Case Study "MyMoney" is a flourishing financial services...

Case Study

"MyMoney" is a flourishing financial services organization with an excellent reputation. It employs around 2,000 people, 1,500 of whom work within the 150 branches across Canada, while the remaining 500 are employed at the company's head office. To prepare to meet the anticipated shortage of branch managers due to massive retirements within the next five years, the human resources department decided to set up an annual management trainee development program. The success of this program is essential for the company to be able to satisfy its future needs for qualified human resources. The goal: At the end of each 12-month program, which begins in January (one program per year for 10 trainees over a five-year period), the trainees will be promoted to the position of assistant to the branch manager and paired with a manager who plans to retire in the not-too-distant future (a horizon of 24 months or less).

You are the project manager that has been assigned to this project. You established the following five major steps:

1. internal and external recruitment of a cohort of 10 high-potential trainees, once a year for the next five years;

2. development of a training program for all branch managers;

3. development of a training program for trainees;

4. development of a welcome and integration program for trainees;

5. one-on-one follow-up meetings with trainees, every six weeks.

Your first follow-up interviews indicate that the project is attaining its objectives: the trainees are developing according to plan. Towards the second quarter, you realize that the project isn't going as well as it should and that the trainees aren't making any progress. They complain that on a day-to-day operational basis the managers treat them just like all the other branch employees and that they are no longer learning anything. On the other hand, according to information you received informally, some managers say they are snowed under with their own work and are also constantly being contacted by their regional manager about other projects, including their annual objectives, which are determined in January of each year. As a result, they have little if any time to devote to their trainee.

You are aware of the importance of this program for the company and the human resources department.

1. Identify the program's strengths and weaknesses?

2. Given the context, what steps should you immediately take to ensure your project's success?