Whirlpool Case Study
Georganna Price
University of Saint Francis
Whirlpool Case Study Whirlpool had traditionally used lecture-based classroom training to educate its workforce. During the economic recession of 2008 Whirlpool had to layoff thousands of employees. The organization needed a cost effective way to train leaders that could help guide it through the difficult period. Whirlpool began with a needs assessment, by interviewing managers and supervisors to determine what type of training was needed and which courses were unnecessary. Whirlpool used the interviews with managers and supervisors to determine their needs. A training needs assessment consists of three parts; organizational analysis, task analysis and …show more content…
The needs analysis can be performed using a number of methods, including interviews, review of performance appraisals and review of defective product and safety reports. The needs analysis focuses the training objectives by identifying the current state, the desired state and the information and skills that will be required to bridge that divide. Once the training objective has been identified, the training team can determine the best method to deliver and evaluate training. Performing this type of analysis ensures that scarce training resources are only utilized for issues that can be resolved by training. Managers may suspect a training deficiency if an employee or group is not performing as expected, but a thorough needs analysis may identify other issues, such as low employee morale, understaffing or inefficient process design. Ongoing training is necessary to ensure that necessary skills are updated, new processes and information are shared and employees continue to grow and develop. Ongoing training ensures that staff keep up to date on industry or process changes and has adequate education on new technologies. In the absence of new processes or technologies, ongoing training can help to identify weaknesses and gaps in employee skill levels and offer opportunities for staff to expand their base of skills and knowledge. Opportunities for ongoing …show more content…
Engaged leadership is critical during times of such turmoil, which made the Whirlpool strategy for training managers and supervisors first a good one. Managers and supervisors will need the necessary skills to deal with employee fears and morale over the layoffs and thus training them first, ensured they had the necessary tools and support to work with their staff. Other situations may call for a different strategy, but understanding the best approach is a question that should be answered during the training needs
Georganna Price
University of Saint Francis
Whirlpool Case Study Whirlpool had traditionally used lecture-based classroom training to educate its workforce. During the economic recession of 2008 Whirlpool had to layoff thousands of employees. The organization needed a cost effective way to train leaders that could help guide it through the difficult period. Whirlpool began with a needs assessment, by interviewing managers and supervisors to determine what type of training was needed and which courses were unnecessary. Whirlpool used the interviews with managers and supervisors to determine their needs. A training needs assessment consists of three parts; organizational analysis, task analysis and …show more content…
The needs analysis can be performed using a number of methods, including interviews, review of performance appraisals and review of defective product and safety reports. The needs analysis focuses the training objectives by identifying the current state, the desired state and the information and skills that will be required to bridge that divide. Once the training objective has been identified, the training team can determine the best method to deliver and evaluate training. Performing this type of analysis ensures that scarce training resources are only utilized for issues that can be resolved by training. Managers may suspect a training deficiency if an employee or group is not performing as expected, but a thorough needs analysis may identify other issues, such as low employee morale, understaffing or inefficient process design. Ongoing training is necessary to ensure that necessary skills are updated, new processes and information are shared and employees continue to grow and develop. Ongoing training ensures that staff keep up to date on industry or process changes and has adequate education on new technologies. In the absence of new processes or technologies, ongoing training can help to identify weaknesses and gaps in employee skill levels and offer opportunities for staff to expand their base of skills and knowledge. Opportunities for ongoing …show more content…
Engaged leadership is critical during times of such turmoil, which made the Whirlpool strategy for training managers and supervisors first a good one. Managers and supervisors will need the necessary skills to deal with employee fears and morale over the layoffs and thus training them first, ensured they had the necessary tools and support to work with their staff. Other situations may call for a different strategy, but understanding the best approach is a question that should be answered during the training needs