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Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce (2011)

Chapter: Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 77
Page 78
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 78
Page 79
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 79
Page 80
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 10 - Developing Internal Staff Skills." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
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Page 80

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74 Chapter 10: Developing Internal Staff Skills To effectively address future skill needs, agencies must conduct thorough gap analyses and identify training content and methods to help address those gaps. Developing internal staff skills reduces turnover in a variety of ways. Employees are more likely to remain with the organization when they possess the skills required by job tasks. In this chapter, we present challenges, strategies, and workforce practices related to “Developing Internal Staff Skills.” Exhibit 10-1 provides a snapshot of the chapter. Exhibit 10-1 Snapshot of Chapter 10 Chapter Road Map Concept and Definition Providing opportunities for employee development demonstrates that the organization cares for the welfare of employees, which helps foster employee commitment. Workforce Challenges …..……......... 75 Speed of Technology Changes in Policy and Technology The Cost of Training Difficulty Providing Sufficient Quality Training Failure to Apply Training Failure to Update Training Industry Strategies .………………… 76 Use Job Rotation Offer Offsite and Higher Education Training Opportunities Offer Certification-Type Programs Tailor Training Opportunities to Build Competency Use Technology to Support Training Workforce Practices …..……………. 78 North Carolina DOT Transportation Supervisor Conference Definition of Developing Internal Staff Skills: Involves identifying training and development content and methods to help address skill gaps in the workforce. The goal of these efforts is to help organizations provide opportunities for employees to develop professionally. As a result, these practices help to foster employee commitment, reduce turnover, and establish a better qualified workforce. Workforce Pipeline Target Area Target Career Stages K-12 Comm. Colleges 4 year Colleges Graduate School s Entry-Level Staff Mid-Career Staff Senior Leaders Retirees Developing Internal Staff Skills Chapter 10 Target Area TRANSPOR ATT ION WORKFORCE PIPELINE

10.1 Workforce Challenges. Programs related to “Developing Internal Staff Skills” are typically designed to address challenges associated with providing employees with the appropriate training and on-the-job experiences necessary for professional growth and development. These challenges should be carefully considered before selecting the program that would best fit the needs of your agency. For example, these are common challenges agencies face: Speed of Technology. Organizations are challenged with keeping up with technology and constantly updating information posted online to keep it current and attract more potential applicants. Specifically, finding individuals who know certain software or can operate a certain new piece of machinery is a challenge. Once hired, it is only a matter of time until this individual’s knowledge becomes obsolete because the technology has changed again. Changes in Policy and Technology. Focus group participants suggested organizations feel pressure to comply with new environmentally friendly policies to maintain a positive reputation and comply with governmental initiatives. Some of these policies significantly influence the way many tasks are performed. Employees who are asked to change the method by which they perform their job may consider looking for opportunities outside of the organization, where they can continue to perform their tasks as they have done in the past. In addition to policy changes, the increased use of technology in the workplace (such as computers, laptops, and PDAs) has caused older workers in some organizations to consider retirement because they often find new technologies to be a source of work-related frustration. Organizations may fail to adequately train these individuals on the new technology, which prevents these individuals from effectively performing their jobs. The rapid adoption of technology without proper training causes some employees to think about looking for opportunities outside of the organization where their ability to contribute is not dependent on their ability to adapt to the latest technology. The Cost of Training. Participants indicated that the cost of training had been a major challenge for their organizations. Typically, organizations are faced with providing first-rate training on an extremely limited budget. Participants indicated that it is particularly difficult to obtain funds to develop employees in executive and management roles because the senior employees are expected to “hit the ground running” once hired. Difficulty Providing Sufficient Quality Training. If a particular in-demand training, certification, course, or degree is either offered or financed by a competing organization, it may strongly influence an employee’s decision to leave their current employer. Participants often discussed a great deal of variation in the type and quantity of training courses that are available to employees and managers. Participants whose organizations fall on the low end of the leadership training spectrum indicated that their organizations allocate most of the training money to technical training, rather than leadership training. On the other end of the spectrum, one participant indicated that his organization offers a course to help employees understand the role of a manager and whether being a particular manager will be the best fit for the employee. Organizations are also challenged with determining the right amount and variety of training courses needed to address the variety of functional areas represented by managers. At times, there is not enough money in a budget to provide a training course that is in need. In addition, participants mentioned struggling to find the most effective trainer to lead these programs. As a result, some of the organizations indicated that they have moved away from training consultants and have adopted a policy of using incumbents to lead training even though finding incumbents with good communications skills can be a challenge. Developing Internal Staff Skills 75

Failure to Apply Training. Participants indicated that getting employees to apply what they have learned from training in their day-to-day activities is a challenge. This indicates that there is often a disconnect between what is emphasized in the training course and the reality of the work environment; it is difficult for staff to diagnose and redirect current work habits, and sometimes external trainers are too removed from the specific tasks and issues of the organization to make the training apply as well as it could. Failure to Update Training. The rapid pace of technology often leads to related training needs in order to utilize and remain current with new software capabilities. Thus the utility of specific training programs can be quickly depreciated by new functions and technologies. Employees who struggle to stay up-to- speed with new systems and technologies and who feel limited in relevant training opportunities may feel their options diminish within the organization and seek employment elsewhere. 10.2 Industry Strategies. Researchers and program managers identify the following programmatic strategies when describing industry efforts in “Developing Internal Staff Skills” (see Exhibit 10-2). While these strategies represent the general direction of human resource (HR) departments across the nation, it is important that the specific needs of your agency are used to guide the development and implementation of a program in your agency. Exhibit 10-2 Industry Strategies: Developing Internal Staff Skills Strategy Strategy Description Use Job Rotation Almost all of the focus group participants, both public and private sector organizations, cited the use of job rotation programs within their organizations. Job rotation is a developmental approach where an employee works consecutively through a series of positions to develop skills and obtain a broad exposure to the organization. Rotational assignments are often given to help prepare employees and managers for the responsibility of a higher-level position. Working on several different projects provides these employees with a better understanding of how the organization works as a whole. This also helps to spread institutional knowledge. Most organizations that have job rotation programs reserve these programs for high performers who are selected by a group of managers to participate. Offer Off-Site and Higher Education Training Opportunities Organizations indicated that the majority of their organization’s training was conducted onsite. However, most participants believed their organizations were moving toward a more blended learning model. The blended learning model includes traditional face-to-face onsite and classroom training, along with offsite training, distance training, and e-training (i.e., Internet-based training). Organizations are also creating partnerships with universities where employees can gain college credit. Some organizations are even offering partial tuition support for employees who pursue relevant degrees and intend to continue working for the organization. Providing employees with incentives to pursue additional education not only conveys to the employee that the organization is invested in his/her development but simultaneously ensures that new and cutting-edge ideas are brought back into the organization. 76 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Exhibit 10-2 (Continued) Industry Strategies: Developing Internal Staff Skills Strategy Strategy Description Offer Certification- Type Programs Another effective technique is to link together training programs into a certification or program curriculum. The curriculum is specific to a certain job class so that employees in that class must take all the trainings specified to “graduate” or be promoted to the next position. Organizations refer to these as “Corporate Colleges” and have found them to be an effective retention as well as capacity-building tool. Employees are more likely to continue employment and complete a curriculum of training compared to “one-off” training courses. Furthermore, employees are less likely to feel that they are missing out on a traditional college experience if they are enrolled in a “Corporate College.” Tailor Training Opportunities to Build Competency Participants indicated that when they provide employees with training that specifically meets their needs, they are more likely to stay with that organization. These needs may be linked to their level or position in the organization. For example, positions that involve working closely with customers may require communication skills. Organizations have realized that in some of the more technical fields, communication skills are not being taught in the universities. Therefore, the organizations have implemented training courses that ask employees to write and present material in front of large groups and they are coached and mentored by experienced trainers. In terms of level-specific trainings, participants mentioned formalized training programs for managers. One such program focuses on practices, leadership skills, coaching, procedures, and policies. Another participant mentioned that their organization offers four structured programs geared toward a manager’s specific level of management (i.e., front-line supervisors, managers, directors, and senior staff). Some of the more unique training programs are related to an employee’s gender or cultural background. Providing training in English as a Second Language (ESL) has helped some organizations decrease on-the-job injury and increase retention. Organizations even hold workshops for women and others for minorities in non-traditional positions (such as construction) in which they review tasks and techniques related to successful retention in those positions. Attendees can discuss problems or issues they have experienced conducting tasks and workshop instructors can help them brainstorm solutions. Organizations have found that alternative populations may not openly seek this type of help in other forums and therefore may otherwise fall behind. Use Technology to Support Training Organizations have purchased software that allows an employee to search available trainings, enroll, indicate completion and save the completed trainings to a list of all the trainings they have completed. Beyond adding structure and efficiency to the training process, these systems remind employees of the skills the organization has given to them, which helps increase their organizational commitment. Besides using technology to manage training, some companies use the internet to provide the training courses, which they refer to as e-training. Many of the focus group participants specifically mentioned using e-training in their organizations. E-training allows employees to complete the trainings at night and on the weekends. E-training saves classroom expenses and meets the needs of geographically dispersed employees who may work on non-traditional schedules. Developing Internal Staff Skills 77

10.3 Workforce Practices. Twenty-nine workforce practices that were designed to assist in making the process of “Developing Internal Staff Skills” within transportation agencies efficient and effective were reviewed, and we identified one workforce practice that was most noteworthy within this context: North Carolina DOT Transportation Supervisor Conference (TSC) For this practice, we conducted a case study. A summary of the case study is presented below. The full case study can be found on the TRB website at http://trb.org/Main/Blurbs/164747.aspx as part of Volume II: Supplemental Materials. The full case study description details each practice’s background, implementation, maintenance, evaluation, and transferability. 78 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

North Carolina DOT Transportation Supervisor Conference (TSC) Job Type: All ROI: Short-term Generation: All Key Program Highlights: o Provides technical training on various work practices in order to instill standardization, effectiveness, and efficiency across the organization o Small rotational groups consist of 35 supervisors o Skills learned help supervisors improve communication with their staff, as well as across the entire organization North Carolina DOT Transportation Supervisor Conference (TSC). The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) employs roughly 13,000 people, of which 7,500 work within the Division of Highways. In early 2007, the steering committee for the NCDOT’s leadership academy suggested that the academy needed to add technical training. In August of 2007, the idea of a biennial Transportation Supervisor Conference (TSC) was introduced. The goal of the conference was to provide technical training on various work practices in order to instill standardization, effectiveness, and efficiency across the organization. The first conference was held in February of 2008, after approval by the district engineers and the Secretary of Transportation. Several aspects of the conference’s design are meant to ensure a small and focused audience. First, the conference is held three times in three different geographic locations. Each time it is held, it has the same structure and the same presenters. Each conference takes place over a period of 3 days and includes presentations on technical information. On Day One, there is an opening session in the morning and core breakouts in the afternoon. On Day Two, there are technical breakouts in the morning, core breakouts in the afternoon and a closing session at the end of the day. The core breakouts cover topics that all supervisors need to learn. Small groups of 35 supervisors rotate around a schedule of core sessions based on pre-assigned groups. Each group attends all of the core sessions. Typically these small groups share a particular field or background and also attend their technical sections together on the second day. These sessions are not attended by everyone, just those for whom the topic is relevant to the work they do in the field. In terms of implementation, the conference planning committee had to procure hotel conference rooms, bedrooms, offices, chairs, tables, etc. and had to purchase conference equipment, such as projectors, notepads, pens, pencils, and food. Hosting the conference in 2008 cost NCDOT approximately $220,000; this included meals and accommodations. In addition to keeping a record of how to manage the conference, NCDOT surveys conference attendees and receives feedback on each individual session. As a result of the conference, supervisors were given the opportunity to hear one of their peers, the conference presenter, explain the value of certain standardized work practices. For example, many supervisors now understand the value of having a work plan and are using this practice in their daily routines. After the 2008 conference, supervisors have been asking for video recordings of the sessions so they can show their staff what they have learned. NCDOT believes that, because of the conference, supervisors have begun to implement more standardized practices with their staff as well as communicate more across the organization when solving problems. One unexpected result was that the conference has put more responsibility on supervisors to disseminate information about standardization to their staff. Developing Internal Staff Skills 79

Other Example Practices To serve as an additional resource for agencies interested in “Developing Internal Staff Skills,” we have included a list of other practices that transportation agencies have implemented for this purpose. Additional information on each of the following practices can be found in one- to two-page summaries within the supplemental materials. American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Builder Institute Eisenhower Freight and Transportation Logistics Scholarship Flexibility in Bus Operator Trainings Idaho Cross Utilization Program Iowa Roads Scholar Program Institute for Transportation Engineers (ITE) Professional Development Training Opportunities Clearinghouse ITE Web-based Learning Tools Job Rotational Programs Local Community Outreach – Louisiana Local Technical Assistance Program Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) Training Programs Master’s Degree Training at Offsite University for Civil Engineering Missouri DOT Employee Development Program National Highway Institute Training Program for Transportation and Transit Agency Positions National Transit Institute On The Job Training Program Oregon Certificate of Public Management Programs Professional Capacity Building Programs Roadway Safety Training Institute/ Corporate Training Program State Agency Training Programs The Consortium for ITS Training and Education Train-the-Trainer “SmartDriver” Program Train Your Own Information Technology Staff Training “Overlearning” Training to Accommodate New Transit Technologies, SunLine Transit Transport Workers Union of America’s Community Transportation Development Center Transportation Training and Education Center Truck Driving Academy The practice summaries include information, such as the lead organization, practice description, practice purpose, targeted participants, return on investment (ROI) timeline, influence of the economy, innovativeness, and resources to find out more information on the individual practices. 80 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 685: Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce includes straight-forward, implementable practices that transportation Human Resources (HR) managers and hiring professionals can use to help improve the recruitment and retention of qualified employees in their organizations.

The report provides information on workforce challenges, industry strategies, and detailed descriptions of noteworthy practices within each of 15 recruitment and retention categories.

Volume II: Supplemental Material is available online as an ISO image, which can be used to produce a CD-ROM. Volume II includes an introductory document summarizing the content of the supplemental materials and provides full case studies and summaries of other example practices related to the recruitment and retention practices.

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