivery of Training The experienced leadership training program is done in-house as “culture” plays a huge role in GE. “So a constant reengineering of our business portfolio, operating model, and culture has been a key to our evolution” says Raghu Krishnamoorthy, GE’s Chief Learning Officer. (Krishnamoorthy, 2015). The training site varies depending on what skills are being developed and what step they’re on in the program. First are on-demand courses are accessible 24/7 through any computer. The second step is done at designated training site. The next step is done on-site day-to-day with rotating assignments. The last step is also done at a designated training site for 3 weeks.

Delivery of Training cont. Each employee in the experienced leadership training program has their development plan customized so that each individual receives a plan tailored match their strengths and work on their weaknesses. Training’s vary in length and schedule depending on the department an employee is training for. Some departments like Human Resources, Sales & Marketing are 2 year training programs with 8 month rotation of assignments.

Technology in Training While technology plays an important role in training, the face-to- face interactions will not be replaced in the near future. “We really believe that the ‘inspire, connect, and develop’ happens with real impact when people are physically together” says former Chief Learning Officer Susan Peters. (How GE builds global leaders, 2010). Since the 1st phase of leadership training is all done through a computer, a great array of tools are made available such as: Podcasts Virtual Collaboration Rooms Face-to-face interactions via Webcams Mobile devices such as Kindles

Strengths & Weaknesses The various methods of training allow for flexibility and permit employees to work at their own pace. In-house training allows the GE “culture” to flourish building trust in employees thus reducing turnover rates. Weaknesses $1 billion spent on training seems excessive considering that Hewlett Packard (a company also known for spending quite a bit of money on training) only spends around $275 million. Lengthy trainings that can take years to complete also seems like it can somehow be compacted so as to get a faster return on investment.

Concluding Analysis While GE’s “experienced leadership program” ventures into new territory such as training’s that span over years ,you certainly can’t argue with results. Covering important topics such as workplace diversity, building workplace culture, and having flexible training times help their employees transition into their new position with relative ease. The fact that several aspects are covered in their training truly makes it hard to argue with its success. These techniques can easily be adapted to fit training models of aspiring trainers to build a better training and as a result develop trainees into successful employees.

References Crane, M. (2006). To train or not to train? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/04/hewlett-packard-general-electric- microsoft-ent-hr-cx_mc_1204training.html Experienced leadership programs. (2015). General electric. Retrieved from http://www.ge.com/careers/culture/university-students/experienced Hansen, F. (2008). Training the top at GE. Workforce. Retrieved from http://www.workforce.com/articles/training-the-top-at-ge Krishnamoorthy, R. (2014). How GE trains more experienced employees. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/05/how-ge- trains-more-experienced-employees

References Krishnamoorthy, R. (2015). GE’s culture challenge after Welch and Immelt. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/01/ges-culture- challenge-after-welch-and-immelt Stevenson, S. (2014). How do you make better managers? Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/business/psychology_of_management/2014/06/ ge_s_crotonville_management_campus_where_future_company_leaders_are_ trained.html Wharton, K. A. (2010). How GE builds global leaders: A conversation with chief learning officer Susan Peters. Knowledge at Wharton. Retrieved from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-ge-builds-global-leaders-a- conversation-with-chief-learning-officer-susan-peters/