Oliver Rust
Managing director, The Nielsen Company Hong Kong
Importance
Being a global market-information provider, the Nielsen Company places a significant importance on the growth and development of our people.
We believe that our long-term sustainability is dependent on our people's ability to drive the success of our clients, so we make continuous investment in our soft and hard skills to ensure that we are equipped to exceed client expectations.
We offer learning and development programmes to enhance our capabilities, while providing developmental opportunities to manage the expectations of our clients and our business in the years ahead.
Programme
Nielsen leverages classroom training that covers technical knowledge paired with soft-skills training - all of which are designed to add to our associates' on-the-job training to enhance their skill sets. The company then customises a development programme for each individual. These programmes can include innovation sharing, leadership, career planning, product knowledge, consultancy, coaching, analytical and probing skills.
Alongside the classroom training, we also encourage our staff to learn and gain more experience and exposure to different industries, and business solutions not only within a market but also across markets.
Feedback and results
Our associates are asked to apply what they have learned from the training to their day-to-day interaction with their clients to further enhance the service we provide. We then assess our investment in these programmes by engaging with our clients and seeking their feedback as to how we can continue to develop as an organisation.
Edward Chan
Human resources manager, Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees
Importance
The hotel regards training as very important since it plays a crucial part, not only in providing and enhancing relevant knowledge, but also in identifying and developing talent within the company. An underlying aim of our training programmes is to reinforce a creative and active learning culture that gives all our staff the chance to keep learning and moving forward in their careers. Effective training also allows us to maintain the highest standards of service and remain one of the leaders in a competitive market.
Programme
The programmes we offer are tailor-made for different management levels and for the needs of each department. The full range includes a number of generic courses, such as those to teach social English, how to choose and apply cosmetics, and classes in "up-selling". We also provide courses on the "Seven Habits" of good customer service, time management, communication skills, and training the trainer. When necessary, we may also set up various value-added programmes to enhance our staff's general professionalism and confidence in the workplace. Generally, the focus is on specific needs and job duties and we design the programmes accordingly.
Feedback and results
Other than developing the potential of employees and increasing their sense of belonging, our training programmes have had a significant impact in two important areas. They have helped to create stronger relationships and better co-operation between different departments, and we have been able to achieve a noticeable reduction in the rate of staff turnover. The creation of a learning culture has enhanced staff morale and the hotel's image.
Training has also helped to bring a more positive attitude and a more professional approach when dealing with customers.
