TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS

TASLIM KAUSAR ATTAR DPGD/AP09/0240 SPECIALIZATION: HR

PRIN. L.N. WELINGKAR INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH YEAR OF SUBMISSION: FEBRURARY2011

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Acknowledgment I am highly indebted to Ms. Sushma Shekar Amin for her guidance and constant supervision as well as for providing necessary information regarding the project & also for their support in completing the project.

I would like to express my gratitude towards my colleague Mrs. Annie Damle, my parents & member of vCustomer BPO for their kind co-operation and encouragement which help me in completion of this project.

My thanks and appreciations also go to my colleague in developing the project and people who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS...................................................................................................1 Acknowledgment ......................................................................................................................2 INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING NEED ANALYSIS...................................................................5 Define TNA: .............................................................................................................................5 Scope and Objective:...............................................................................................................5 Resources Required:................................................................................................................7 Methods of Identifying Training Needs:....................................................................................7 Techniques of data collection for TNA:.....................................................................................8 TNA for a BPO:........................................................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION TO vCustomer BPO.....................................................................................11 About vCustomer BPO:..........................................................................................................11 Vision:....................................................................................................................................12 Core Values:..........................................................................................................................13 vCustomer BPO Processes:...................................................................................................14 Existing TNA Systems:...........................................................................................................16 TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS IN vCustomer BPO................................................................17 Summary:...............................................................................................................................17 Background:...........................................................................................................................17 Purpose:.................................................................................................................................18 Aim and Objective:.................................................................................................................18 Approach:...............................................................................................................................19 The Training Methodology:.....................................................................................................22 SUMMARY OF RESULTS.........................................................................................................28 Findings & Discussions:.........................................................................................................28

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Consequences:......................................................................................................................30 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION......................................................................................31 Suggestions:..........................................................................................................................31 Limitations:.............................................................................................................................31 Decisions and Targets:...........................................................................................................31 INFERENCES...........................................................................................................................33 ..................................................................................................................................................34 CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................35

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INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING NEED ANALYSIS To begin with let us understand the what, why and how of the Training Need Analysis process.

Define TNA:
As a principal, it is important to identify the training needs before trying to implement any training solutions. The root of the TNA is the gap analysis. This is an assessment of the gap between the knowledge, skills and attitudes that the people in the organization currently possess and the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they require to meet the organizations objectives. Training needs analysis is the first critical stage in the training cycle. There are many aspects to training needs analysis, but the essential activity involves:

Determining what is required to complete the work activity; Determining the existing skill levels of the staff completing the work: Determining the training gap (if any), i.e. required vs. existing skills

In other words, Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is the Identification of training requirements and the most cost effective means of meeting those requirements. Remember, training is not always the best way to try to close a particular gap between an organizations goals and its actual performance.

Scope and Objective:

The TNA typically identifies performance gaps impacting organizational performance at three different levels e.g. industry needs - to be industry leaders; company needs - to achieve market share; department needs - to achieve sales targets; team needs - to improve teamwork, or individual needs to increase productivity. All well-designed, results-based, comprehensive training programs: Determine whether resources required for progress are available or not Determine causes of poor performance and the content and scope of training

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Determine desired training outcomes and provide a basis of measurement To gain management support and help plan the budget of the company, Identify areas where training is required and situations where training might not be appropriate

The scope of TNA is to determine the training needs at:

The organization level The project level for a specific project The department level for specific employees

Analyzing training need often forms part of an ongoing cycle of assessment at the: Organizational Level Training need analysis at organizational level focuses on strategic planning, business need, and goals. It starts with the assessment of internal environment of the organization such as, procedures, structures, policies, strengths, and weaknesses and external environment such as opportunities and threats. After doing the SWOT analysis, weaknesses can be dealt with the training interventions, while strengths can further be strengthened with continued training. Threats can be reduced by identifying the areas where training is required. And, opportunities can be exploited by balancing it against costs. Individual Level Training need analysis at individual level focuses on each and every individual in the organization. At this level, the organization checks whether an employee is performing at desired level or the performance is below expectation. If the difference between the expected performance and actual performance comes out to be positive, then certainly there is a need of training. Operational Level Training Need analysis at operational level focuses on the work that is being assigned to the employees. The job analyst gathers the information on whether the job is clearly understood by an employee or not. He gathers this information through technical interview, observation, psychological test; questionnaires asking the closed ended as well as open ended questions, etc. Today, jobs are dynamic and keep changing over the time. Employees need to prepare for these changes. The job analyst also gathers information on the tasks needs to be done plus the tasks that will be required in the future. Based on the information collected, training Need analysis (TNA) is done.

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Resources Required: Adequate time and effort to follow the steps as described above must be provided by human resources managers who have the primary responsibility of training and training needs in a company. However worker-manager cooperation is also very important in this process.

Methods of Identifying Training Needs: Training needs differ with the backgrounds of the employees to be trained, and their present status in the organization. Basically, a candidate for training may come from any one of these two groups: New Hires Existing Employees

Consideration of the varying needs of these groups provides a framework for discussing and suggesting the methods of identifying training needs:

New Hires: The new employees will normally be of somewhat different backgrounds. Being new, they are not familiar with their new employers. As a result, the earliest phases of the training must concentrate on company orientation. During these phases, the organization, organization policies and administrative details should be covered. It is also a suitable time to acquaint the trainees with what will be expected of him, and how he will be evaluated throughout the phase of training. A trainee should have a challenge in all phases of his training. Therefore, it is recommended that throughout interim test work be given to these employees in periods between formal classes. This may take the form of solidifying what he learned in the prior phase and serve as preparation for the coming phases.

Retaining & upgrading Existing Employees: The people in this category offer a real challenge to the training department. Therefore, the number and amount of training required by this category should be carefully considered. Often the retraining and upgrading of former employees can be very rewarding for training instructors. At least two schools of thought exist as to how these employees should be rekindled. There are advantages in keeping this group intact and tailoring the program to their needs. On the other hand, this category of employees can also make significant contribution to training if they are co-mingled with the new hires.

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Techniques of data collection for TNA: There are numerous methods and techniques that help an individual collect data for the purpose of defining the outcome and training methodology through the process of TNA. Remember, The methods should be used in combination; i.e. there should never be vCustomer on only one method They may be used to identify training needs of each of the various groups of employees They should be applied to individual employees since training needs will vary with the As the study is about TNA in vCustomer BPO, let us understand in general about importance of Training Need Analysis in a BPO.

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TNA for a BPO: BPO is Business Process Outsourcing. It is an agreement between two parties for specific business task. Job seekers prefer BPOs over other sectors because it is providing high paying jobs to graduates/undergraduates. To deliver desired services to customer, who is thousands of miles away, it is important to have good amount of business knowledge and required expertise. As per a sample study, the various reasons behind the increasing training need in the BPO industry are: BPO industry is expected to generate 6 million jobs by 2015, which is why training need has increased more than ever before. High attrition rate in this sector reason being unsatisfied employee, monotonous work, neglected talent, inadequate know-how, etc Coming up of high profile BPOs

Training has become a major tool to retain employees. People working in BPO sector face the problem of night shift, job stress that results in de-motivation. Well designed training program with clear career path increases the job satisfaction among the young professionals and help them in becoming efficient and effective at the work place. BPOs are aligning business goals with training costs. But what is more important is the development of the skills of middle management. Various BPOs have an elaborate training infrastructure that includes Computer-Based Training rooms, and specially trained and qualified in-house trainers. The companies are now busy designing training programs for their employees. These companies try identifying the strengths and weaknesses and are emphasizing more on their personalities, problem-solving skills, and leadership skills. With constant change in processes, technologies, techniques, methods, etc, there is a constant need of updating, training and development the BPO employees to consistently deliver customer goals. Before we proceed on to gaining knowledge on vCustomer BPO as an organization, let us summarize about Training Needs Analysis: Perform a "gap" analysis to identify the current skills, knowledge, and abilities of your people, and the organizational and personal needs for HRD activities Identify your priorities and importance of possible activities

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Identify the causes of your performance problems and/or opportunities Identify possible solutions and growth opportunities. Compare the consequences if the program is or is not implemented Generate and communicate your recommendations for training and development, organization development, career development, and/or other interventions

Let us now proceed and know about the vCustomer BPO organization and the various processes managed by them.

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INTRODUCTION TO vCustomer BPO vCustomer BPO, an Outsourced company is part of the Future Group - Owned by Kishore Biyani, CEO Rajeev Prakash & Navin Joshua Executive Director & Business Head - Emerging Markets,

About vCustomer BPO: vCustomer is a leading provider of multi-channel customer support services that help grow sales, increase customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty. Establish in the year 1999 with its Head- Quarters in Kirkland, Washington, USA with an headcount of 4500 employees The US based company's proven delivery models provide customer support solutions to the Banking and Finance, Government, Retail, Consumer Technology, Communications, Airline and other industries. The company's services include inbound/outbound call centre, technical support, back-office, loyalty program management, pre-sales support and up-sell/cross-sell, CRM and analytics Today its presence is felt in 6 Center across India (New Delhi, Mumbai & Pune) & with one international center in Philippines (Quezon City).With over 10 years of experience, it rely on agility, scalability & innovation to offer Consulting, Technology, Outsourcing. vCustomer BPO has been consistently delivering quality services to our clients thereby generating unmatched business value to our customers through our centers of excellence. Its operating philosophy is to provide value added work flow solutions to the customers utilizing the best of the skill sets to ensure continuous improvements in our service offerings. The vCustomer BPO team consists of a 10000 strong workforce across multiple locations having skills in project, process, and technology & customer relationship management. To ensure business continuity we have multi redundancy, robust technology and a strong disaster recovery site. vCustomer became the highest ranking BPO among Hewitt 2009 top 25 Best Employers in India as well as Asia

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Vision: By 2015, be amongst the top 3 most valued Indian companies providing retail information, communication & entertainment services & being the industry benchmark in customer experience, employee centric & innovation.

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Core Values:

Trust: o o Building trust between peers, managers and teams We will respect and trust our customers and employees unless proven otherwise. We will provide empowerment at every level in the organization balanced by accountability, checks and balances. No supervisor or manager will ever be punished for using good judgment and common sense when genuinely trying to accommodate a customer, as rules cannot be defined for every situation

Transparency o o Doing what you say and saying what you do As a manager or business owner, you look for honesty and openness from your employees. Managers should practice the same kind of open and honest communication with their employees to encourage a collaborative and, ultimately, more productive working atmosphere

Ownership o o Taking charge, admitting to your mistakes and encouraging others to do the same Ownership begins with acceptance of accountability with a positive attitude. For every role and output we will define clear accountabilities and responsibilities and not allow ambiguity to exist. We care about our work, our colleagues and the customers as if Groups success depends upon our individual performance behaviors of being territorial and building barriers within the company will be actively discouraged and collaboration will be recognized

Passion o o Doing everything with passion, with your heart Knowledge, intelligence and emotional balance augur well once they are supported by the positive mental attitude of the employee. Enjoying work becomes possible only when one exhibits enthusiasm, excitement, zeal or love towards what one does. Passion adds value to the job as well as to the person. Quality of product or service is reflected by the passion of the employees who produced those products and delivered the required service. Quality of service is a passionate desire on the part of the service deliverer to give the customers what they need

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Understanding o o Spending a little time understanding the viewpoint and the challenges of others, which will go a long way in resolving any conflicts We will treat our Client, employees with respect, empathy & fairness. Employees will be encouraged to expand their potential through personal and professional development. We will not speak negatively about our colleagues, subordinates and the management except in a one-to-one feedback session. All employees will have access to a fair, confidential and speedy grievance resolution process. Each manager will create forums and opportunities for enhancing employee engagement and excitement

vCustomer BPO Processes: vCustomer BPO has 80 per cent of the company's operations are voice-based, while the rest are non-voice. vCustomer BPO manages programs with rigorous processes and procedures to integrate all program components into one seamless operation. The products & services offered cut across several industry verticals providing operational excellence, deep industry and functional knowledge to critical business processes. vCustomer BPO services customers in various industries:

vCustomer BPO is a trusted transformation partner of Online Shopping Website. We have deep domain expertise in providing business solutions across: EBay McDonalds Big Adda Bigflix Future Bazaar HDFC Standard Life

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Training Org. Chart: The next page details the continuum of the training organization chart as per the above pictured Company organization chart.

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For Existing advisors:

Existing TNA Systems: vCustomer BPO currently uses the methodology of structured and unstructured questionnaire that are administered via an online information management system. Along with these Questionnaires, the team also undertakes group discussions with all the process owners from front end to top management. For a final analysis, the analysis team considers data from a combination of sources like, questionnaires, floor observations, past performance data, appraisal feedback and data provided by the talent management team.

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TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS IN vCustomer BPO Summary: This report outlines the process undertaken within the Future Bazaar.com process of vCustomer BPO, and includes the results received from the interviews, data analysis conducted. The report highlights the need for an improvement in the quality of both the content and the delivery of the training currently available. The recommendations at the conclusion of this report detail various actions aimed at providing support in different ways to those with the greatest need. This project has been conducted by over the period, December 2010 February 2011.

Background: As discussed earlier, vCustomer BPO is vendor location for Future Group's process Future Bazaar.com in Mumbai. The total manpower strength of this process is approximate 100 advisors across. The customer care advisors across each location manage the call flow of its region, i.e. east, west, north and south. This requires the vendors to recruit advisors with good understanding of English and Hindi & at time regional language such as Marathi, Tamil. The expectations set were for this center to deliver exceptional customer service at optimum cost with agreed upon service levels. Easier said than done.

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Why the study was undertaken: Introduction: With high competition in the Future Bazaar.com retail online service industry and new offers and marketing gimmicks challenging each operator, the only differentiator now remaining is, mostly the service and not the products offered. To gauge the satisfaction of customers with the service and products, the organization makes an outcall on deliver of product. Purpose: Organizations that are making a start on managing their online shopping for the long term are faced with a bewildering array of guidance and advice but little in the way of practical, hands-on training. The need for practical case studies is frequently cited on feedback forms, forums and Training events, and a recent survey also revealed that training was seen to be a pressing issue by many. While training models and curriculum's are in place that span from 1hour duration to 4 days have been in place to provide guidance, support and awareness, the desired improvement output was not delivered or met. This led to a need for a more detailed and extensive customized courses. The purpose of this report was to: Determine the right requirements to improve the scores of the process Identify the training gaps Determine the course content Identify the training providers, delivery methods and the likely training costs

The ultimate objective of the analysis was to show a clear improvement in the CSSM scores for the process along with an improvement in the efficiency of the advisors handling the Futurebazaar.com process calls. Aim and Objective: The training needs analysis aimed to identify: What skills and knowledge are required in order to meet industry standards? What training is currently used to obtain these skills? What are the gaps between what is required and what exists?

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In which areas are there opportunities with regards to Futurebazaar.com training? What are potential or possible barriers to success? Ex., cultural, language, financial, access, time, resource barriers, etc What is the optimum format(s) for Futurebazaar.com training delivery?

The objectives were then to: Analyze the collected data Prepare a report detailing findings, recommendations and conclusions Communicate findings to the participants and concerned stakeholders Facilitate desired outcomes Track and follow up with implementation

Approach: Given that there are approximate 1500+ employees in Mumbai location with their own individual challenges and strengths, the approach to be used had to be standard and widespread giving a report that was comprehensive. Generally, the five approaches in needs identification included were: Examining top management and senior managers opinions and perceptions Taking into account employees opinions and perceptions of the organization Examining top management strategic directions, goals, objectives and financial situation Examining the processes and changes in the organization Taking into consideration internal and external business needs and challenges

A team of people were identified and given specific responsibilities for the purpose of training needs analysis. Specific timelines were put in place and as the project lead regular follow up and corrective actions were implemented during the course of the analysis.

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The timelines and activities to be carried out are mentioned in the table below: Sr.no. Responsibility Activity List Set up project guidelines Follow up on the activities and revise timelines if required Weekly review of activities and challenges faced Under take data analysis Handle the logistics required Data entry of the feedbacks received 2 Jr. Trainer - Member 1 Collate the necessary data Collate the necessary data. Coordinate and follow up with the various partner locations Mange the interviews scheduled, conduct skips where required Update the feedback and details in the required sheet Visit the shop floor and observe the advisors and the team leads. 4 Trainers (individual locations) The observations to be on the parameters specified. Share the findings on a daily basis. 5 6 7 Sr. Trainer - Member 4(MIS expert) Asst. Mgr. Training Project Lead All Project Members & Stake holders Conduct data analysis and review the same Publish the reports and findings to all the stake holders Schedule and facilitate a discussion and a brain storming session Minute and publish the decision and Jan 24 Feb 4 Post the analysis Feb10 Feb 20 Jan 1 Jan 18 Dec 16 Dec 22 (Questionnaire) Dec 25 Jan 21 On going Time line

Asst. Mgr. Training Project Lead

On going

Sr. Trainer - Member 2

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action plan and targets Initiate the pilot as per the consensus reached. Identify the members for implementation of the suggested action plan. Monitor and track the pilot of an action plan on the basis of the targets and objectives laid down. Take corrective action wherever required. Schedule and facilitate a discussion and a review of the results of the pilot initiated. Follow up, take corrective action and implement the process. January - February

Individual stake holders and project members

Sr. Trainer - Member 3 (MIS expert) & Project Lead

January - February

10

Sr. Trainer - Member 3 (MIS expert) & Project Lead & team lead

February 01 February 20

* The timelines are set in place keeping in mind the other responsibilities and personal obligations of each team member and the stake holders * The dates are the revised and final dates.

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The Training Methodology:

Questionnaires: The following steps were used in the process of administering the training needs questionnaire: The survey questions were developed in line with the projects aims and objectives. The questionnaire was designed and trailed internally. Feedback was also sought from the various stakeholders of the process. The questionnaire was then trailed externally with participants from the different locations. The questionnaire was then modified and refined prior to execution. Follow-up interviews were conducted in person or by telephone where necessary to retrieve and/or clarify responses. The results of the responses received form part of this report. Expressions of interest in participating in the focus group sessions were also sought via this questionnaire. The answers were to be yes / no or on a scale of 3 to 1 with 3 being the highest and 1 being the least

Interviews: As a follow up to the survey, interview sessions were organized, with a total of 15 attendees from each center. These were conducted as follows: Invitations were sent to each of the selected individuals with an agenda for the sessions. A training coach was engaged to facilitate the sessions. The aim of these interviews was to use the survey results as a basis and to gather further detail regarding the training issues faced. The structure of each session was designed to maximize the potential to achieve this aim. The interviews conducted were in groups and as stand alone.

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Q e tio s us n First fe day challe e w s ng s PracticeT e(C im haupaati) PracticeT e(C plaints/ im om E ail C / T t R m ase icke aise / T g ag inh) B atch/ OJTadhe nce re T rainig - OPs/Quality n C oordination T Fatal discussion in batch op Mock C alls

F tu B z a C s m r S rv e u re a a r u to e e ic C C ation/ T t raising ase re icke / Y s am tim is g e for practice e ple e iv n D to lack of sy m(C ue ste haupaati/ A G T/ H lpde ) installe in trainingroom e sk d s OJTw conducte onlyfor 3 days as d Ys e N o L of m calls in traning ack ock

The detailed feedback and the analysis of the questionnaire were circulated to all the concerned stake holders; with an invitation was discussion and brain storming.

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Target & Audience for Questionnaires and Interviews: Across all the centers and the various levels of hierarchy and support staff of Quality and training, the following was the segmentation of the selection: Advisors from 3 tenure groups of 0 30 days, 30 90 days and 90+ days working in the process. Middle management and support staff consisting of Team Leads, Trainers and Quality Auditors. Finally the Executive Direction from all the HOD's.

The quantity of information received was varied and in some cases, the responses have provided little detail, due to the nature of their role and knowledge of the process. In other cases, a group response outlined the training situation across their center. The graph below shows that there has been wide consultation within the 5 groups. From past experience, we know that there are differences in the requirements and needs of each of these categories.

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Observations: As part of trainings needs analysis, floor observations were also carried out at each location. The observations included the methodology of being a spectator, asking unstructured questioning. The identified executives were required to conduct surprise visits to observe and share their observations on the following: Behavior of advisors within the team and with customers Knowledge and skill of advisors on floor Motivational aspect of the team and individuals Behavior and knowledge of team leads on the floor The overall feel and environment on the floor in terms of motivation for all Training and Quality support on shop floor Understanding and definition of the job role

For each of the parameters the identified trainers were supposed to provide a rating and reason for each rating scale. If required a discussion was ensued in the form of unstructured questioning where further and clarifications were done. * Each member undertaking the floor observations were coached and calibrated for better understanding of the process.

Data: Post the surveys and interviews the internal quality data of 3 months was taken into consideration: The data used was the quality monitoring data of the advisors along with the GAR analysis and the weekly dash boards depicting the SLA targets and the achievements week on week basis. The individual quality monitoring is mapped to the internal satisfaction scores. Attached below is the data from December to Feb that portrays the GAR analysis of the Future Bazaar process for each partner location.

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Overall Quality - GAR:

Month Dec'10 Jan'11 Feb'11

Communication GAR:

Overall Quality-FB CS-2010&2011 # Total of < 75 75-85 85-90 > 90 Monitoring 18% 29% 14% 39% 554 21% 32% 10% 37% 823 20% 36% 11% 33% 945

Overall Com unication-FB CS-2010&2011 m Month Dec'10 Jan'11 Feb'11 < 75 15% 28% 20% 75-85 85-90 58% 44% 52% 13% 23% 20% > 90 14% 6% 7% # Total of Monitoring 365 608 723

Along with the GAR analysis, a check was also initiated to identify the repeat outliers across these 3months and the current training models initiated along with the consequence and accountability status. To continue with the data analysis, the other parameters with the likelihood to affect the outcome or required results of communication and Quality have also been considered. The next pages details the various other SLA parameters along with the center wise communication and quality scores. The below given data is a three month data for Communication, Quality, Fatal Errors, AHT and Hold. These were few of the parameters considered for identifying the co relation between each parameter. A comparison was also carried out between the different locations to analyze the performance and the various training and coaching activities carried out.

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P a r a m e t evrC u s t o m eTr a r g e t D e c '1 0 J a n '1 1 F e b '1 1 s C o m m u n ic a tio n 90% 81% 81% 81% Q u a li ty 90% 84% 79% 77% F a t a l E r r o rF B C S s 2% 5% 4% 5% AHT 210 221 235 232 H o ld T im e 20 24 30 24

To survey methodology is based on: Calling is done basis the tagging done by front office executives. A minimum of 2 monitoring per front office executive in a month is a mandate The scoring is based on a 5 scale rating The survey is mostly advisor or center based rather than process based A total of 15 questions are recorded and mapped to the advisors on floor and each center

The data points shown below provides the scores achieved by FB CS based on the internal customer satisfaction survey and the co relation between the satisfaction survey scores and the internal audit scores basis the monitoring done by the quality audit executives.

P a r a m e vt C ru ss t o T a e r rg eD t e c ' 1J 0a n ' 1 F1 e b ' 1 1 e m N C S A T 7 5 .0 0 %7 5 % 6 9 % 5 4 % 6 1 %

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS Findings & Discussions: Post completion of the analysis and based on the observations following finding were published for individual centers and a common over all observation. There was significant consensus that the key areas requiring revamping or rework was the way that the training blue print was adhered to.

Quality of Trainers:
o o o

Facilitation skills along with communication was a concern The trainers were not SMEs for their individual processes No clear defined Job role and standard KRA for the trainers

No standard KRA and PMS for trainers First day 30 days performance not mapped

Training Process:
o

No awareness and non compliance to the training processes laid down

Changes made in training plan without approval and consultation

o o o

High level of interference from different stake holders No checks and balances in place for non adherence Non adherence to the curriculums

Increase in training days No standardization of on job training

No vitality training model in place to overcome identified performance gaps

No coaching or refreshers initiated No structured or customized coaching model if coaching undertaken

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Resources:
o

Lack of adequate trainer resources

Trainer to Agent ration not met Non training staff conducting training

o o

No approved Job descriptions available for correct hiring at each level Lack of effective advisory manpower

The required manpower not available High attrition rates

Operations:
o

No defined consequence management in place

Repeat outliers as per GAR analysis not auctioned upon No standard process for identifying and managing integrity issue

o o o

High level of process and low motivation Inappropriate behaviors by team leads Lack of required coaching and counseling on the shop floor

General:
o

No meeting ground / calibration between the Operations, Quality and Training

No feedback to training for gaps identified on floor Lack of proper calibration of internal audit form

High ratio of difference between the internal quality audits and the satisfaction survey done

The communication and quality audit scores are above the customer perception scores Contradictory feedback from individual teams to advisors

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Consequences: Along with the findings, some of the consequences for each gap and non adherence in terms of quality and cost are listed below. Training related: The advisors released on floor require double the time to be adequately productive and give the desired results. With new agents released to shop floor, the process scores take a hit with Fatal increasing, Quality and Communications scores dipping. Lack of practical and hands on practice leads to high Fatal during the first 30 days. No process improvement undertaken by training in terms of vitality trainings due to lack of manpower resources. Less number of hiring or communications defects identified or accepted as high pressure from operations to release people on shop floor. Lack of knowledge of trainers lead to ineffective advisors certifying and being released to shop floor.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION Suggestions: The data and the findings were presented to Client for discussions on plan of action, suggestions and set targets. The group supported and elaborated on the findings of the survey and reinforced common themes and concerns. The main points / recommendations made were as follows: Quarterly trainer certification to be put in place Train the trainer module to be developed that teaches communication and coaching skills to trainers and supervisory levels. A monthly calibration session to be rolled out between all the stake holders and the findings to be shared and the required process gaps worked on. Roll out more rigorous rewards and recognition program. Initiate behavioral trainings for the supervisory staff.

** Some of the suggestions provided to be rolled out immediately and simultaneously in Future Bazaar location while some to be initiated as pilot process in a selected process.

Limitations: The main limitation or concern faced would be is the authentication of the reports hence forth or the findings published. Along with this is the subjectivity that comes in with the questionnaires and observation process carried out. Decisions and Targets: After a brainstorming a consensus was received for the implementation of the following activities with immediate effect along with few line items that would be revisited for review. A follow up was also to be done for certain line items that required leadership intervention.

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Discussions and alternatives that require further follow up and discussion are: The consequence matrix to be structured and closed: o o A checks and balance to be put in place for training non compliance with the training process in terms of rewards and penalties. The process document needs further discussion with the leadership team as these would require amendments in the current Scope of Work and agreement.

Training resources: o Due to the cost implications of stationing / visit of an vCustomer BPO resource for training at every, the final call and decision is to be made by the leadership team.

Motivation and behavior: o Look at providing motivational and behavioral training to partner locations also the possibility of developing a pan India R n R program to appreciate and motivate advisors at partner locations.

Hiring and retention: o vCustomer BPO representatives to be a part of hiring advisors and supervisory staff.

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INFERENCES The Towards Excellence coaching program was initiated on implemented as a pilot run on 17th January 2011 for FB CS. Post implementation of the coaching plan at FB CS by vCustomer BPO trainer, the action plan was reviewed at periodic intervals and following were the conclusions drawn in terms: Positives: The data clearly showed that the count of outliers in terms of overall Quality dropped by approx. 6% in January 2011 and 10% in February 2011 The % of advisors in green (i.e. >90 bracket increased from 17% to 35% in January 2011 and 32% in February 2011, thus displaying an increase by 18% and 15% respectively. In terms of Communication scores, the % of advisors in red band reduced from 21% to 17% in January 2011 and 7% in February 2011r thus showcasing a decrease of 5% and 14% respectively Further the % of advisors in green band incresed from 11% to 36% in January 2011 and 52% in February 2011. Thus an incease of 25% in January 2011 and 41% in February 2011 The overall process scores for communication showed an increasing trend from 75% to 82% in January 2011and 85% in February 2011. The Quality scores showed an improvement by 11% in February 2011 as compared to the month of December 2010 and an improvement of 6% as compared to January 2011

Challenges: The consequence management was not finalized and standardize for repeat outliers Lack of capabilities of the supervisory level to continue with the coaching on handover from training team coaches The requisite R n R not executed for the performers The release of new advisors saw an increase in Fatal scores of the process and a dip in the overall Quality scores for the month of August

Attached as a reference, is the batch wise improvement tracker for the advisors at Chandigarh.

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The total nos. coached were 16 per batch with a team coach to advisory ratio of 1:8

N o . P a r a m e n Be rt s NInot.e r n a l Sco tr e r n a l Sco r e s t a ch Ex s 1 Q u a l i ty C M _ 1I m p r o v e d I b yp 2r o v e d b y 2 1 m 6% 2 C o m m u n i c aCt Mo _ 1I m p r o v e d I b yp 1r o v e d b y 1 9 i n m 2% 3 Q u a l i ty C M _ 2I m p r o v e d I b yp 1r o v e d b y 0 8 m 2% 4 C o m m u n i c aCt Mo _ 2 I m p r o v e d I m yp r9 o%v e d b y 1 4 i n b

The data clearly shows the success of the pilot coaching plan, thus providing a go ahead for its implementation. The only challenge foreseen is the quality of coaching that would be initiated by the trainers and hence a train the trainer program would be initiated to help execute the Towards Excellence program.

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CONCLUSION I am highly privileged that i got an opportunity to work on the Training Needs Analysis project at vCustomer BPO as its a partner location. I got to learn the various financial implications of the training and its various activities.

Working on this project provided me with an opportunity to have a holistic view while designing training and its activities, i.e. an approach that enables me to work and understand the point of view of every Client of the process.

As the project involved a high level of interaction with different hierarchy levels, it not only improved my interpersonal skills but also increased my confidence. This project has given me an opportunity to improve my analytical and problem solving skills.

We must keep in mind that training is not always the best way to try to close a particular gap between an organizations goals and its actual performance. Those conducting the needs analysis must get a clear idea of the problem, look at all possible remedies and report on their findings to management before deciding on the best solution. However, when properly done a needs analysis is a wise investment for the organization

The team and I will continue to control, review and take corrective action to make the action plan derived from the Training Needs Analysis a success.

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BIBILOGRAPHY http://www.ispi.org/pdf/suggestedReading/Miller_Osinski.pdf http://www.techno-preneur.net/information-desk/sciencetech-magazine/2007/feb07/Training.pdf http://traininganddevelopment.naukrihub.com/ http://derekstockley.com.au/courses/training-needs-analysis-h.html http://www.businessperform.com/workplace-training/training_needs_analysis.html http://www.dirjournal.com/guides/how-to-conduct-a-training-needs-analysis/ http://www.itsinc-us.com/tpm/na_article1_10-18-04.htm http://marcbowles.com/courses/dtaa/taa9/taa9b.htm http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~rouda/T2_NA.html http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr.htm

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