“By staying curious, we continue to learn.”
Inge de Ruyter on the possibilities of onboarding at Vomar
The love for retail arose in her early childhood, when she grew up in her parents’ shop. Many years and studies later, Inge de Ruyter is now responsible for the training and development of the more than six thousand employees of supermarket chain Vomar. “The trick is to facilitate learning in such a way that it effectively carries the organisation and its people forward”.
How did you end up in this field?
“My parents have always had a business with fresh vegetables, bread and meals, and a butcher’s shop in Heemskerk. We lived above the shop, so as a little girl I was already handing out little pieces of sausage to the customers. I really grew up in the business. From the age of fourteen, I was in the shop every Saturday at a quarter past seven to help out. I continued doing that, even during my studies. After that, I was really curious what it would be like to work for a large organisation. Retail is a very dynamic industry that really appeals to me.”
How has your career developed so far?
“I started as a training functionary and then became a training advisor at Dekamarkt and Dirk, both supermarkets in the Netherlands. Four years ago, I joined Vomar. This was a great opportunity for me because of the transition to a new formula within the organisation. That also needs to be well supervised internally. How do you train those 6,500 employees to go along with the changes in the organisation? How do they get to know all these new systems? I thought it was a great opportunity to work on learning here. My first project was to introduce online learning.”
How did that work?
“When I started here, online learning wasn’t used at all. The aNewSpring package was already on the shelf, but it was not being used yet. A terrible waste. I implemented blended and online learning step by step. The first demand was a very specific one: an introductory programme for new re-stockers and cashiers. There used to be a kick-off day where store managers told a story, but that didn’t work well for new helpers. If they have not worked a full day themselves, they find it very difficult to imagine what is expected of them. That’s why we created an online preboarding programme where new employees get to know the organisation and get a good idea of their position by watching videos and answering questions. This way, they appear much more confident on their first day at work. If you then take good care of them and guide them, they will make a good start.”
How are you going to tackle this guidance during the first few weeks?
“One and a half years ago, we created a special ‘onboarding’ programme for this purpose, which is a combination of online learning and a programme on the shop floor. This is how they get to know the whole shop. As a physical tool for this, every new helper gets a passport. In addition to all kinds of assignments, the programme includes the route through the shop and various helpful checklists. By using the passport, new helpers go through the entire introductory programme during the first three weeks. In a special app, they submit photos and other practical assignments. They work together with a buddy: someone who is on the same level, but who already has experience and can explain what needs to be done. For many young people, a part-time job in the supermarket is their first part-time job, and they immediately come into contact with colleagues and customers. It is very important that they are properly trained, as they themselves and the organisation will benefit from that for the rest of their careers”.
Why do you like working with aNewSpring?
“Because of the ease with which we can develop new learning paths independently in aNewSpring and because of the many possibilities. Vomar is a dynamic organisation. It may just be that we want to pilot a new training course in two weeks' time, in which five hundred employees are involved. On the platform of aNewSpring, we can create something beautiful in a short period of time that will reach a large group of employees. This way we can maintain the speed, which is very important for a fast-growing company like Vomar.”
“We are also pleased that the programmes of aNewSpring keep a very good grip on the participants in the training programmes. Even with this large group of more than six thousand people, we have a good overview of where everyone stands. This means that there is involvement from within the organisation and that learning becomes a priority. We now use aNewSpring in various forms for almost all our learning trajectories and for employees it has become the platform where ‘Learning at Vomar’ comes together”.
92% of all new employees state that they are able to work independently thanks to the blended onboarding programme.
For Dutch supermarket organisation Vomar Voordeelmarkt, Inge created a learning journey that gives new employees a good start with a combination of online learning and a programme on the workfloor, in which the technology of aNewSpring provides powerful support. Curious to read more how she succeeded in this?
What are your employees’ experiences?
“The programmes of aNewSpring are very intuitive, so people quickly pick up on how it works. We are rarely called by employees who can’t figure it out themselves. When it comes to graphical layout, there are some limitations in the programme, but that ensures that all training courses can be completed in the same way. That is very pleasant for the user. The interactive, competitive element works very well for us. For example, we make scores of modules transparent and link a winning element to them. By connecting to daily practice and adding a surprising effect to it, you make learning fun”.
So you can conclude that online learning has been a success at Vomar?
“I’m very enthusiastic about it. My team and I - three people in total - are part of the HR department and we always develop our programmes together with the people who will be working with them. That’s how the best ideas come to life. You notice that people get used to this way of learning, so you can always take it a step further. That doesn’t mean that it always has to be bigger or more. On the contrary, I think you make it powerful by keeping it simple and effective. But it does mean you have to keep innovating and experimenting.”
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