Drivers of change: professional development

The fourth part of our drivers of change feature series focuses on professional development, and how broadcast companies are directing their efforts to support, sustain, and empower their employees

By TVBEurope Staff

Published: August 16, 2023 Updated: August 21, 2023

The fourth part of our drivers of change feature series focuses on professional development, and how broadcast companies are directing their efforts to support, sustain, and empower their employees

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Joining us for our professional development drivers of change' feature are Phillip Farinha, director of people & culture, Accedo; Hanna Fj llstr m, HR manager, Codemill; Matthew Quade, CEO, TSL; and Deniz Uetkue, director human resources, Guntermann & Drunck.

Tell us about any professional development initiatives your organisation has in place for new and existing staff, inclusive of re/up-skilling and mentorship programmes.

Phillip Farinha (PF): At Accedo we have a number of professional development initiatives in place for both new and existing staff. This includes:

Onboarding and Orientation Programmes: Comprehensive orientation sessions for new employees.

Skills Training and Workshops: Various workshops covering technical and soft skills.

Internal Training Programmes: Knowledge sharing through internal training initiatives.

Mentorship Programmes: Formal mentorship program for guidance and support.

Continuous Learning Platforms: Access to online learning resources and courses.

Certifications and External Training: Support for obtaining certifications and attending external training.

Performance Development Plans: Goal-oriented plans for professional growth.

Tuition Reimbursement: Programmes that reimburse education expenses.

Hanna Fj llstr m (HF): At Codemill we consider professional development to be an ongoing process that needs continuous attention throughout the year. All employees have the possibility of using 40 hours per year for personal development during work time. The team regularly shares knowledge and supports each other's development, and Codemill held an employee conference recently with inspirational presentations from the team. Initiatives like this grow the team's understanding by sharing information across multiple departments.

Deniz Uetkue (DU): At G&D, it is important to us to give new and existing employees the opportunity to continuously develop and expand their skills. For new employees, we offer comprehensive training during the onboarding phase. This training provides them with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively manage their roles. We place great importance on our new team members developing a solid understanding of our products, processes, and corporate culture.

Another important element of our training initiatives is the mentoring programme. Every new employee at G&D is assigned a mentor to guide them through the onboarding process and act as a resource for questions and support. The mentors share their experience and expertise to facilitate a successful start for the new employees. In addition, we offer regular training for our existing employees. These trainings are offered especially when new products or work equipment are introduced. We believe that continuous learning and training are essential for the competitiveness of our company.

All in all, these professional development initiatives are an essential part of our HR development strategy at G&D. We are dedicated to creating a supportive environment in which our employees can continuously grow and reach their full potential. Through training, introductions to new products and work tools, and mentoring, we strive to strengthen the competencies and skills of our employees and promote their professional development.

Matthew Quade (MQ): TSL has always supported the professional development of staff and has a proud history of bringing new graduates into the team and training them up to go on to fantastic careers in the industry.

We have a review programme which focuses on core competencies and resources for every individual member of staff, and we look to offer relevant training - both internal and external - to build on these as required, or as desired by any staff member looking to develop and progress further.

We also include product and technology training slots as part of our company-wide town hall events.

How do you measure the effectiveness of these programmes, and do you have recent success stories by way of example?

DU: We assess the effectiveness of our training and development programs by conducting a systematic evaluation through participants. These evaluations enable us to gather feedback from participants and assess the quality and relevance of the programmes. The collected feedback is analysed to gain insight into the success of the programmes. The results enable us to identify strengths and areas for improvement. If necessary, we adjust our programmes based on the feedback to ensure they meet the needs and expectations of our employees.

MQ: We regularly measure the productivity of staff which will improve as their skills and knowledge develops. In addition, we survey staff and their satisfaction with the training and development opportunities available to them, so we capture effectiveness from both sides.

Our most recent survey showed a 46 per cent increase in the level of positive responses from staff around development and training which directly corresponds with the timing of the introduction of the new review programme.

We have numerous stories of staff who started out with us as graduates, often in our customer support team where they get a great grounding in all the technology and products, before progressing into senior roles in sales and product management and moving on to senior engineering roles wit

LINK:	https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/people/drivers-of-change-profession...
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