Case-Training for Excellence at Wegman Food Market

Case-Training For Excellence At Wegman Food Market Case: Training for Excellence at Wegman Food Market Wegmans Food Markets, â€Å"a regional supermarket chain based in Rochester, New York, is one of the top 75 U. S. supermarkets in terms of sales volume and is widely respected in the industry. Observers agree that training is a big reason why the company stands out,† (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart Wright, 2009, p. 209). In this paper I will discuss how training at Wegmans’ is related to its organizational needs and how Wegmans’ measure the success of their training programs. I will also discuss if an e-learning will be an appropriate training method at Wegman and for what aspect of training might it be most beneficial? I will discuss how on-going training for employees can have a positive impact on employee retention Discuss how training at Wegmans’ is related to its organizational needs. â€Å"Hiring the right people means more than just securing employees who possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform a particular job; these people must also be able to acquire new knowledge and skills as jobs and environments change,†(Dreher Dougherty, 2001, p. ). Wegman Food Market Human Resources department have to ensure that they are hiring the right people that will provide the customers with superior customer service and commit to implementing the knowledge they receive during training. Wegmans organizational strategy is for the employees to â€Å"understand sales and competing on the basis of quality and service,† (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart Wright, 2009, p. 209). Wegman Food Market uses hands on training throughout their stores, to provide the employees with an opportunity to experience making the products themselves. Training content includes practical matters such as product knowledge, food safety, and the ways to cook and bake,† (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart Wright, 2009, p. 209) fits the organizational needs of the Wegman Food Markets. According to the case, how does Wegmans’ measure the success of its training? Increased sales and customer satisfaction reviews are ways that Wegman Food Market executives can mea sure the success of company training. â€Å"Wegmans measures the success of its training based on whether a store’s sales are growing. In fact, sales and profit growth are primary ways the company measures the performance of the company’s director of training and development,† (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart Wright, 2009, p. 209). Wegman Food Market employees’ new positive attitude towards doing their job and providing the best customer service are also ways that executives can measure success of company training. â€Å"Assessment of training also should evaluate training outcomes, such as change in attitude, ability to perform a new skill, and recall of facts or behaviors taught in the training program,† (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart Wright, 2009, p. 07). Do you think e-learning might be an appropriate training method at Wegmans? Why or Why not? For what aspect of training might it be most beneficial? E-learning â€Å"involves receiving training via the Internet or the organization’s intranet, typically through some combination of Web-based training modules, distance learning, and virtual classrooms,† (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart Wright, 2009, p. 192). E-learning â€Å"content may be delivered via the internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, CD-ROM and satellite TV,† (SHRM, 2008, p. ). Wegman Food Market could benefit from implementing an e-learning training method in their stores. The Human Resource department can use the training tool to train new and old employees that may have missed a previous training session due to a scheduling issue. The employees would be able to train on their own time or refresh their knowledge about preparing a particular product without having to ask another employee or supervisor. The employees will be able to assist the customers with confidence and enthusiasm. The e-learning system may also process enrollments, test and evaluate participants, and monitor progress,† (Noe, Hollenback, Gerhart Wright, 2009, p. 192). This training system can help the Human Resource department keep track of all the employees tra ining. They will be able to see which employee’s needs to be trained and which employees passed or failed any training sessions. Implementing an e-learning system at Wegman would reduce the cost of traveling to training locations and the cost of bringing in training coaches from different companies. Discuss how on-going training for employees can have a positive impact on employee retention. Knowledge and skill acquisition will not lead to improved firm performance unless employees are allowed and encouraged to use job–related knowledge and skills when performing their jobs,† (Dreher Dougherty, 2001, p. 7). In order for Wegman Food Market to reduce retention rates, they will need to develop new training programs and make improvements continuously. Training should be offered to Wegman employees annually or quarterly to ensure that they are learning new techniques and different recipes to teach to the customers. â€Å"Effective initial and ongoing training can ge t employees engaged in their work. New employees that are given thorough orientation and training can take their new skills and start performing in their new role with confidence. On going training demonstrates that the organization values the employee in their current role as well as their potential for future personal development,† (Loyaltyworks, 2010). On going training at Wegman Food Market will lead to increased morale and a sense of achievement from the employees. Employees will feel appreciated for their work and want to help the company succeed in reaching any company goals and providing the best customer service to Wegman customers. When employees job satisfaction rates are up, the employees will be less likely to leave the company. In this paper I have discussed how training at Wegmans’ is related to its organizational needs and how Wegmans’ measures the success of their training programs. I have also discussed that e-learning will be an appropriate training method implemented at Wegmans’ and what aspect of training it will be most beneficial. I have also discussed how on-going training for employees can have a positive impact on employee retention rates. Dreher Daugherty. (2001). Human Resources Strategy: Understanding Behavior in Organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill Loyaltyworks. (2010). The 8 Drivers of Employee Satisfaction and Engagement. Retrieved on October 27, 2010 from http://hubpages. com/hub/The-8-Drivers-of-Employee-Satisfaction-and-Engagement Noe, R. A. , Hollenbeck, J. R. , Gerhart, B. , Wright, P. M. (2009). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (3rd ed). New York: McGraw-Hill SHRM. (2010). Introduction to the Discipline of Human Resources Technology. Retrieved on October 29, 2010 from http://www. shrm. org/hrdisciplines/technology/Pages/TechnologyIntro. aspx