Developing people
Investing in each employee’s career and training is critical to the long-term success of any company, writes Fiona McCarthy.
In today’s competitive environment, I am often asked how Dell attracts a steady stream of qualified people to help drive the business. Of course, attracting a talented employee base is key but critical to the success of any business is the ability to retain and develop a well- qualified employee base. One of the ways of retaining good people is ensuring they have the opportunity, throughout their careers, to grow and develop.
Despite the fact the global economy is experiencing a slowdown, the focus on developing people and continued training becomes even more important. Arguably now is the time companies should consider whether or not they can reskill, upskill or grow the skills of their team to ensure they can best adapt and prosper in a changed business environment.
Emphasis on learning and development for employees is essential. Any company that remains static in terms of developing its employees will get left behind. Dell is a good example of the results that can be achieved when the personal development of the team is put at the heart of the business.
Dell was established in Ireland 17 years ago and our education and training programmes have adapted to meet the needs of our employees and the business. As our business has evolved, we have developed more and more high-end roles at our facilities in Limerick and Dublin, which has necessitated a more sophisticated learning and development programme.
Success lies in offering career development, not just a job. Through our development programme, we help employees excel in current roles and develop into more senior roles. We have a huge commitment to internal promotion and employees can progress their careers in Ireland or indeed anywhere within the global Dell network.
It is no accident that business and academia have close links throughout the world. A dedication to continuing education is essential for the health of any company. Very shortly after establishing the manufacturing facility in Limerick in 1990, we established strong links with local colleges and the university over the years.
Dell offers employees a number of programmes related to its business in Limerick with the University of Limerick and the Limerick Institute of Technology. These programmes include courses in supply chain management that Dell has helped to establish based on best practice developed by Dell at the manufacturing facility in Limerick. We also run other courses on disciplines including business, engineering and science. Our Cherrywood facility utilises the links we have with the University of Limerick as well as many colleges throughout the country when it comes to graduate recruitment and placements.
Any company that remains static in terms of developing its employees will get left behind
Any successful company also keeps a close eye on where the next generation of employees are coming from and ensuring that a pipeline of talent is available. For this reason, we also run a graduate programme:
over the past three years we have hired over 60 graduates from engineering, IT and business disciplines from many of the third-level institutes throughout the country as well as European business schools. In the 2007 Ireland Graduate Survey, Dell came first in the IT and telecoms section of the top graduate employers in Ireland.
Many people have fixed ideas on development and training but I believe it is essential to take a broad view. Effective development comes from a combination of
instructor-led training, learning from others and on-the-job learning where individuals get to close the skills gaps in their day-to- day roles. One-to-one personal development is also key. We utilise tools where employees can invite feedback from peers, subordinates and managers in an anonymous context - they get meaningful, honest observations which will allow them to develop.
Our customer base is made up of widely different customers. Dell prides itself on its diverse workforce and we believe one size does not fit all. To meet individual employee needs, we run an annual programme where every manager is required to conduct a detailed career plan with each employee. This process focuses on the employee’s career ambitions and how Dell can help them meet those ambitions through a combination of learning opportunities, assignments, classroom training and mentoring.
Given the nature of our business, a huge part of our learning and development strategy focuses on the technical and product skills our employees require. One thing Dell understands is that for people working in a technology company, technical skill sets are their currency.
Our technical employees are constantly updating and upgrading their technical knowledge to stay abreast of all industry developments. To this end, we provide ongoing comprehensive training for our employees on our new products, as well as supporting and promoting technical accreditation.
Dell has many examples of employees who started their careers with us over 10 years ago at graduate level, who have grown and developed and are now senior managers in Dell - not only in Ireland but across the world.
This is something we are very proud of and ensures the team from Ireland continues to make a significant contribution to Dell’s success both locally and globally.
Fiona McCarthy is director of human resources for EMEA operations at Dell
Published in: Business Finance, Human Resources, 15th August 2008