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Health4Life (H4L) Training Plan, Performance Appraisal and Manager Support.
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- Introduction.
Overview of the Paper.
This paper provides an effective training plan that will guide the Health4Life (H4L) leadership in offering the necessary pieces of training to their new managers during the pre-departure and on-the-job phases. Moreover, this study presents the best appraisal method for the organization’s London expatriates. Moreover, this paper provides detailed illustrations of the evaluation criteria to be used when assessing the organization’s new international club managers’ job performances. Furthermore, this paper’s content covers the specific recommendations offered to the H4L leadership team on the appropriate support required for the expatriates’ pre-departure, on-the-assignment and repatriation phases.
Purpose of the Study.
H4L’s expansion into a novel market (London) necessitated the Human Resource (HR) department’s intervention in deciding how the new offices would be staffed. H4L’s decision to implement an ethnocentric staffing technique for the four club managers to be deployed in London held the advantage that the chosen individuals were already aware of its culture, values, business concepts and operations. However, since the new managers will be undertaking a new role or will be undertaking a similar role in a different country, they must receive ample training to ensure that their efforts are aligned with H4L’s strategic plans, objectives, targets and values. This study’s purpose is to provide H4L’s leadership team with an appropriate and adequate training plan for the four managers to be deployed in London, including a suggestion of the necessary pre-departure and on-the-job training. Moreover, this study seeks to suggest and illustrate the best appraisal method for the new foreign managers with a particular focus on the evaluation criteria to be employed while assessing their job performances. Furthermore, this study seeks to provide H4L’s leadership team with recommendations on the specific type of expatriate support they need to provide to theirnew managers in the pre-departure phase, on-the-assignment phase and eventually in the repatriation phase.
- Training Plan.
- Introduction.
- Purpose.
This training plan’s preparation has been necessitated by H4L’s need to establish relevant procedures required to develop, plan, and implement a training curriculum and program for the newly appointed international club managers to be deployed in London. In this regard, it is critical to appreciate that this training plan’s primary objective is to ensure that, in their new locations, the new managers can utilize the resources placed at their disposal to promote a healthy lifestyle to their clients by using the gym as social space. Moreover, this training plan aims at providing a program through which the newly appointed managers will positively explore the new market in London by generating profit for the organization while achieving client satisfaction. These training pieces will be imperative to ensure that despite the introduction to a new environment in London, the managers will still promote H4L’s organizational culture to maximize productivity. This training plan aims to ensure that the new managers are adequately equipped for their relocation process and the taking up of new roles in a new environment. Moreover, programs and ideologies suggested by this training plan are aimed at ensuring that the new managers’ problem solving, decision making and innovative skills are improved immensely.
- Scope.
The training programs established must consider any requirements that must be fulfilled during the new managers’ pre-departure and on-the-job phases. The training offered should cover H4L’s organizational culture, managerial responsibilities, London’s business environment cultures and aspects and the communication systems and channels to be established between the London Gym clubs and the headquarter. However, this training plan’s effectiveness is anchored on the assumption that the new managerial team is well acquainted with the organization’s objectives, purposes, financial and customer targets. Moreover, the training plan’s scope is based on the assumption that the new managers share the passion of H4L’s leadership team of succeeding in London to expand into other territories in the future. However, this training plan is limited by the novelty of the new project location. It is impossible to be rigid in enforcing H4L’s organizational culture as there could be necessary changes along the way. Therefore, this training plan’s scope is not final and will need adjustment once the new managers are in their on-the-job phase.
- Roles and Responsibilities.
H4L’s leadership team has the primary responsibility of ensuring that the necessary training pieces are conducted and in the appropriate team. They must put in place mechanisms and provisions to facilitate the new managers’ training in the pre-departure and on-the-job phases. Moreover, it is the leadership team’s responsibility to facilitate the provision of all necessary training resources. On the other hand, it is the trainees’ responsibility (the new managers) to ensure that they have understood what is required of them. Where there is a lack of understanding or confusion, it is their responsibility to ask questions. Furthermore, it is the appointed trainers’ responsibility to ensure that all aspects of the training programs have been covered appropriately. They also must ensure that they prepare clear, precise and concise learning materials for the trainees.
- Prerequisites and Requirements.
The H4L leadership team must establish the right training environment for the new managers to optimally gain the required knowledge. The right training environment includes allocating a specific venue within or outside the organization to conduct the training. The leadership team must ensure that this requirement is fulfilled both in the managers’ on-the-job and pre-departure training pieces. Since the new managers are part of the existing H4L’s workforce, the leadership must set aside time to participate in training. One of the prerequisites of this training plan is that the chosen managers have been provided with a list of their expected responsibilities and job descriptions. The new managers’ training is also dependent on the fact that the managers have agreed to relocate from the US to London. For the pre-departure training, it should be conducted one month before the actual departure. This will give the new managers time to meditate on the learned lessons without being too far away such that they forget the content.Moreover, the trainers identified by the H4L leadership team must be qualified and knowledgeable. Preferably, the trainers must be well acquainted with the London and the USA working cultures, regulations and expectations to assist the managers in a smooth transition. Furthermore, it is a primary requirement that the execution of the training plan is interdepartmental. For example, the HR and finance departments must closely identify all costs associated with each training session.
- Strategy and Approach.
The training programs must be developed and implemented on a schedule that maximizes their utility. For example, the pre-departure training must be prepared a month before the actual relocation, while the first on-job training should be conducted after the first annual quarter. Moreover, to maximize their effectiveness, these training pieces must occur for a period not below ten consecutive working days (two weeks). This will allow the trainees to engage with their trainer for adequate time to facilitate lessons’ utility. The delivery method for the training program should be agreed upon early enough because it also influences other issues such as the training location. For the pre-departure training, H4L’s leadership team should organize one-on-one training sessions. In contrast, during the on-the-job training, the organization may choose to conduct online training or still use the one-on-one delivery method. However, one-on-one training is better because it allows a connection between the trainer and trainee that might not be possible during online training. Furthermore, H4L must identify its training sources. The organization may choose a developed-in house training source for the pre-departure training, while contracting an external agency may be more efficient for London’s training.
- Training Resources.
The H4L leadership team must identify the necessary resources required to ensure the training exercise goes ahead smoothly. These resources include human resources, software materials, hardware materials and any relevant facilities. The leadership team must ensure that the new managers have access to material such as handouts, workbooks, guidebooks, visual aids, and manuals necessary for their training programs.
- Training Schedule.
The H4L leadership team must develop a training schedule that indicates the training topic, instructor’s name, location of the training, date and time of the training and the duration that the training will take for a specific day. In this case, the new managers’ training topics will be aligned with the organization’s expectations. For example, a position-related topic would be communication skills. The new managers need to learn how to address clients, subordinate and superior employees and other relevant stakeholders. Moreover, they may be taught how to handle complaints, emergencies and inquiries. Other relevant lessons would be on budget management and the maintenance of statistical and financial records. It is imperative to note that these topics will remain relevant in the pre-departure and on-the-job training, even if it is just reinforcement.
- Training Evaluation.
At the end of each training process, H4L’s leadership team must develop a way to evaluate whether the training pieces were successful. This may include subjecting the managers to drills, simulations or questionnaires. However, the method chosen must be flexible in that it covers all or most of the aspects of training covered by the initial training.
- Performance Evaluation.
Performance appraisal can be defined as the periodic assessment or evaluation of an employee’s work performance according to the competency expectations laid down by an organization (Islami et al., 2018). Performance appraisals are essential in any organization because they allow the firm to make informed decisions on employee training, performance reinforcement, performance improvement and career development (Islami et al., 2018). As an organization with a vision of growing and exploring new markets in the future, H4L must conduct performance appraisals for all its employees. However, with new offices opening up in London and the expatriation of PNCs (Parent Company Nationals) to manage them, an appropriate and more effective appraisal method must be identified and implemented. In this regard, the suggested method is Management by Objectives (MBO), a modern performance appraisal method.
MBO is an approach in which subordinate and superior managers of a firm mutually identify its goals before defining the individual roles and responsibilities to be undertaken by each member in contribution to the overall operating unit (Islami et al., 2018). These responsibilities can then be used as metrics to measure their performances. In its application, MBO is manifested in four primary categories: goal-setting, execution standards, comparison and review (Islami et al., 2018). Under the goal-setting category, the subordinate and superior employees identify the organization’s objectives jointly using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result-oriented and time-limited) formula (Islami et al., 2018). After identifying the objectives, the employees move to the performance/execution standards category, where they set standards, enabling them to identify what is required of them, what has already been covered and what they must do in the future. In the third category, a comparison is conducted between the initially set objectives and those achieved. The difference between the two serves as a work performance metric for the employees. Corrective measures such as training are then adopted to reduce these differences. In the final category, a review of the corrective measures’ effectiveness is conducted (Islami et al., 2018).
The MBO appraisal method will particularly be useful in the case of H4L’s expatriates since they are entering a new market, which requires them to often adopt corrective measures in sections where the new offices may be failing (Islami et al., 2018). This will also encourage constant communication with the headquarter hence maintaining common objectives.
- Expatriates Support Recommendations.
Repatriation from one country to the other is never easy. During expatriation, the international assignment’s success depends on how quickly the expatriate settles in and how comfortable they remain during their international stay. In this regard, it is essential that an organization primarily relieves such employees the psychological burden of worrying about too many things such as transport, security, health, safety and housing (SHRM, 2017). In H4L’s case, it is paramount that the organization supports its new international managers during the pre-departure phase, the assignment phase and the repatriation phase.
During the pre-departure phase, the organization should ensure that they assist the managers and their families in securing visas and any other relevant traveling permits required to relocate to London (SHRM, 2017). Moreover, H4L should ensure that they assist the managers in acquiring any required work permit before relocation. H4L should also ensure that they secure a house for each London manager before leaving the USA (SHRM, 2017). Furthermore, the organization should arrange for the movement of the managers’ household goods from the USA to London while catering to any other relevant costs.
During the assignment, the organization should ensure that it provides transportation solutions for the expatriate and their family (SHRM, 2017). This can be done by providing them with a company vehicle. Moreover, the organization should ensure it conforms to the benefits accorded to the managers in their job description.
During the managers’ repatriation, H4L should ensure that they cover all costs accorded to relocation to the US (SHRM, 2017). Moreover, H4L can offer the manager support by providing them with mentorship and career planning for their life after returning home (SHRM, 2017). Furthermore, in preparation for their repatriation, H4L should communicate well in advance about the process to give the manager enough time to prepare for their journey back home (SHRM, 2017).
- Conclusion.
H4L’s decision to expand its business by opening new London locations is a good sign of its growth from a regional to an international company. However, the organization’s leadership must prepare the new managers for their task ahead by equipping them with the right knowledge. This can only be achieved through vigorous and continuous training. In preparation for such training, the company must adopt a training plan that will cover the pre-departure and on-the-job training phases. Moreover, for efficiency, H4L should adopt the MBO performance appraisal approach to ensure that their employees do the right thing. Despite these efforts, the organization’s success in London will be determined by their managers’ psychological being. To offer them relief, H4L must provide support to managers and their families during the pre-departure, assignment, and repatriation phases.
References.
Islami, X., Mulolli, E., & Mustafa, N. (2018). Using Management by Objectives as a performance appraisal tool for employee satisfaction. Future Business Journal, 4(1), 94–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbj.2018.01.001
SHRM. (2017, May 1). Managing International Assignments. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/cms_010358.aspx
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