LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT As the 5G wave rolls over the industry, the RC executive team is revving the engine when it comes to training. And you thought all the new training exercises in 2019 were intense. Just wait! “Last year was all about face-to-face leadership development,” Nathan says. “Now 2020 is going to be about virtual training and giving our team the opportunity to learn without pulling them out of their markets and their stores.” This focus on virtual training is in part thanks to the new RC Home Office. When Nicole Valentine and Kym Russell designed the new Home Office, they knew it had to include an in-house training facility that could be used for in-person and virtual training sessions. Before this, RC was paying for hotel conference rooms in order to keep leadership up-to-date on training and to onboard new hires. Now, team members won’t have to leave their stores as often. “Virtual training gives everyone a chance to get updates on their phones or tablets and get more frequent training, all online,” Nathan says.
On top of just keeping everyone up to date on the latest initiatives, leadership training and tech updates, the ability to host virtual training is a big time and cost reduction for RC. Jeff looks at this through the lens of what it means for a new hire. “Typically, we have a two-week training session for all new team members,” he says. “Those sessions are held in their home store, and sometimes you have to travel to surrounding stores and bring in leadership. Travel expenses can get out of hand quickly.” Virtual training means Jeff and the rest of the Home Office team can assist more with new hire training without traveling. Does that mean in-person training is a thing of the past at RC? Nope. “It’s going to be a hybrid model,” Jeff says. “You will still see in-store training, but you’ll also see virtual trainers here at the Home Office who will run small training sessions for new hires. This will give new hires more support and more touch points as they start their RC career.” RUSSELLCELLULAR.COM 27