DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS G4-LA10
We train associates recognized for their leadership and professionalism in process execution, customer satisfaction, focus on business results, and in the commitment to overall development for them and their teams.
Mexico
We renewed our programs for Individual Mentoring and Mentoring Circles, which foster accelerated development for executives, either one-on-one or in group sessions. With the guidance of an associate having greater experience and know-how, these programs are designed to model behaviors aligned with the competencies that lead to improving performance so our Company may have more and better talent. Throughout 2015, 78 associates were given the assignment of individual mentors, 42 of these assignments were completed, and 69 new mentors were certified.
The Master’s Program incorporated Mexican students currently enrolled in an MBA. These students are asked to lead a strategic project for three months during their internship, with the possibility of becoming part of the Company upon completion of their MBA. Since we started this program in 2010, we have hired 15 out of 45 summer interns, who currently work in the Company as Directors, Assistant Directors, or Managers. Of the six students who worked during the summer of 2015, five of them will join the Company in executive positions.
The Financing for Education Program helps to develop associates in executive positions, who have been identified as Top Talent, so they may begin or complete Bachelor, Master’s, Special Certificate, or Language programs. Economic support is granted, with a ceiling amount, depending on the level of education involved. Throughout 2015 we awarded 80 scholarships to 63 Managers and 17 Assistant Directors.
Central America
The launching of the Learning Centers (CDA, per its acronym in Spanish) constitutes a key milestone in our training and development processes. Through these centers we guarantee the onboarding process and results for new Assistant Managers in stores. The CDA works in line with the Walmart Way of Working and promotes optimal leadership among the participants, who in turn become part of a seedbed for future store Manager positions once they graduate; they also become part of the talent needed to meet our future growth needs.
This year we made changes in the design and execution of the different Academies we now run:
We incorporated key training programs to our Operations Academy in order to guarantee the scope of our strategic priorities, such as the Integrated Fresh Program; with this we seek to reinforce efficient execution in processes, by format; standardize procedures and practices; ensure Compliance and Asset Protection guidelines.
Within this Academy we successfully executed DOE 2.0, which is aimed at operations leaders and whose content seeks to achieve operational excellence. We included programs such as I am a Leader, and I am a Guide, in addition to online training in Food Safety, Ethics, and Occupational and Environmental Safety.
The Merchandising Academy was reinforced with the inclusion of new courses aimed at improving the skills of our merchants, such as strategic negotiation, merchant ethics, and fundamentals of merchandising. Innovation has taken place with the use of webinars as a new training tool, through which competencies such as strategic thinking, effective leadership, and execution orientation are stressed.
We redesigned the Leadership Academy to include competency development programs, depending on the type of leadership and position. This segmentation and the redesign of the Academy has allowed us to be not only more assertive in developing our associates according to their current needs, but also able to increase target audience participation by 400%, as compared to 2014. New training methodologies have also been implemented, such as our use of webinars with facilitators from the ADEN International Business School, through which positive results and the elimination of paradigms concerning remote training were achieved.
As part of our innovation in training, the Real Estate and Development Academy was created with the purpose of reinforcing technical and leadership competencies, which help drive high performance within our teams and ultimately support the growth of our business.
We have begun design of the Logistics Academy, whose purpose will be to integrate all areas of the supply chain and train associates in the corresponding processes.
We have incorporated 68 newly-hired associates to the Buyer Trainee Program, who received instruction in matters pertaining to Replenishment, Merchandising, and Operations areas. In addition, we have graduated the first generations of trainees, comprised by 20 associates from Replenishment and Operations.
A development program for Directors and Assistant Directors was launched in conjunction with the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE, per its acronym in Spanish), with four modules aimed at developing executive competencies. The goal is to effectively align business objectives and priorities with a leadership that inspires and guides our executives so they can be true agents of change.
