SGEi November Newsletter

Learn about HR initiatives for cultural development and training.

** Hiring for Culture Fit
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Consider your company culture: what do you know about it? More importantly, what do your customers think about it? Are your employees a good fit to provide emotional connections your customers crave?

Recently I assisted a company in staffing in a new market. They struggled to find the type of employees who they wanted; those who would connect with customers. The GM felt it was the fault of the HR team. I inquired, “Isn’t recruitment everyone’s responsibility?” He looked at me like I had three heads.

Every day we encounter the types of employees who provide us with exceptional service, and we think they would be a great fit on our teams. Well, get them in front of the right people! If you are blown away by great service while you’re shopping, offer that person your card at the very least!

It’s been said, “If you want shiny, happy people, then hire shiny, happy people.” It seems simple, right? However, the impact of peers is too great to ignore, so we must intentionally find high performers with a high culture fit. Organizations must be ruthless when it comes to rejecting individuals who aren’t a great fit. Even if they come across as high performers, they can wreak havoc on the positive, collaborative culture you need to create.

You can assess culture fit in an interview with these questions:
* What type of culture do you thrive in?
* What values are you drawn to?
* What’s your ideal workplace?
* Why do you want to work here?
* How would you describe our culture, based on what you’ve seen? Is this something that works for you?

Pay attention to the candidate’s comfort level as you show them around the office, and gather feedback from staff. The candidate whose behavior and values are consistent with your organization will naturally rise to the top.

– Thomas Martin, VP of Learning & Development, SGEi

Want to learn more about crafting a successful business culture? Check out this video of Shane Green, President of SGEi.

** Our Training Methodology
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SGEi believes the 60/20/20 model is the best guideline for organizations to create a foundation of learning.

Learning and development programs should consist of 60% job-related experiences, 20% interaction with others, and 20% formal classroom events. Today, a growing number of learning events occur during the actual work. It is important to reflect on how people learn best when designing and facilitating these learning experiences.

As SGEi breaks away from traditional classroom PowerPoint presentations, we are realizing the value our learners bring to the table. We do not simply talk at participants; we involve them. There are life experiences, skills, beliefs, and knowledge to be shared that we create a space for in our training.

SGEi also specializes in utilizing e-Learning as a modern training method. Learning and development trends are predicting increased usage of blended learning programs incorporating online learning modules and online videos. e-Learning provides autonomy for when and where an individual can participate in training and makes self-directed learning possible across multiple locations.

The Sales Readiness Group found that most learners will forget 80% of the training material within 90-120 days of delivery, unless there is a strong reinforcement program in place. e-Learning serves the role for reinforcement or refresher courses in live operations and provides a place to reflect on learning objectives from formal classroom training.

Bersin & Associates found that e-Learning results in 34% better response to customer needs and 26% greater ability to deliver “quality products” and services. At SGEi, we utilize e-Learning to maximize all training experiences.

“Culture guides discretionary behavior and it picks up where the employee handbook leaves off. Culture tells us how to respond to an unprecedented service request. Employees make hundreds of decisions on their own every day, and culture is our guide.”

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