Retailing giant Asda is celebrating the success of its Best Welcome
induction programme.
Implemented across 265 Asda stores in the past year, the company has seen
the course exceed its targets.
The 25-hour course for hourly-paid employees, which contained different
five-hour modules on culture, service and safety, replaced a traditional
one-day induction course, explained head of colleague development Debbie
Carnell.
"The key drivers were to get colleagues on to their departments,
prepared for their jobs, and to cut colleague turnover within the first 12
weeks by 50 per cent," she said. "As a result, store managers have
noticed a marked improvement in confidence and attitude and within three months
we have cut turnover by 50 to 60 per cent," she added.
The course was backed by materials such as a pocket book product guide for
each new recruit and a colleague file for training materials and company
information.
In future, individual stores will have to fund these materials, thereby
further encouraging managers to settle in new starters.
"We want everyone to know that our philosophy is ‘get, grow and keep
people,’" Carnell said.
By Stephanie Sparrow
