The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.: Banking on Learning
September 06, 2007
By Margery Weinstein
For The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., training is as systematic as it is all encompassing for its 27,500 employees. The company, which boasts assets of $125.7 billion, and deposits of $77.2 billion, offers training for each stage of the employment life cycle, says Robin Connolly, senior vice president and director, PNC University.
Thorough treatment of employee learning means delivering training that covers new employee orientation and job-specific instruction, along with leadership, executive, and organizational development. With retail branches in eight states and the District of Columbia, and several of its businesses— including its senior-secured lending, treasury management, and commercial real estate services—serving customers nationwide, providing effective training requires a coordinated effort.
That effort begins, and is tracked, through PNC's annual Strategic Workforce Development Plan (SWDP). The process "involves input from key executives to guarantee our training program aligns closely with our business objectives," says Connolly. In the fourth quarter each year, she explains, the Training Executive Oversight Committee, composed of senior executives, meets to decide which areas of training need to be focused on, and what goals should be set in response. This protocol ensures no ideas, or potential areas for improvement, are overlooked. "Representatives from each line of business then provide input," says Connolly, "with training department representatives meeting with business leaders and human resource business partners to determine training requirements that fit all goals."
Alignment of training to business objectives following this process is quantified every year through the results of the annual Employee Engagement Survey. The rigor of PNC's approach is paying off. In 2006, affirmative responses to the statement, "I have the training I need to do my job effectively," increased 14 percent over the previous year's results.
Just as no learning need is overlooked, the company also doesn't forget that employees need to be taught through more than one mode of delivery. "We use a blended approach to development, which ensures we reach participants of various learning styles and approaches," Connolly notes. "Decisions about which delivery method to use are unique to each situation, based on the audience, the content, and the needs of the business." That means classroom learning, e-learning, games and simulations, role-play training, use of subject matter experts, and on-demand learning are all on the table.
The trick, of course, is using these various approaches judiciously. "Generally speaking, classroom learning and e-learning are useful for foundational skills," says Connolly, "but for more advanced skill development and critical thinking, we find our audience thrives on experiential learning, and learning from others."
"Leadership Journey" illustrates PNC's approach to delivering training that hones critical thinking skills. Focusing on the development of "business-critical management skills and leadership competencies of PNC's new managers," the program includes self-directed, online learning; forums with business leaders as facilitators; mentoring; and on-the-job follow-up. Participants spend approximately six hours a month completing the program with support from their own managers, mentors—which the company refers to as "leadership advocates"—peers, and PNC University staff. Connolly says the company considers the program among its best. "Leadership Journey delivers best-in-class leadership development strategy," she says, "while infusing new leaders with the skills and flexibility to overcome the challenges of a dynamic and complex workplace."
Going forward, the kind of comprehensive programming exemplified by "Leadership Journey" will become even more important. That same A-to-Z approach currently is being applied to the company's ramped-up on-boarding process. New employee orientation is more critical than ever for PNC, given the deluge of acquisitions and mergers hitting the financial sector. "Becoming PNC" addresses this need. A "high-touch" orientation program conducted via traditional classroom learning, the program covers in-depth the company's culture, brand, products, and services. To ensure employees from newly acquired companies understand what they're entitled to from their new employer, a benefits orientation immediately follows "Becoming PNC."
On the leadership side of learning following an acquisition, the company offers "Managing Transitions." Organizational development professionals deliver it to the acquired organization's senior leaders to help them "be change leaders and cascade the program [down] to all employees," says Connolly. So far the program seems to be working. "Employee sample surveys have indicated nearly 100 percent satisfaction with Managing Transitions," Connolly reports.
In the future, PNC would like to share its learning acumen with other organizations, and learn from their successes, as well. For Connolly and her team of 132 training specialists, there is always room for improvement. "We know we are aligning training to business needs, and we, indeed, have seen the results," she says. "Still, there is always value in collaborating with other top-notch training organizations to find best practices that will make our training process better."
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