Management training on target at Blue Arrow

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 45, Issue 4

UK recruitment firm Blue Arrow reintroduced its management-development program and saw a substantial increase in profit from four of its branches with new managers.

Blue Arrow has a network of more than 70 branches, and supplies short-term and long-term flexible employees to cover planned and unplanned absence, as well as providing permanent staff.

During 2008, the firm terminated its management-development program in order to reduce costs, resulting in very little succession planning or investment in managers between 2008 and 2009. Sales turnover fell in 2009, with staff turnover increasing that year. Accordingly, Blue Arrow decided to relaunch its management training with newly developed training material, calling it the school of excellence.

The material was written in partnership with experienced high achievers, an external training partner and the trainees’ line managers. On several occasions, additional material was drafted in to cover specific requests, and senior managers were quizzed to ensure the program was covering current issues and needs.

The school of excellence comprises five modules: the Blue Arrow way for managers(systems and procedures training); improving and driving sales (clients and applicants); managers’ toolkit (financial awareness and planning); managing Individual performance (attracting and retaining staff); and developing a winning team. These modules consist of role-plays, action-based learning,project work, psychometric testing, video demonstrations and live interaction with business experts.

Two sets of trainees were selected, one group of 11 for 2010, and one of nine for 2011. Each trainee was allocated a mentor who monitored progress throughout the program.

Each delegate is videoed at the beginning of the course and asked to present on branch performance, individual strengths and development areas, and what they want to achieve from the program. At the end, they present video evidence of how they have increased performance, productivity and efficiency.

The key objectives were to increase the skills of new and potential managers to maximize their performance, efficiency and profitability, and to minimize the number of external hires to vacant management roles. The business set a series of targets for those on the program. They covered metrics such as profit,margin, margin per head and staff turnover.

From group one, four trainees were promoted to manager during the program, and the company saw a substantial increase in profit from their four branches alone.

One trainee commented: “My commercial awareness is excellent now.”

Another said: “I have learned to deal with my team far more effectively since understanding they all have different learning styles.”

A third trainee explained: “I have taken the learning to increase my client base and to recruit and develop an apprentice.”

The main unexpected benefit of the program was that it enabled future managers from different regions to share ideas and to network. For those who have not yet been appointed into management roles, Blue Arrow put a succession plan in place. This may include opening new branches for those who have completed the course but not yet been promoted.

There are plans to continue to run a minimum of one group a year. The program, a National Training Award winner, is due to be launched in Blue Arrow’s managed-services division.

Mark Manaton, Blue Arrow Group managing director, said: “Our organization’s key objective is to work in constant partnership to unlock people’s potential. Accordingly, I believe that the school of excellence is the most critical training we deliver. It allows us to work in partnership to create our future leaders. It is imperative that we identify and develop our own managers internally.

“I witnessed the first group graduate from the program and it was fantastic to see them living our corporate values. Furthermore, we have seen fantastic performances from the majority of those who have attended the program.”