Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees, acquire new skills, sharpen existing ones, enhance performance, increase productivity and grow to be influential leaders.
Dairy employees carry an incredible set of skills, abilities, interests and degrees; however, continuous education opportunities are vital to the operation’s overall success.
From the start
Within the first year of employment at Alltech, all new team members from around the world (typically 40 countries are in attendance) are invited to attend Back to Basics (B2B) in Lexington, Kentucky, home to Alltech’s global headquarters.
Back to Basics is a targeted, measurable and effective introductory program, which features presentations regarding the company’s history, solutions, business divisions and culture, while also placing a strong emphasis on sales techniques, performance management and effective communications.
Holding the internal training at the U.S. headquarters is central to educating new employees about the company’s ethos. How do you introduce employees to your dairy’s culture?
New employees should be introduced to a professional, yet fun, work ethic through team projects and a number of presentations in the areas of management, animal husbandry, milking procedure, feeding and operations.
In conjunction with the four-day training program, Declan Coyle, director of Andec Communications and author of The Green Platform, educates new employees on the principles of positive thinking. The contrast allows new employees to gain a sense of perspective as they embark on their new role within the fast-paced company.
“Your team needs to know what your goals are and how what they are doing affects those goals,” Coyle said. “Get your three goals and put them up around your dairy so people can see them and knock them off one by one as they are happening.”
Coyle said the best way to have a successful business is by helping people become who they were meant to be. “On your farm, look at your workers and ask them what their strengths are and how we can use that for the good of the farm,” said Coyle. “The role of the leader is to release the potential of the team.”
By providing new employees with a strategic, future-oriented and integrated approach to training and development through a “back to basics” system, the dairy is essentially investing in its future.
In today’s fast-paced environment, if staff are not continually learning, both the individual and the organization will fall behind.
Owner buy-in
The beauty of the Back to Basics program lies in its sincere passion, which hails from the president and founder of Alltech, Dr. Pearse Lyons. He commits four days of his valuable time, four times a year, to be present at B2B.
A number of senior-level managers are also invited to present and educate the new employees on sales, operations and marketing. They discuss their successes and failures on multiple projects within the company. This is a key measure of the investment devoted to the training and ongoing development of new employees.
How do you show your level of commitment to your workforce? According to a 2013 study by Gallup, when organizations successfully engage their customers and employees, they experience a 240 percent boost across key business outcomes when compared to organizations that do not.
These include increased productivity through employees who feel empowered to do what is right for the customers who, in turn, develop brand loyalty. At the end of B2B, despite its intense learning environment, employees are brimming with positive energy.
The culture is infectious and it is instilled within new employees. Do you put yourself in your employees’ shoes and view the operation through their eyes? How do you connect with them? How do you communicate with them about where the dairy is going and their future within the operation?
Continuous education
Alltech offers a range of training opportunities for employees at all stages of their career, which link to the overall business strategy of the organization. After working for a considerable time within the company, colleagues are selected to participate in the Talent Development Program, which focuses on a multidisciplinary sales process.
Senior level managers are also nominated to take part in a mini-MBA management program, conducted in partnership with University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
During this intensive course, future team leaders learn about industry issues, best managerial practices, business strategies and effective applications. Through a diverse range of training programs, the company has created the opportunity to up-skill staff worldwide with consistency and passion.
How do you choose continuous learning opportunities for your senior staff? What educational industry events do you send your employees to? Have you utilized university and company expertise to put on milking schools, udder health workshops or dairy audits?
It is important to strategically align the training initiatives with the dairy’s overall mission and goals. Provide mentors to new staff to ensure the company philosophy and culture is present from day one of the employee’s career.
Spell out clear goals and expectations, monitor performance and give feedback based on performance to encourage employee productivity and growth in their operation.
People are the heart of any business. Every dairy should strive to invest in their people through customized training, development programs and continuous education. PD
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Kevin Tuck
- Managing Director
- Alltech Ireland
- Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre
