DENNIS KESSLER PRESENTS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FOR
CREATING A LEARNING CULTURE
Over 50 CEO and Human Resource professionals heard Dennis Kessler speak at the
NIBA breakfast meeting April 8, 1998 at the Arlington Trackside.
Kessler, former Co-President of Fel-Pro and now president of Kessler Management Consulting Inc., spoke about three strategies Fel-Pro uses for workforce development, including:
- Retention
- Retraining
- Reaching Out
Fel-Pro has maintained an extremely low turnover rate when most companies are facing
drastic increases in turnover. Fel-Pro has maintained this low turnover rate by providing
a number of special benefits. These include:
- Profit Sharing
- Extra Thank-You's (ham at Easter, turkey at Christmas)
- Extra Checks (money for babies, birthday's, wedding's, death in family and adoption)
- RRR: Rest, Relaxation, Recreation (220 acre park owned by Fel-Pro for use by
employees and their children)
- Day Care (On-Site and subsidized by Fel-Pro)
- Emergency Caregiver
- Scholarship (to all Fel-Pro employees and their children)
- Tutoring
- Summer Jobs
- Computer Purchase Assistance
- Performance Bonus
- Team Bonus
- Summer Daycamp
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Fel-Pro Care Days
- Personal Financial Management Workshops
- Year End Tax Preparation Assistance
- On-Site Fitness Center
- Employee Forum
- Matching Gift
- Child Development and Parenting Seminars
- College Decision-Making Counseling
- Fel-Pro Better Neighborhood Fund
- Elder Care Referral Service
- Legal Information Service
- Service Awards
- Special Holiday Dinners
- Work Clothes Benefit
- Flexible Starts
- Patent Awards
Kessler commented that the costs of these programs are very minimal - 2.7% of labor costs or 57 cents an hour - compared with the good will, employee retention and work satisfaction they create. Kessler recognized that it is sometimes difficult to measure these programs return on investment, but the success of Fel-Pro speaks for itself.
As part of the retraining strategy, Fel-Pro completed a skills gap analysis on their workforce. From this analysis, they were able to identify the skills needed for each particular job and what skills that job would require in 2 to 5 years. These new skill requirements were then matched with current employee skills to identify the training needs. In addition, future technical obsolescence and developmental requirements were identified, including such
skills as pc training, problem solving and process improvement.
Fel-Pro's reaching out program consists of linking with high schools and community colleges to help young people and educators see what a modern day manufacturing plant resembles, and that a manufacturing career is a good choice.
In his new capacity, Mr. Kessler will be continuing his outreach efforts in conjunction with new initiatives being developed by the National Association of Manufactures (NAM). This national effort to align business and education targets the shortage of skilled workers in the American workforce. In Illinois this workforce development effort is being chaired by The Lake County Economic Development Association.
For more information regarding the Workforce Development Committee you can contact Dennis Kessler at 847-509-2745.
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