Hyundai

To establish a consistent standard of training design and delivery skills across the whole technical cascade-training network

Challenges

To design something that could be used fairly and consistently by technical trainers who are not used to subjectivity. It also had to overcome certain cultural barriers and be owned by the Overseas Training Centre trainers who would be rolling it out.

Results

The Hyundai group head office took an active interest in the project. On the first module they sent a learning and development specialist (a graduate of Harvard university), on the second module they sent a manager from central training to look at how it could be adapted for other trainers throughout the group, and on the Tutor course they sent a film crew to film and interview the attendees for their regular internal staff communication.

The brief

Design, develop and initiate an in-house Trainer Certification Program to be rolled out worldwide.

GBS was invited to tender to ‘up-skill’ 20 trainers who sat at the top of their worldwide technical training cascade process. At this stage the brief was sketchy but we put forward a two module programme that, after a meeting in Korea, was approved.

Once they had experience of our deliverables the project was extended.

• Our brief now became – ‘To Design, develop and initiate an in-house Trainer Certification Programme to be rolled out worldwide’.

• The purpose of the project was ‘To establish a consistent standard of training design and delivery skills across the whole technical cascade-training network’.

The project eventually delivered train-the-trainer skills to over 100 ‘trainers’ in Korea, India, Germany and the US.

Engagement & Design

We needed agreed standards, an assessment process with validation, a training programme to instil the standards and train internal tutors to roll it out. It also had to be ‘sold’ to some of the more autonomous parts of the organisation.

Agreeing Standards

Identify Competencies, Skills and Standards of an Expert Technical Trainer.

• Specify grades of pass in terms of these competencies

• First identify the standards of the minimum requirement for a ‘pass’, then a ‘merit’ , and then a ‘distinction’

• Drafting, discussing and agreeing everything with sponsor and an appointed senior trainer.

The challenge here was to design something that could be used fairly and consistently by technical trainers who are not used to subjectivity. It also had to overcome certain cultural barriers and be owned by the Overseas Training Centre trainers who would be rolling it out.

We had to recognise that English was their second or even their third language so we needed to keep the standards as simple as possible.
Identifying a ‘Pass’ standard that was achievable for the local technical trainers whilst being good enough to justify the expense and effort.

The challenge with validation was and still is getting the Koreans to delegate authority to the local tutors. We always planned to let go to some tutors whilst monitoring others closely until they earn our trust, but Korea seems to struggle with delegating.

Delivery

As the whole programme focused on the effectiveness of training delivery, four practice delivery sessions, each asking a little more of the attendees, were the key to this program’s success.

Our challenges here included issues of

• Overseas Training Centre trainers
• Some were more competent than others.

Corporate Structure

In some countries the Hyundai /Kia representation is through independent companies who operate with considerable autonomy.

Language

OTC trainers were translating into the local language and much can be lost in translation.

Cultures

Multi-cultural attendees introduced a few issues and tensions into the training room that needed careful management.

Legal / Corporate requirements

In America trainers have to be very careful of what they say or the company could find itself liable.

Over two years GBS has trained Hyundai and Kia trainers in Korea, Germany and America. This is an ongoing project as

• Some OTC trainers, on returning to their regions, have chosen to continue using our services to cascade to the next level.

• In others it is agreed that we will conduct all assessments in accordance with the established standards.

We offer trouble shooting support in regions where issues may arise.