What does your role involve?
Providing development opportunities for employees to enable us to meet our manufacturing efficiency targets. This forms part of a comprehensive HR service to all Yorkshire Fittings’ sites.
What are the best and worst things about the job?
The best is seeing individuals developing and making a greater positive impact on themselves and to the business. The most challenging is to ensure my skills and approach are applicable to a traditional manufacturing environment.
What impact would you like to have on your organisation?
To match the requirements of the business with career progression opportunities for all employees. The aim of this strategy is to improve business efficiencies and the bottom line, but I also want it to ensure employees are happy and enjoy their work.
How do you demonstrate return on investment from training interventions?
As a business we are driven to manufacture products as efficiently as possible. To do this we have to utilise all our employees’ skills, so development is measured according to its impact on “lean manufacturing”.
What do you think is the greatest challenge facing the training profession?
In today’s marketplace, the challenge is to release time for employee learning and development. It is imperative to focus on the long-term gains that learning has on the business, in terms of a skilled workforce and other benefits, such as good morale and staff retention.
What did you want to do for a living when you were at school?
I wanted to be a pianist. I don’t play so much now as the piano needs tuning!
What do you think will be the core skills for your job in the future?
It’s important to practice what you preach in terms of learning and development. I ensure that my skills are always up-to-date and in line with the needs of the business.
What is your essential tool in your job?
My diary. It’s invaluable to me for making notes and confirming actions.
And the most overrated?
E-mail. In manufacturing, not all employees have e-mail, so communication needs to have an inclusive approach.
What is your current major training project or strategic push?
Learning and development is ongoing in our manufacturing facilities. We have introduced the role of setter/operator, rather than having a demarcation between skilled and general operators. The setter/operator learning and development programme is run alongside a programme for newly appointed team leaders.
How do you get the best from people?
By having clearly communicated strategies, by empowering and involving people, and through good leadership.
Which of your qualifications do you most value and why?
My CIPD. I’ve found it to be a pre-requisite.
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Describe your dream job
Being a chocolate taster!
