The Secret to Successful Training
Elaine McGleenan, Head of Learning & Development at KPMG, outlines the comprehensive and award-winning training programmes available to that firm’s employees.
In early 2008 KPMG was awarded an outstanding achievement award for training and development in the 50 Best Companies to Work for in Ireland. This was achieved in recognition of the firm’s commitment to excellence in training, creative approaches to identifying development needs and ensuring a best in class development programme. The range of training solutions available ensures the firm’s people continue to achieve their potential.
KPMG are a leading professional services firm, providing audit, tax and advisory solutions to a wide range of clients. Fundamental to our continued success is the quality of our people and training places a key role in supporting that process.
Commitment to Training
KPMG’s success in the training area is as a result of the significant contribution by the firm into training and development. Partners, directors and managers contribute time and energy to the design of a range of development solutions to ensure they are relevant to current and future business requirements. The firm’s training committees and steering groups are made up of partners, directors and managers from a range of technical areas and play a significant role in assessing development needs and suitable solutions.
The training agenda is given significant support and focus by the executive team. Regular updates and meetings are held with the executive to ensure the firm’s priorities continue to be supported through training on a timely and effective basis.
There is a commitment to training amongst the leadership of the firm, which is clearly seen by KPMG’s approach to course cancellations. Approval from a partner in the firm is required should a participant cancel from a course with less than seven days notice. Training is seen as crucial to employee development and the success of the organisation and therefore of utmost importance across the firm.
Strong Learning and Development Function
Underpinning the commitment of the partners, directors and managers is the Learning and Development (L&D) team who support the technical experts in the design and delivery of a wide range of development solutions. The central team of experienced training professionals consult with the training committees across the firm and bring their expertise to the design and delivery process and ensure that we have a best in class training programme.
The L&D team have a rich understanding of the priorities for the firm and play a key role in translating training requirements into and effective programme. This is achieved by working closely with internal technical experts and external training providers to develop a high quality and highly interactive training programme. The team also lead a number of training events in the IT and soft skills areas.
Creative Approaches to Identifying Training Requirements
At an individual level KPMG’s performance management process provides a framework within which individuals agree performance goals and identify the underpinning skills and behaviours required to support them in achieving their performance expectations. Within days of joining the firm every new employee receives a training plan, which is tailored to their individual needs and development.
The firm has a robust 360-degree feedback programme in place that ensures we provide timely and effective feedback to management; this process not only allows individuals to understand the impact of their performance, but also looks to the areas that need a development intervention and contributes key information to ensure the training programme continues to reflect requirements.
Senior management attend development centres, which assess individuals in a range of client and people leadership situations, and are key to defining development requirements.
Partners get involved personally in this process and contribute on average two days per year to ensuring our development centres run effectively and senior people are supported in their development path. It is this strong commitment from the firm that ensures continued high quality training interventions.
Trained by the Experts
KPMG’s internal course designers and presenters contribute their time and energy to the technical training programmes across audit, tax and advisory areas. Technical expertise and skills are brought into a variety of classroom based and project based scenarios.
For IT and Behavioural skills development KPMG leverage off the Learning and Development team, who not only have relevant areas of specialism but also have a deep understanding of best practice training and the requirements and priorities of the firm.
Where the firm does not have a high level of expertise internally it looks to external providers who have experience in working in professional services to ensure the development is relevant to the firm.
Technical Training
Technical training includes on-the-job and formal training across the core functions of the firm:
- Audit
- Tax
- Advisory
Each technical curriculum increases in complexity as people progress through the firm, it is specialised to reflect what is expected from people as they work on a wide range of areas.
KPMG also provide industry updates to ensure staff fully understand the commercial context of the firm’s clients; this includes for example banking, insurance, property, manufacturing, technology and communications.
Many of the firm’s people are focused on achieving a professional qualification and technical development dovetails with the education provided by the professional institutes such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and the Institute of Taxation.
Behavioural Training
KPMG’s behavioural development programme focuses on personal leadership, professional writing and interpersonal communications at the early career stages. As people progress into the management areas there is a focus on Thought, People and Task Leadership.
The manager curriculum includes areas such as people and client management, delegations, coaching feedback and meeting skills. As senior managers, the focus moves to Influencing, Negotiation, Questioning Skills and Making a Personal Impact.
KPMG partner with a range of external training providers who work with the L&D professionals to deliver a high quality and relevant behavioural curriculum.
Beyond the training Courses
Formal training needs to be reinforced through the individual’s application of new skills on-the-job. The learning process is enhanced by the support and coaching of performance managers and colleagues. Individuals seek out learning opportunities and request feedback as they perform new tasks and projects.
Managers support and coach individuals as they engage in new activities as a result of training attended.
Coaching support forms a key element to the learning process and KPMG managers and partners contribute significant amounts of time to the on-the-job and individual development of their people.
Group and individual project based assignments form a key element of the learning process for people in KPMG and ensure people develop their technical and research skills. This has proven particularly successful and partners and directors provide feedback and guidance when undertaking such projects.
Our E-learning offerings through our online Learning Management System offer just in time training, post course reading, exercises and support for all employees, complementing the more traditional classroom courses and programmes.
In-house training facilities, equipped with state of the art equipment mean that presenters and trainers deliver courses in an environment that is conducive to maximising learning.
Evaluating training
Training events and programmes are evaluated to ensure that they meet the objectives required. Training course reports are produced to analyse feedback received and vendors and presenters are given timely, constructive feedback from each course. KPMG continually review and update courses to ensure they meet the needs of the firm and individual development. In designing courses the training committees and design teams consider the feedback from previous programmes along with assessing current performance gaps and future skill requirements. Key to the success of our training programme is its continuous evaluation, ensuring that training needs are being met and employees are being developed in line with business.
What makes KPMG’s development programme truly outstanding?
- The involvement of senior people in the programme.
- Partnering with best in class external training providers.
- Continuous evaluation of training activity in line with the firm’s business priorities
- Training is relevant to people’s work and aligned with their responsibilities.
- Training is delivered by people who are experts in their area and can draw on real experiences.
- Development is delivered in a range of formats and forums to ensure they can be digested.
