rends I training

retailers find that training can bring about an incremental, but real, improvement in retention.

Learning emerges as a strategic tool.

In the past, training was largely tactical... simply to teach procedures or improve customer service. But learning is more ambitious today with retail organizations using it to com-

C lto.. learning is outsourced.

According to the American Society for Training & Development, U.S. industry spends 27o of revenues on T&D, about a quarter of which is outsourced. While the retail industry has generally lagged in both respects, there's evidence that may be changing. Mohr Learning estimates that outsourcing of training by retail chains is growing by 157o annually. J'

Instead

Of

talking down to store associates, there's more listening and greater interaction between employee and trainer.

municate brand identity, convey company strategy and gain a competitive edge.

^ T Learning proYes its cost-effectiveness.

Learning, long regarded as an unavoidable expense, is increasingly being held accountable by stores that want measurable results in terms of performance. More companies track costs and weigh return on training investment, and they're finding a correlation between strong training and strons results.

l, Learning becomes multimodal.

"E-learning" is penetrating the retail industry, and supermarket chains have led the way since computer-based training makes sense for a sector with many scattered locations and high turnover. Moreover, the latest simulations can convey much more than the basic job tools, such as point-of-service and employee orientation and are now being used for key people-to-people skills, including coaching and performance management.

"Driving these trends is a change in the T&D value proposition" Cohen says. "ln addition to enhanced earnings or reduced employee turnover, the intangible benefits of learning are more apparent to senior management-the quality of leadership, managing knowledge and sharing it across boundaries. building a customer-oriented culture and developing talent."

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