The topic of “management training” was added to the agenda of the HR Development Department at the Emmi Group. The objective of this new focus was to increasingly move the company away from in-person instruction and to replace it with digital forms of training. As part of this process, training development was to be done inhouse in the future as well – HR employees now had to be trained to do this new job. In the process, the foodmaker drew on the strategic consulting expertise of youknow.
The company
The history of the Lucerne-based Emmi Group extends back more than 100 years. A company that went into business in 1907 as “Zentralschweizerischer Milchverband Luzern” has evolved into an international enterprise that employs more than 8,000 people. Today, the foodmaker produces and sells dairy products in 15 countries.
The challenge
This internationality naturally creates logistical challenges when it comes to advanced training – in-person training for multi-location departments generates high costs and causes employees to miss work for extended periods of time. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that the HR Department at Emmi, a section of the company that has special responsibility for the conception and conduct of management training, has been striving to increase the use of digital forms of training for some time now. As a way of reducing the company’s dependency on external content providers, the Emmi Group is determined to become more independent and to assume responsibility for all steps, from the definition of learning objectives to script preparation.
No easy task: After the employees of the HR Development Department had gained an extensive amount of theoretical knowledge and an initial pilot project proved to be quite promising, the company needed a boost that would help it get the program’s practical implementation off the ground.
The solution
The essence of the solution was the development of sensible formats and processes that would facilitate the efficient production of uniform and educationally satisfactory learning content in the first place. youknow was able to provide the milk processor with strategic consulting support here.
A high priority was placed on the practical aspects of the training. The centerpiece of the work was a two-day workshop called “From the Topic to the Learning Objectives and Script.” In the process, the HR Department got to know tools that its employees can use during the entire process – from the identification of learning objectives to script preparation. The tools were put to the test during the workshop by using imaginary topics.
A presentation was made about the “Project Setup”, a tool that the HR Department can use in the future to structure all parameters for a training project (including the responsibilities of each individual who will be working on it) in advance to ensure that the project runs smoothly.
Before the workshop began, the HR Department determined which learning formats would be used in the future. Using this as its basis, youknow defined the appropriate comparison criteria and supplemental information and then added them to format overviews. The overviews outline the strengths and weaknesses of the various learning formats (e.g., webinars, virtual classrooms, etc.) and their suitability for topics that could arise for Emmi in the future. The overviews will provide employees with an argumentation and decision-making aid when they select the appropriate digital training format for a certain challenge.
Goal achievement and the next steps
“The workshop with youknow helped us gain a better understanding of the opportunities offered by e-learning and get a feel for ways that we can efficiently and effectively carry out training projects in the future. The entire process, from identification of learning needs to the finished project, is much clearer and more structured now. Nothing else is now standing in the way of our work to digitalize our training courses.”
Barbara Reidy, Head of HR Development, Emmi Management AG
The HR Development Department plans to carry out the company’s first two training courses by the end of the year. Because of both projects, the trained employees are now ready to use their knowledge. We will soon see how the internally developed formats are received by managers.
How can we support you?
Would you like to arrange a consulting meeting with us and learn more about our e-learning solutions? Simply get in touch and we will find the optimal consulting solution for you.
Ulrike Meissner, Sales Manager
