Get a game plan

In 2002, Jeff Campbell was hired as the director of human resources at Waterloo Gardens (Exton, PA). Today — and the project is still growing — the HR department at Waterloo offers its employees 180 different training modules, covering tips and best practices for job functions as varied as “communications etiquette,” “vacuuming” and “sales training.”

How did Waterloo rise to the pinnacle of employee training? Very carefully.

What was the game plan? When Campbell came to work at Waterloo, the company was already restructuring. Waterloo (www.waterloogardens.com) was in the process of converging variant departments into fewer departments, each under the direction of one manager. Operations supervisors for each department helped the managers stay focused on key objectives like sales, customer service and planning.

The long-term purpose of training fit into Waterloo’s strategic thinking. “In the beginning, we were looking at improving basic training, which we felt was not as consistent as we wanted it to be,” Campbell said. “Things really took off in January ’05, when we promoted Tracy Smith from greenhouse sales manager to training development manager.”

Smith’s task was to work with Campbell and Waterloo president and owner, Bobby LeBoutillier. Together, they devised the basic concepts for the training program. Tracy was assisted by Tricia Allen, who provided administrative support in developing the training modules.

“From the beginning, we felt that a picture is worth a thousand words, so our plan was to go forward with modules that had a lot of pictures, in a PowerPoint presentation format,” Campbell said.

How was the training program developed? Although Waterloo did use a few off-the-shelf training programs, by and large the company took a hands-on approach to developing its modules. “To put the information together, we went straight to the experts — and that means the people who were actually doing the work, be it managing or loading, or watering, or whatever,” Campbell said. “Depending on what the segment was covering, we’d interview and observe the experts. Then we’d put a rough module together, review it, tweak it, and finally approve it.”

Modules for manager training comprise another important component of the program. “We went to our management teams and asked them directly, ‘How can our training impact your work? What can we do to help you?’” Campbell said.

Campbell added that employees loved being part of module development. “In the beginning — when people saw what we were doing — they’d come to us and say, ‘When is it my turn?’” he said.

What does the program look like? Everybody who works at Waterloo undergoes training.

“Employees experience three or four new-employee orientations: one before they start, another within two weeks of starting; and one or two at some point later,” Campbell said. More detailed training modules followed the orientation.

“Of course, we also have department-specific training — loading customers’ cars and watering, for example,” Campbell said, adding the detail doesn’t stop there. “We actually have multiple watering modules—there are different techniques for containers, nursery stock, and so on. For cashiers, we offer 17 training modules, for customer assistants, five; for delivery and planning, five; even for snow plowing, we have five training modules, tailored to our different locations.”

Modules for managers also cover multiple functions: hiring, performance evaluations, time and attendance, etc.
“We have 25 management modules,” Campbell said. The goal is to advance the training program to the point where each position at Waterloo has multiple levels to be mastered by employees, so training modules address best practices for the beginner’s, intermediate, and advanced levels. A testing program confirms when an employee is ready to move to the next level.

What do employees think? Waterloo gets considerable positive feedback from employees.

“We get a variety of comments,” Campbell said. “For example, new employees are impressed with the training, and the sales staff says the detailed printouts from the slides give them the tools and format to follow after the training.”
Best of all, the comprehensive training program that Waterloo offers sends employees a vote of confidence. “People like the fact that we’re investing in them,” Campbell added.

How has training benefited Waterloo? Although a precise cost/benefit is difficult to quantify, Campbell said the program absolutely helped. “Our management base, in particular, is stable right now,” he said. “I’ve watched more and more of our management positions get filled internally, which is a change from years past. And the training has helped with recruitment in both the management and key-hourly support positions. The training provides structure to the recruitment, and a detailed job description for people to follow. Employees know what to expect, turnover has lessened, and job satisfaction has grown. Through the training modules, employees can now see a path in their career.”

Despite all the progress, Campbell said Waterloo’s training program is far from completed. “We have so much we want to get done,” he said.