Thermometer
‘We want to ‘certify’ employees once every three years upon achieving the required level in these competencies. In a way it’s like a thermometer’, Anne Ruth says. In the past, employees had to set aside half a day in a central location to play cases, facing directors as their challengers. ‘That was not ideal’, according to Anne Ruth. ‘Sometimes they knew their challenger, or they had worked for them. That hardly gave a sense of objectiveness. Aside from that, it was time consuming, also for the directors. We wanted to ensure that the assessments themselves would contribute to the learning process.’
As specific as possible
Faculty of Skills provided an alternative, through online training that has already helped many local Rabobank offices to improve their client contacts. The first step in the design process was right away a valuable one, Anne Ruth tells. ‘We had to translate the behavioural anchors, which had been prepared on the basis of the competencies, into specific conversational models. How, for example, do you demonstrate passion when talking with a client?’ Based on this, Faculty of Skills developed practical cases that each contain the three competencies. These were then divided into video role plays. That way a useful competency scan was developed for each of the seven functional groups. Following a successful pilot, the program was rolled out across the wider Rabobank organisation.
Common thread
All functional units start on a different date. As from that date, they each have two months to go through the entire scan, which involves twelve role plays. The scan can be done within an hour, but some take a break and continue again later on. Each video role play first contains an explanation of the situation, plus an assignment. When the video starts, the participant must respond to a colleague or client, who is seen on screen. The response can be given once more at the most, after which the recording is sent on to the Faculty of Skills coach. ‘Participants are quite happy with the coaches. ‘Concrete feedback at last to a real client conversation, that is so valuable!’, we hear. They see a common thread that they can actually use.’
Practice opportunities
Coaches give personal feedback per role play and for the total program, plus an assessment per competency. ‘Participants can next decide what they will do to further develop that competency’, Anne Ruth continues. ‘They can for example click directly on the link to the related training program in one of the three competencies and thus practice their skills in the same way.’ In these training programs they can repeat their own response and video over and over, in that way coming to a good response, aided by self-appraisal (‘I summarise the client’s question’). Each program consists of 18 role plays and is concluded with a test
