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Workforce
Engagement
Learning and development in China:
good for workers; better for employers.
By Julie Gebauer
Photo: Photodisc
Setting goals
and measuring X
results
Rewarding
performance X X
Source: Managing the Workforce for Competitive Advantag, Towers Perrin, 2005
tunities available to them with their Chinese workers rather than their managerial skills,
employer. Prior to this, these compa- which has yielded mixed results. For
nies offered training on a one-time see continuous training companies, the options are fairly clear:
basis or not at all. Develop a cadre of better-trained and
New training programs are gener- and skills development qualified middle managers quickly or
ally targeted toward one, or both, of import seasoned management talent
two main groups: broad-based workers as a way to enhance from outside of the company or outside
and managers. Training and develop- of China.
ment programs for the broad work- their future
force concentrate on employees’ func- Better late than never
tional or technical skills. A company employability. As China’s economy grows, competi-
in China’s fast-moving consumer tion for high performing employees
goods industry designed and imple- is bound to increase and so is the de-
mented its own formal sales training ees feel disengaged from both their mand for good training and develop-
programs for entry-level sales repre- manager and the organization. When ment programs. For employers, it’s not
sentatives and senior sales managers asked to rate their manager on a list of a matter of should they upgrade their
and directors. Courses cover all of the key attributes, only 40 percent of sur- programs; it’s about how quickly they
traditional topics found in basic retail vey respondents gave their managers can do it.
marketing, which are familiar in most favorable ratings for helping them un- It’s a pattern that we’ve seen re-
mature economies, but are still rela- derstand how their efforts contributed peated across much of Asia during the
tively new in China. Comparable tech- to the organization’s overall success. last decade. Companies that invest
nical skills programs target employees And only a disturbingly small 43 per- in these programs and upgrades
in information technology, finance, cent felt that their managers under- stand the best chance of attracting
and research and development. stood what motivated them. and retaining the best talent.
For managerial and behavioral Workers’ dissatisfaction with their
training, organizations provide pro- managers and their overall work envi-
grams that cover coaching, managing ronments are major barriers to strong
resources, situational leadership, and and sustained employee performance. Julie Gebauer is a managing director
time and stress management. Man- This situation is exacerbated by the of Towers Perrin and a member of the firm’s
agerial training programs are critical shortage of professional managers in HR Services Operations Council;
because a 2005 Towers Perrin research China and the tendency to promote julie.gebauer@towersperrin.com.
report showed that many employ- managers based on their technical