On my recent trip to North Carolina, I realized how amazing it feels to receive the same experience and drink at Starbucks that I do in California.
The drinks were made the same way, the stores looked the same, the menus were the same and more.
Now compare that to a UPS store, where one store’s experience is completely different than another.
You never know what you’re going to get.
Isn’t that the same within businesses? When one set of your employees possess some important traits and skills, such as selling, customer service and attention to detail, while others don’t?
Wouldn’t it be so amazing to give everyone one consistent training, test them around it, and monitor for ongoing consistency?
Fortunately, you can achieve this goal by certifying your employees around a few common traits and skills that are essential (and critical) for the longevity and sustainability of your business.
Employee certification around a set of common traits is a fundamental strategy leveraged by many successful organizations. At Select Advisors, we have implemented this approach successfully with some of the world's largest financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs.
This process involves identifying key traits, developing training programs, implementing assessment and evaluation tools, setting certification criteria, and fostering continuous improvement to enhance employee skills and align them with organizational goals.
Identify Key Traits
Before embarking on the certification process, it is crucial to identify the core traits and competencies that are essential for employees to possess. Whether it is leadership qualities, sales strategies that fit your firm’s culture, effective communication skills, or technical expertise, working closely with leadership and HR teams to define these traits ensures a comprehensive understanding of what is required for success within the organization.
Develop Training Programs
Once the key traits are identified, the next step is to develop training programs tailored to each trait. These programs can take various forms, such as in-house training sessions, online courses, workshops, or seminars. By providing employees with diverse learning opportunities, organizations can effectively enhance their skill sets and capabilities in alignment with the identified traits.
Assessment and Evaluation
To measure employees' proficiency in the identified traits, it is essential to design robust assessment tools. These tools can include tests, role-playing scenarios, peer reviews, or any other relevant evaluation methods. By incorporating both qualitative and quantitative measures, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of employees' competency levels and areas for improvement.
Certification Criteria
Establishing clear criteria for certification based on assessment results is a crucial aspect of the certification process. By defining different levels of certification, such as basic, intermediate, and advanced, organizations can effectively recognize and reward employees based on their proficiency in the identified traits.
Continuous Improvement
The journey towards certifying employees around common traits does not end with initial certification. Organizations must offer ongoing training opportunities to help employees maintain and improve their certifications. Periodically reviewing and updating the certification program ensures that it remains relevant and aligned with evolving organizational goals and industry trends.
By implementing these steps, organizations can create a robust certification program that not only enhances employee skills and performance but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and development.
Practical guide to wealth management learning & development strategies: roles, program design, measurement, tech, and how Select Advisors Institute (since 2014) helps firms scale talent and brand.