La edad y personalidad del adolescente.

The industry

1. What is your opinion of the status of the industry today in terms of availability of suitably trained or educated people?

2. Four years ago FGC set up an “education project” to “raise the level of education” across the FMCG industry. Do you think there is still a need for such education today?

3. What is needed - training focused to help the staff member do their job better or formal University/Technical Institute education to improve their knowledge level and thinking capability?

4. Part of the concept for the FGC project was to set up a staircase from certificated, industry designed, short courses to University Certificate – Diploma – Degree in FMCG – MBA in FMCG.

a. Do you think there is still a need for this staircase today?

b. At which end of that continuum do you think the emphasis should be placed: In the short term? - In the long term?

5. Do you see benefit in such training or education being associated with, or driven by a. FGC

b. University.

c. Any other provider(s)

6. Is it necessary for someone to have experience in the FMCG industry to enter the industry?

7. How can someone who is not in the industry get this experience?

8. Is there currently any “qualification” that is accepted by the industry that signifies that someone currently not in the industry has the required industry knowledge to enter FMCG?

9. Is there a need for such a qualification?

10. At what level (new entrant, junior/middle or senior manager) should it be pitched? 11. For the industry to accept it who should certify it?

12. What do you think are currently the top 5 priority area/subjects for industry training? 13. At what level new entrants/junior managers/mid managers/senior managers is

The company

1. What is your personal philosophy about Professional Development for your staff? 2. Is this also the company policy?

3. Is this written down?

4. What outcomes do you want from Staff training?

5. In your opinion has your staffs training to date delivered any of those outcomes? 6. If not why not?

7. What do you think are the benefits to the company from staff training?

8. Are there, or should there be, any benefits to the individual from staff training?

9. I sat in the office of an HR Manager and he said to me “don’t talk to me about staff training. Everytime I send a staff member on a course or a degree as soon as they complete it they leave for a higher paid job in another company.”

a. Have you had any similar experiences?

b. Have you given any thought as to how you might prevent this?

c. When I came to New Zealand I was bonded to my employer for 3 years or I had to pay back the cost of bringing me to New Zealand. Do you think this might be an answer to this problem?

d. What do you think might be the downside of such a bonding scheme i. for your company

ii. for the individual?

10. What is your philosophy for staff replacement in your company – do you prefer promote from within or to recruit people from outside with the necessary skills? 11. When you are replacing a Manager in your company what are the 3 priority things

that you look for in their CV.

12. Does what you look for differ depending on the department (Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance) that you are recruiting for?

13. Do you ever look at the courses they have attended as opposed to their formal (degree/diploma) education?

Current training in your Company

1. What Professional Development of Staff do you currently do in your organisation? 2. What topics are the priority needs for Professional Development for your company? 3. Does this differ for Junior, Middle and Senior staff?

4. Are there sufficient providers in the market place to deliver on these needs? 5. Who currently provides your training?

6. How long have they been providing this training for you?

7. What is the ratio of “in house” or “on-the-job” training compared to training by external providers?

8. What criteria do you use for selecting your training provider?

9. Would you be more likely to send your staff on a course if it is associated with a recognised education provider such as a University, Technical Institute or Professional Body?

10. Do you set an annual staff training budget for the company? 11. I would like to understand your decision process around training

a. Who identifies the need for training for a staff member? b. Who makes the decision to send a staff member for training? c. Who selects the course he/she will go on?

d. If there are more people who want to go on courses than there is budget, how do you make the selection?

e. How do you evaluate the outcomes of the training: i. For the company and

ii. for the individual

12. How do you find out about training courses that are on offer in the market place? 13. Are there currently courses in the topics you want training for your staff?

14. If there are gaps who should take responsibility for developing training courses for the FMCG industry, Universities, Technical Institutes, FGC, Individual training companies, The industry?.

15. Is your company’s HR function delivered from New Zealand or off shore?

16. Is there a person in the company whose job it is to look after Professional Development of your staff?

17. Given that attendance at any course means that your staff member is not at work doing their daily job what is the ideal duration for a short course for:

a. A senior manager b. A middle manager

c. A Junior manager or new entrant

18. In your opinion does professional development of staff directly improve: a. The individual’s performance

b. The company’s bottom line

19. Do you currently train your staff using any or the following: a. “In house” training specific to your company b. Market place short courses

c. Tailor designed in-house short courses

d. Selected consultants who work long term within your company.

Preferred course design and structure

1. What is the ideal timing for your business for short course training in terms of a. Seasonality or business processes or operations

b. Time in the month (e.g. avoid start and end of month) c. Time in the week

d. Number of modules.

2. Course specifics:

a. To what level of training do you think a company should pay for a staff member – short course/Cert/Diploma/degree

b. What is the price band you would expect for a 2 day industry specific short course?

c. Does that change relative to the organisation that provides the course e.g. University/Professional Body as opposed to any other, unknown? d. Do you see value in a recognisable and recognised industry

certification/qualification for the FMCG industry?

e. Is location an issue for you – Would it assist your business to have courses run outside of Auckland?

3. Would you like to add any further comments relative to the need for, or barriers to the use of short courses for up-skilling staff in the FMCG industry?