• Call centre staff at NFU Mutual Direct’s new Glasgow centre have been
given five weeks’ full-time training. All 60 employees already working at the
centre undertook the course before beginning work. A further 200 staff, yet to
be recruited, will also attend the programme. Head of direct sales Sharon
Watkins said, "NFU Mutual places great emphasis on creating careers for
its employees, not just jobs."
Playing down poaching
• The danger of trained staff being poached by other firms is exaggerated,
according to a new report. It found that training staff is more likely to
encourage them to stay with their employer than leave. The report, by Cambridge
University’s Institute for Manufacturing, gives the results of a survey of more
than 2,000 companies. Michael Kitson, of the institute, said, "Training
encourages further innovation by bringing ‘fresh pairs of eyes’ to work and
challenging traditional ideas. Once people get into the learning cycle, their
confidence grows and they are able to react more positively to the changes they
face."
Scheme to keep staff
• Whitbread has launched a training programme aimed at tackling the leisure
industry’s staff retention problem. The company, which employs 98,000 full- and
part-time staff, is offering the training and communication skills courses to
managers. The courses are aimed at providing managers with the skills to train,
communicate and motivate staff members.
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