Like many other companies, the economic downturn forced Heavy Construction Systems Specialists Inc. (HCSS) to reduce its employee development budget over the last few years. But unlike some other companies, the Sugar Land, Texas, company was able to cut expenses without sacrificing learning for its 100+ employees.
Doing More with Less
With a little creativity, HCSS (www.hcss.com) has been able to continue offering development opportunities, even though its employee development budget was cut in half from 2008 to 2009. The alternative approaches have been so cost-effective that in 2009 HCSS spent only about one-third of the amount that was allocated for employee development in 2008, Organizational Development Manager Sebabi Leballo reports.
HCSS is an employee-owned company that develops estimating, field entry, dispatching, and related software for the heavy/highway/utility construction industry. One of the ways it has saved money is by relying more heavily than usual on its internal expertise.
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For example, instead of sending a handful of employees to take the same course outside the company, it might pay for one employee to attend the training. That employee would then teach the material to his or her colleagues, Leballo says.
HCSS relies on subject matter experts to teach other courses as well. For example, executives lead classes on financial literacy and professional development, showing employees how to keep their personal finances in order and how to leverage their strengths and hone their business and professional skills, according to Leballo.
In 2009, the company’s most successful program was its small leadership discussion groups, “where specific topics on leadership and management are taught and discussed,” he says.
HCSS also has found that having employees read books is a cost-effective development alternative, according to Leballo. “We bought a lot of books” in 2009.
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In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll look at HCSS’s unique orientation experience—plus examine a great resource for training your employees to be leaders.