Developing Front-Line Workers Laura Markle, Benefits Manager, The Home Depot Heather Gahalla, Senior Director, EdAssist
Agenda Who is the Front-Line Worker? Why They Matter Education: What Gets In the Way The Learning Landscape The Home Depot Story Additional Approaches Next Steps Q&A
Who Is the Front-Line Worker?
Who Is the Front-Line Worker? 60MILLION 33% 87% US workers lack a college degree 1 of front-line workers are under the age of thirty-five 2 of workers said new skills and training are important or essential (54%) to their career 3 1) Pearson The Business Case for Transforming Frontline Worker Development 2) Deloitte and the Aspen Institute A Guide to Upskilling America s Frontline Workers 3) Pew Research Center State of American Jobs survey 2016
Why They Matter Developing the Front-Lines Grows Your Bottom Line Brings knowledge and value to the business TODAY Brings knowledge and value to the business in the FUTURE Supports Values Based Objectives
Education: What Gets In the Way TIME MONEY CONFIDENCE Work School Life Health, family, play Typically lower wage earners Rising cost of tuition Student loan debt Where do I start? What s the upside?
The Learning Landscape GEDs External learning Post-secondary degree programs Competency-based education Certificates Industry Certifications Specialized Courses & Alternative Online Learning, CEUs Internal learning Onboarding Development experiences Social Learning elearning modules Micro-burst Learning Mentoring programs
The Learning Landscape Good For Degree Programs Certificate Certification Specialized Courses Career Starters Career Changers Seeking Specialization Career Progression Counts towards a degree Fast Affordable
The Home Depot Story
The Home Depot Story #22 Fortune s Top 50 Most Admired Companies #1 in the specialty retailer category Top marks in key categories: social responsibility quality of products and services people management Reflects The Home Depot s commitment to living its values, from community involvement to sustainability to product innovation.
The Home Depot Story ~35,000 Products stocked in a typical store during the year The front lines range from the associates in the aisles to our contact center reps to our web developers. 1,000,000 Products available on homedepot.com
The Home Depot Story If we take care of our associates, they ll take care of our customers, and everything else will take care of itself.
The Home Depot Story Internal learning and training Home Depot University Launched 2010 On-site boot camp for new leaders Serves over 7K leaders/year via Instructor-Led learning Serves over 50K associates/year virtually Launched PocketGuide, a mobile learning solution, Feb 2017 Career pathing and brand building
The Home Depot Story ROADMAP OF EDUCATION Tuition Reimbursement Orange Scholars Education Advisory Services
The Home Depot Story As the roles of our front line associates vary, so do our methods of communication Challenge: most of our associates do not have a company email address Solution Gather personal email, phone number, and communication preference Depending on preference, use text, email, and postal mail
Additional Approaches Expand tuition program to include individual courses, non-degree learning No cost educational support programs and/or custom school partnerships Education Pathways Introduce targeted programs with higher cap limits Direct bill payment models Add Student LoanRepay and Expert Guidance
Expected Outcomes Employee Better work hours Advances talent pipeline Employer Higher wages Professional development Career mobility Promotions Deepened engagement Reduces turnover Fills skill gaps Improves productivity
What Next? Define Your Front- Line and Desired Outcomes Measure Results Holistic Approach to Educational Support Program Communicate, communicate, communicate! Develop Targeted Education and Career Pathways Celebrate Successes I am very thankful and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to attend school while working in my future workplace. --Healthcare system employee
Q&A
Thank you. LAURA MARKLE, Benefits Manager, The Home Depot HEATHER GAHALLA, Senior Director, EdAssist