Employee Development Systems, Inc. News

Retain Talent, But Develop It, Pepsi Bottling Chief Says

sales@EmployeeDevelopmentSystems.com — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:27:21 PST

Retain Talent, But Develop It, Pepsi Bottling Chief Says
USA Today (04/21/08) P. 5B; Jones, Del

The Pepsi Bottling Group, one of the 200 largest corporations in the U.S., has enjoyed a great deal of success in keeping its top executives. The company's top nine executives have an average tenure of 18.4 years, while the next 17 have an average tenure of 21.7 years. Among the company's 1,800 field executives, the average tenure is 14 years. According to Pepsi Bottling CEO Eric Foss, who himself has worked for the company for 25 years, keeping executives starts with a strong set of hiring standards. Foss noted during the hiring process managers should ask themselves whether the candidate they are interviewing has high growth potential and can make a long-term contribution. Foss also said managers should exercise patience during the hiring process, since "there is no development system that is going to compensate for making a bad hire." Companies are also more likely to hold on to their executives and other employees and help them reach their full potential if they have great managers, Foss said. "Great bosses are the accelerator of high-potential employees," he said. "Bosses should be great coaches and motivators. I like our leaders to have a teachable point of view and share that point of view." Companies should also "never lose sight of developing talent," since longevity does not necessarily breed success, Foss said.

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Companies Simulate to Stimulate Learning

sales@EmployeeDevelopmentSystems.com — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:36:23 PST

Companies Simulate to Stimulate Learning
Workforce Management (03/08) Kranz, Gary

A growing number of organizations are now using simulation technologies to help prepare talented employees for the challenges of leadership and management roles. In fact, according to IDC, one in four U.S. companies will begin using business games in 2008 as part of their employee training programs. These virtual tools put employees on the spot, giving them the opportunity to think creatively and collaboratively and to improve their understanding of critical business drivers. Simulation programs sometimes include the services of facilitators who guide workers through the process. To foster collaboration and cooperation, teams of workers will engage in these active learning simulations, which cover topics like planning a budget, how to hire and fire workers, how to calculate economic risks and benefits, and how to bolster research and development. Once simulations are completed, workers gather to discuss the results and provide feedback to instructors. Three months after simulation courses are completed, participants and managers are surveyed to determine whether information gathered and skills learned during the training session are employed in the workplace. Simulation programs can instill leadership in workers, allowing them to see how decisions impact entire organizations and making them less reliant upon supervisory advice.

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