Corporate ALT is geared to production employees as well as professional staff and managers. Activities of this kind occurred in only some of the Quebec businesses studied by Bélanger et al. (2004). In these businesses, corporate ALT is in many instances initiated by management and directed by the human resources department in co-operation with an outside provider. In the case studies of very large companies in particular (250 employees), this activity was conducted only in-house.
Corporate ALT generally focuses on the organization itself, its values and its philosophy. The subject covered may be a very generic topic, such as customer service in the retail sector. It not only serves as a reminder but also strengthens knowledge and abilities that were already in place, as well as providing a tool to build the staff's loyalty and feeling of attachment to the organization.
Bélanger et al. (2004) find that in most cases, this type of training lasts a few days and is given annually, while participation is mandatory and paid. But the training does not necessarily occur on the premises, nor does it occur during working hours.
ALT for new hires, ranging from short presentations to a long-term sponsored Footnote 51 process (for example, shadowing an expert employee for several weeks or even months), is a very common approach. In some of the companies studied by Bélanger et al. (2004), including those with strict quality standards, this is a priority and such activity will be highly structured, supported by reference documentation and followed by an evaluation of the new employee. In other organizations, in the retail sector, for example, the education and training is more likely to be of the "on the job" variety, given informally by a peer.
ALT for new positions is often similar to that given to new hires; in some firms this will involve the exact same education and training procedures and tools. It is designed primarily to introduce the employee to the new task, rather than to familiarize him or her with the company's operations and philosophy.
Generally, ALT for new hires is given in-house during working hours by a more experienced employee in the form of mentoring.
Firms provide general ALT activities designed to welcome and integrate employees. These activities allow new employees to familiarize themselves with the physical layout of the company, its philosophy, mission and products. For example, general ALT for new hires may include an introduction to the company, its rules, its different departments and its health and safety measures, the dress code, the hygiene codes and the procedures for moving among the different units of the company. In the tightly controlled biopharmaceutical sector, as in other sectors where quality control is mandatory (for example, food processing), an introduction to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is important.
Return to note 51 The expressions businesses use to refer to this support vary: shadowing, buddy systems, coaching, mentoring and tandem work.