The document describes Ions Consulting's MP^2 training program, which pairs experienced consultants with inexperienced associates. The program aims to address high employee turnover by providing training and experience to newcomers. Reactions to the pilot program were mixed, with experienced consultants feeling overworked. For the program to succeed, it must gain full employee acceptance and provide clear benefits to both participants and mentors.

1. HRM CASE STUDY
IONS CONSULTNG: THE MP^2 TRAINING PROGRAM
AmolWalunj (PGP02-125)
Vipin Kumar (PGP02-124)
VikramDahiya (PGP02-123)
About Ions Consulting:
 Help clients improve project execution with regards to budget, schedule and efficiency
 Core Competence: IT project solutions
 Competitive Advantage: Large pool of experienced consultants
 System integration, network management, custom application development, e-commerce
development
 2003: Offices in three Canadian cities (Vancouver, Toronto and Winnipeg) with over 60 employees
 Laid off some employees to reduce costs during IT downturn
 2006: 40 employees across the three cities
 As under-performing employees were laid off, some high-performing employees too started looking
for jobs due to perceived job insecurity, top performers bolted for jobs with competitors
 The proportion of employees with more than 5 years of consulting experience fell sharply from 70%
in 2001 to 40% in 2006
 Client satisfaction resulted from the experienced consultants producing dynamic results
 However, as they started hiring low paid, less experienced consultants based on availability rather
than consulting experience to fill the void, quality of work reduced
Problems faced by the company:
 Reshape the company’s training practicesto assist the inexperienced newcomers as well as
experienced professionals
 Facilitate teamwork, provide skills upgrade, improve quality of client service
 Increase job satisfaction and commitment
 Retain employees over the long term
 Combat low employee morale and rising turnover rates
 Regain the lost the edge on delivering quality solutions to customers
 Improve quality of consultants
Solution envisaged by Clark Loon:
 Paired experienced consultants with inexperienced associates to work on complex, expensive client
projects
 Two-fold benefits:
Inexperienced associates would obtain valuable training from experienced consultants in a
structured, supported environment
Experienced consultants would have more resources and assistance at their disposal to
complete major projects
 The inexperienced associates will also receive a small-scale project
 Regular feedback and evaluations
 Based on contribution and complexity of work, participating newcomers would be awarded credits

2.  Target of 30 credits to become eligible for leading a project
 Expected average time to achieve target: 2-3 years
Reactions of the firm members to the proposal before and after the pilot launch:
Employee Name Reaction to the MP^2 proposal Reaction after the Pilot Launch
General Reaction Great resistance Mixed reviews
Having more members improved
the inefficiency and the speed of
80% employees would be tied
Dale Ellis (SVP Operations) service; Missing out on new
up, reducing client portfolio
projects as too many employees
per project
The problem is not train; its
Ray Rones (MD Client Services) hiring and retaining the right No change in client feedback
people
Already overworked; lack of time Tough to look over three
Bob Dowry (Sr. Consultant) to teach the complicated stuff to members apart form own work;
the juniors overworked and burnt out
Extremely impressed with the
No point if the newcomers leave
newcomers, looking forward to
Jane Platt (Sr. Consultant) soon; but ready to help in some
working with them again, would
areas
recommend the program to all
Larry Lay (Sr. Consultant) It would slow things down Newcomers can’t do it
What are the benefits? Capable
Waste of time, mentor didn’t
rd of managing big projects;
Sue Kay (3 yr Assoc. Consultant) listen or talk, ‘incompetent’
unwilling to do ‘someone else’s
mentor
dirty work’
Challenging work; lots to learn
Jin Chang (Incoming Associate) 3 years is too long a time
before leading an own project
Issues faced by Clark Loon:
 Is the proposed program working or failing?
 It’s potential to resolve turnover issues
 What revisions may be required, if any
 Ensure employee acceptance
 What benefits to focus on in order to convince employees?
 How to measure the success of the program?
 If employees rejected, the program would never work

3. Solution Analysis:
I
- The mentorship program is vital US
for the survival of the firm, but
- The pilot launch received mixed
may be modified to increase its
reviews, but for the program to be
acceptance among the employees
successful, it has to gain full
- It could be tailored as per the acceptance of the employees
‘talent-on-demand’ framework as
- Benefits for the participants and
suggested by Peter Capelli in order
the mentors need to be
to streamline the process and keep
highlighted
it as lean as possible
- Experienced consultants already
- Instead of one long term target, a
feeling overworked and
few small annual target must be
unrecognized and unrewarded
set for the participants against
which their performance should be - Would erode the bench strength
monitored of the company; may cause them
to miss out on new projects
- Improve the recruitment process
to include effective techniques like - Objective measurement of the
BEI to ensure that the right people success of such a program would
are hired for the job be slightly tricky
WE THEY
- In order to facilitate teamwork, - At marketRx (Cognizant EAP), a
provide skills upgrade and improve similar program is run for the
quality of client service, it is wherein they are trained and
important that the firm adopt a mentored by more experienced
mentorship program for its employees
inexperienced newcomers
- Additional material benefits as
- The current MP^2 proposal may well as recognition for mentors
be altered slightly to make it more
acceptable among all employees - Annual target of training
programs for all employees
- Short term targets for the (instead of a single large target as
participating newcomers can help proposed, which may be perceived
the mentors monitor their as unachievable and may
progress and also maintain their demotivate the participants) and
motivation levels are a part of the annual appraisal
- The mentors may be selected - Outstanding performers are duly
from among the experienced recognized and rewarded
consultants as per the
characteristics of good mentors - A mentorship program at Infosys
and role models as described by to help assimilate newcomers into
Kimberly McDowall-Long (2004) the organization culture