Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2022 - 60

CASEBOOK
HOW SAM'S CLUB IS
TRAINING AND RETAINING
CURRENT AND FUTURE LEADERS
BY SARAH GALLO, CPTM
Too often, leadership training is reserved
for those already in management, or
for those on the cusp of landing their
first management role. However, in
today's dynamic business environment,
employees across levels benefit from
quality leadership development -
especially if there's a chance they may
move into a leadership role in the future.
When employees continuously hone
and fine-tune their leadership skills, their
eventual transition into management will
be a natural one, reducing the time they
need to become adjusted and effective
in their new role.
EMPLOYEES ACROSS
LEVELS BENEFIT FROM
QUALITY LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT.
At Sam's Club, approximately 75% of
salaried managers started with the
company as hourly employees. In
addition, every year, approximately
20,000 employees are promoted
into jobs with more responsibility and
higher pay.
So, from a business perspective, making
leadership
training widely
available
made sense. But it wouldn't be easy:
The warehouse club giant, which is
owned and operated by Walmart Inc.,
| 60
Let's explore how Sam's Club is training,
and retaining, current and future
leaders through its Manager Quality
( " MQ " ) program.
GETTING STARTED
The idea for the MQ program came
from a needs analysis, when a focus
group of associates offered feedback
on the type of development and support
they were looking for, says Jennifer
Buchanan, senior director II, field
learning and development at Sam's
Club. " They wanted customized learning
and development opportunities that
could prepare them for future
roles;
they didn't want to spend hours in a
training room; they felt managers were
putting varying levels of importance on
talent development; and they wanted
managers to be more invested in
their career. "
has approximately 100,000 employees
across 599 locations in the U.S. and
Puerto Rico. It also has locations in
Brazil, China and Mexico.
It was clear that associates wanted
learning and development (L&D) that
would not only support them in their
current role, but also prepare them for
future ones. Buchanan and her team
got to work.
PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF
Based on the feedback they received from
the needs analysis, the team designed a
prototype solution for piloting. Prototyping
allowed them to iterate early, which was
key in preventing costly mistakes.
The result was the MQ program: a fiveweek
learning program consisting of
instructor-led training (ILT) for depth,
in-the-flow-of-work training for practice,
and video and audio learning for realtime
reminders, Buchanan says, with the
goal of bringing career development to
associates across levels.
The program is based on a framework
that trains associates across four pillars,
including how to identify, develop,
manage and reward talent. While each
pillar teaches " foundational concepts "
that are applicable to all Sam's Club
roles, learners can customize the content
according to their desired career path,
Buchanan says.
In July 2021, the team piloted the program
in 91 Sam's Club locations to over 1,200
associates ranging from hourly workers
to managers.
The pilot addressed
topics such as effective communication,
https://trainingindustry.com/glossary/instructor-led-training/ https://trainingindustry.com/glossary/needs-analysis/
Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2022

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