08 November 2007
Bob McKay
Training Consultant
Christian Salvesen UK
We’ve found that the more we engage with ILM in building a programme, the better the outcome
Bob McKay
Salvesen’s total UK staff is about 9,000. Our management population includes 1,400 junior managers eligible for ILM level 3 qualifications, and that’s the level at which we do most work with ILM. But we are also working with ILM to compile a foundation degree that will include level 5 components.
Salvesen is a competency-driven company. People are clear about what they’ve got to do, and when they’ve got to do it. Then we like to give our managers choice and freedom about how they get the job done. It’s this flexibility of approach that has been a key theme of Salvesen’s experience with ILM. If ILM’s curriculum at the time hasn’t suited us as an organisation, they’ve been happy to work with us to create programmes that do suit us.
Innovation is very important for us too. When we choose new training, we want programmes that will be up to date, and not just full of stale management thinking. When we take an ILM qualification on for the first time, it’s been genuinely up to date – despite the time we know it takes to put a programme together.
There’s a long history of mutual work between Christian Salvesen and ILM, going back many years and we feel there are definite tangible benefits to working with ILM. We use the Kirkpatrick Evaluation system at Levels 3 and 4. We’ve found substantial cost returns on implementing ILM courses – typically between a 60% and 100% return on cost overall.
In terms of how our staff feel about the courses, ILM programmes are particularly well received by junior managers. It’s a nice blend of practical and theory, with a good overall structure. At senior levels, ILM qualifications are a very useful benchmarking tool.
Overall, ILM gives us a very good bedrock for development. The way ILM is set up works for us as an organisation – simple as that. And if ILM release a new qualification that suits a particular area of our business, we’ll always consider implementing it.
I’d certainly recommend ILM to other employers. Flexibility is the ILM’s biggest asset, but it’s also a collaborative process with ILM. We’ve found that the more we engage with ILM in building a programme, the better the outcome. There are always issues in building development programmes, but ILM help you find solutions.