Evaluating Strategic Talent Management

QUESTION

Review the case study, A.P. Moller-Maersk Group: Evaluating Strategic Talent Management Initiatives, through page 13 (up to HRCustomer Initiative at Maersk) and the job posting for a Customer Service – CARE Business Partner. View the SHRM PowerPoint presentation and its note pages:

Training Methods, Experiential Learning and Technology.
Using the material on needs assessment and training strategies provided in this week’s lesson and the case study, in a short paper you should:

1. Describe the components of a needs assessment used to determine the training requirements of a Customer Service – CARE Business Partner at Maersk.

2. Explain the importance of developing learning activities for a Maersk Customer Service – CARE Business Partner training program.

3. Describe how you would incorporate adult learning principles and methods of experiential learning from this course into the Maersk Customer Service – CARE Business Partner training program.

4. Illustrate the value of a training needs assessment in an organization in general, supporting your response.

5. Describe the importance of creating Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-oriented (SMART) objectives for a training plan.

Guidelines for Submission: Your submission should be 2–3 pages in length and double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font. Be sure to list your references at the end of your paper. Submit journal assignment as a Word document.

I have attached supporting documents and helpful websites:
https://www.shrm.org/

Customer Service – CARE Business Partner Job Posting

Maersk Line is the world’s largest container shipping company, known for reliable, flexible, and eco-efficient services. We provide ocean transportation in all parts of the world. We serve our customers through 374 offices in 116 countries. We employ 7,000 seafarers and 25,000 landbased employees and operate 580 container vessels. We market our services through the following brands: Maersk Line, Safmarine, MCC Transport (Intra-Asia), Seago Line (IntraEurope), Mercosul (Brazil), and SeaLand (From 2015 Intra-Americas).

Maersk Line, the global containerized division of the Maersk Group, is dedicated to delivering

the highest level of customer-focused and reliable ocean transportation services. Our vision,

built from a strong heritage of uprightness, constant care, and innovation, has guided our

business operations since the first Maersk Line vessel sailed in 1904. By remaining committed

to that vision we have expanded our business to become the world’s largest ocean carrier. And

we are consistently recognized as the most reliable container shipping company.

We are looking for a Customer Service CARE Business Partner in our Charlotte, NC office. You

must be authorized to work for any employer in the US. Local candidates only; no relocation

assistance is provided.

We Offer

Maersk Line offers you an exciting career opportunity in an international, challenging business

environment characterized by high pace and diversity with focus on creating valuable relations

with our current and new customers. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package, such

as health insurance, dental and vision insurance, a 401K savings plan with an employer match,

and paid time off.

Key Responsibilities

Act as the customer’s primary point of contact, be the customer’s internal advocate.
Be fully responsible for customer satisfaction, own, manage all customer facing activities,

while working with Sales, GSC, One Team, Finance, etc.

As part of Commercial Intelligence – build strong relationships with customers, gain an

understanding for their business, service needs, drivers and desires and leverage this to engage

in discussions about new business opportunities and competitor/market intelligence.

Ensure smooth execution of the whole shipment lifecycle, by working closely with customers

and internal support groups to achieve customer satisfaction goals through pro-active

resolution handling and Issue resolution ownership. Process improvement focus is essential—

look for waste

Understand claims policy and its impact on company assets and guide customers best possible

through any potential claim situation

Utilize Care business partner relationships to encourage fast equipment turnaround and

collection of applicable charges as required.

Understand and be familiar with KPIs and act in line with set targets. Drive continuous

improvements opportunities and opportunities to lower costs.

Monitor agreed service levels, and identify root cause when targets are not met, advise

management of potential service failures and / or trends.

Share thoughts with team at VMS reviews
To always perform in a manner consistent with and loyal to the A.P. Moller – Maersk values.

Who we are looking for:

Direct call-handling experience
Demonstrated relationship attributes
Practiced listening techniques
Negotiation skills
Conflict resolution skills
High school diploma or equivalent (4 year degree preferred)
1–2 years of experience in transportation highly desirable
Proficiency in Microsoft Suite

ANSWER

Human Resource Management

Needs Assessment Components

Organizational analysis, task analysis, and individual/person analysis are needs assessment components used to determine the requirement of a Customer Service – CARE Business Partner at Maersk. Organizational analyses examine the organization’s effectiveness and determine areas where training is required and under what conditions the training should be conducted. This process examines available organizational goals, culture, and the climate and support for a training program. Maersk would look at the organization as a whole and determine its needs. The job posting explicitly states that the position is only open to US residents because no relocation assistance will be provided. This organizational analysis shows that Maersk needs a local hire, preferably Charlotte, NC residents.

Task analysis determines the KSAOs (Knowledge, skill, abilities, and other characteristics) the Customer Service – Care Business Partner (CSCBP) needs for optimal performance. The job requirements clearly show that the candidate requires various skill sets. The individual must be self-directed, motivated, computer-literate, and have an in-depth understanding of conflict resolution and negotiation. Apart from these skills outlined in the job description, Maersk’s HR must also examine other literature about the job, such as performance standards of former CSCBP, KSA analysis, and job inventory questionnaires. This analysis will help establish essential skills missing in the job posting.

The individual analysis examines how well a particular employee performs their job, whether they need training, and the type of training they might need. Since this is a new posting, HR can conduct various surveys and job-related interviews to determine how well the selected CSCBP will perform their job. HR would compare task, individual, and organizational analysis results to determine whether the new CSCBP needs training and the training they need.

Importance of Developing Learning Activities

Maersk CSCBP training program must include various learning activities. The SHRM (2009) PowerPoint claims that incorporating learning activities in training programs can stimulate learning and retention. Another study by Hilkenmeier et al. (2021) argues that learning activities in training programs increase employee participation and engagement. The above literature implies that learning activities encourage learners to participate and engage in training programs by piquing their interests. Thus, HR at Maersk must include various learning activities in CSCBP’s training program to motivate learners’ engagement and participation in the training program.

Adult Learning Principles and Methods of Experiential Learning

Adults’ learning styles differ from that of children. According to Noe (2010), adults have intrinsic and extrinsic learning motivations (p. 148). They also have a high need for self-direction since many have work-related experiences to bring to the table. The hired CSCBP will likely have most of the required skills, competency, and sufficient intelligence to perform the job. Since they have these KSAOs, they may not value the training or understand its need. Therefore, I would perform a needs assessment, specifically a task and individual analysis, to consider the CSCBP’s motivation and reason for learning the assigned tasks.

After that, I would incorporate various learning activities. According to SHRM’s (2009) PowerPoint, experiential learning is learner-centered and incorporates active participatory methods, allowing learners to engage in learning activities. Therefore, any training for this post will include interactive lessons. The new hire can watch a video on how the organization expects them to perform the role and the expected performance target. The content of interactive web-based simulations will be relevant and specific to the position. These simulations will allow the learner to review job expectations and their KSAOs critically. These reviews might lead to valuable insights that may be applied practically.

Value of Training Needs Assessments (TNA)

TNA is a diagnostic process; it helps managers identify and prioritize performance gaps and training targets. According to Noe (2010), if TNA is improperly conducted, the organization might waste resources on unnecessary training programs that have no value to the organization. Without a TNA, a training program might contain the wrong content, objectives, and strategies, hence failing to deliver the expected change or learning (Noe, 2010, p.104). TNA can reveal opportunities for staff to reskill or upskill, i.e., learning & development opportunities. These opportunities might improve employee job satisfaction and retention rates (Aburumman et al., 2020). TNA can support organizational decision-making on training-related matters (Glowacka, 2021). It provides managers with evidence-based information on whether training is needed, the training targets, and the knowledge and skills required to meet performance requirements and expectations (Glowacka, 2021). Using such evidence-based information to support decision-making can enhance organizational performance.

Value of SMART objectives for a Training Plan

SMART objectives are the standard for goal setting. Ogbeiwi (2017) indicates that objective statements must be formulated in a clear and logical structure to improve performance toward goal achievement. The author argues that projects with incomplete or defective goal frameworks are less likely to achieve their desired goals (Ogbeiwi, 2017). However, SMART provides an ideal framework for properly-constructed objectives. It outlines goals in a clear and logical structure, making it an ideal framework for organizational goal setting.

SMART objectives provide clarity and managerial focus. According to Ogbeiwi (2017), SMART objectives provide managers with a clear direction for action planning and implementation. The “specific” component gives managers the clarity and the focus they need to maximize their efforts and invested resources. It also omits the chances of overlooking major and minor details in the training plan that may facilitate or hinder attaining training objectives. Knowing what needs to be done can keep managers focused on the prized training’s long-term goals, increasing success likelihood.

SMART objectives also help with timing and let managers know if they are accomplishing their goals. These goals contain usable benchmarks by which results can be evaluated through immediate outputs and intermediate outcomes (Ogbeiwi, 2017). These objectives also allow managers to allocate valuable training resources in a way that promises the greatest returns and highest success chances.

References

Aburumman, O., Salleh, A., Omar, K., & Abadi, M. (2020). The impact of human resource management practices and career satisfaction on employee’s turnover intention. Management Science Letters, 10(3), 641-652

Glowacka, M. (2021, December 15). 10 benefits of a training needs assessment – Preply Business. https://preply.com/en/blog/b2b-why-training-needs-assessment-is-important-for-your-company/

Hilkenmeier, F., Goller, M., & Schaper, N. (2021). The Differential Influence of Learner Factors and Learning Context on Different Professional Learning Activities. Vocations and Learning, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-021-09266-4

Noe, R. A. Employee Training and Development.(2010). https://dedi1968blog.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/employee-training-and-development.pdf

Ogbeiwi, O. (2017). Why written objectives need to be really SMART. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 23(7), 324–336. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjhc.2017.23.7.324

SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) (2009). Training Methods Experiential Learning and Technology. the Society for Human Resource Management.