Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 - (Page 41)

of learning the company could reach no more than 25 percent of its workforce annually. “It wasn’t a hard sell at all,” Hastings said. “I think everyone recognized that although the quality of training was good, we weren’t reaching enough people with it.” That’s not an issue now, with a $4 million training budget and a virtual campus that’s about 80 percent Web-based now. Another advantage the learning team has is the active involvement of the C-suite on the Dignity University Board of Directors, chaired by CEO Tom Ryan. The board also includes the business unit leaders across the company, all providing direction and insight to ensure one of the company’s goals, to have a best-in-class workforce. That blended approach was part of the original proposal, and it’s still in place. “Really what also set us apart was that it wasn’t just about offering classes, but offering a very structured, job-specific curriculum,” said Barb Moses, director of leadership and talent development at SCI. “We provide this incredible business resource to the organization. We really provide balance.” As the name Dignity University suggests, the mission isn’t just focused on the grieving. Dignity University is designed to provide tools and support to the workforce as well. There was a time when Hastings was hopeful the workforce would embrace the corporate university concept, which she called unique for the death-care industry. “Our fear was we were going to build it and they might not come,” Hastings said. “They came and they came immediately. They came in droves.” In droves indeed. Since the doors opened at Dignity U four years ago, SCI has seen more than 900,000 course completions. About 20 teammates are involved in the day-to-day operations of Dignity University. Much of the training is developed in house, since there isn’t a lot of their very specialized type of training commonly available. In fact, the SCI team, Hastings said, is partnering with industry associations, and really leading the indus- As the name suggests, Dignity University isn’t just focused on grieving. Dignity University is designed to provide tools and support to the workforce as well. try in creating learning and development aimed at the profession. They’re also partnering with some academic institutions, including the University of Phoenix, which recognizes some Dignity U courses for credit hours. SCI is also working with University of Phoenix on an associate’s degree program in mortuary science. Greg Eversole, SCI’s director of curriculum development, said the focus for Dignity University is on the frontline people who most directly impact the customer. SCI has defined curriculum paths for those roles, but also electives that can be taken to further learning opportunities. Other projects on the plate now include tools for developing high-potential employees and the creation of a Leadership Institute. As part of that last mission, the learning team will be doing assessments and talent reviews for the company’s top 200 leaders. “That’s really a big piece for us,” Moses said. “It’s really understanding what kind of development each of those folks need and customizing their plan to make that happen. That develops our succession plan and bench-strength going forward.” For Hastings, the creation and success of Dignity University has been a team effort. “It’s taken the entire organization to build that learning venture and now it’s something valued in the corporation,” she said. “It’s not just something that HR does. It’s a key, integral part of how work gets done in this organization, and I think that’s what makes it unique. I’m not even sure how that happened. It just became what it became.” Of course, it’s not just about soft results and employee popularity. About 18 months ago, Moses said, SCI acquired the Alderwoods Group, its second-largest competitor. Those 6,000 employees were rapidly introduced to the SCI culture in a matter of months. Perhaps even more telling, metrics on Dignity U’s sales counselor program have shown that a counselor who takes family services training through Dignity University can produce about $250,000 more in sales. “That’s impressive from a business result, but it just shows people are out there taking those business classes and doing exactly what we want them to do, become a best-in-class workforce,” Moses said. Hastings clearly feels that Dignity University is off to a good start, and she’s expecting big things ahead. “As many companies start to compete for talent going forward, having these kinds of programs in place will start to set companies apart from those who don’t provide that kind of development for their employees,” she said. Aside from all that, when the stakes are as high as they are for Service Corporation International, the type of education Dignity University offers is just good business sense. “People have to be pretty extraordinary when they do what we do, dealing with grieving families,” Hastings said. “It takes a lot to deal with people on what is probably the worst day of their lives.” Tim Sosbe is editor of Training Industry Quarterly ezine and general manager of webinars for Training Industry, Inc. Email Tim at tsosbe@trainingindustry.com. 41 Training Industry Quarterly, Summer 2008 / A Training Industry, Inc. ezine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 At the Editor’s Desk Contents Ezine Email Winning Organizations Through People Before You Buy… Learning Technologies Games & Simulations: Playing to Learn Designing Learning Simulations: Strategies for Leveraging Failure Business Impact 101: The Value of Learning Strategic Alignment: Transforming the Business of Training Meet David DeFilippo Meet Krys Moskal Meet Vince Eugenio Dealing with Death: Learning’s Most Sensitive Lessons Closing Arguments

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

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