POSCO has its roots in Korea, but ultimately it’s a global firm. With this in mind, the company aims to build Global One POSCO, so that POSCO employees around the world can reach for the same goals.
To achieve this objective, POSCO Group University launched its first training program for in-house lecturers in overseas affiliates last year. This training program establishes a sense of identity for employees at overseas affiliates. It aims to help employees feel connected to POSCO and promotes global talents in a more structured way.
Aradhana Supakar, an in-house lecturer of POSCO-India said “The training material is very well prepared and comprehensive. It helps us to understand different aspects of our company in a very simple way, which leaves a long-lasting impression in the mind of the trainee.”
After going through the training process, these new instructors will be in charge of providing on-site training for employees in overseas affiliates. Through this training program, they will spread POSCO’s values and management policies, thus creating Global One POSCO.
Supakar said, “The training session was very constructive and useful. Through the skills and tips acquired from the training, I could successfully go through my first training session with POSCO-India employees and share POSCO’s values and policies.”
POSCO GTaLK Spreads Message of Global One POSCO
POSCO Group University trained a total of 82 outstanding employees from eight different countries around the world. Exceptional candidates from China, Japan, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, the U.S. and Mexico were selected for the Training the Trainer program.
“Background knowledge and experience of a trainer is really important,” stated Ms. Chadapron Aoibumrung, an in-house lecturer of POSCO-TBPC. She continued, “If the lecturer (trainer) has knowledge and ability related to the topic, as well as special training techniques, he or she will build trust and reliability with the trainees.”
Each lecturer was given a special POSCO training package called POSCO Global Teaching and Learning Kit, or simply called GTaLK for short. The kit contains textbooks, videos and a PowerPoint file of the teaching plan and materials.
Vipin Kumar Sharma, an in-house lecturer of POSCO-India said, “GTaLK is very useful, it gives us ideas about the contents of the training program and it shows different ways that we can deliver our program and even enhance our knowledge.”
POSCO GTaLK covers 18 essential subjects, including management philosophy, leadership, the steel making process and product knowledge. These core subjects are essential for all POSCO members. The kit was translated into English, Chinese and Japanese and has been distributed to a total of 60 overseas affiliates.
Supakar said “All the GTaLK contents are so well-organized and synced that it makes the job of a lecturer (trainer) quite smooth and efficient.”
Understanding and spreading the message of POSCO GTaLK effectively is considered the most important factor that helps establish a sense of identity for employees at overseas affiliates.
Mrs. Jeong Min Kim, leader of POSCO Group University Global HRD Group, said “The current in-house trainers are training overseas employees around global offices, bringing POSCO one step closer to the ideal as Global One POSCO. Together we are spreading POSCO’s values and leadership among overseas affiliates.”
The POSCO Training the Trainer program was developed in order to strengthen human resource development and to provide more structured support and training for those working at overseas affiliates. But this was just a first step.
Mr. Minsan Park, manager of POSCO Group University, said “POSCO wants to actively utilize representative office in each country to provide localized educational opportunities. As a first step, we initiated the Training the Trainer program by training in-house lecturers of POSCO overseas affiliates.”
Building Strength from Within
In-house lecturers (trainers) who successfully complete the entire curriculum become POSCO-certified trainer. It is then their duty to train overseas employees on common values and company policies. Through this training, POSCO aims to help employees establish their identity as members of the POSCO Group, regardless of nationality or position.
With the support from POSCO Group University, GTaLK lecturers can train overseas employees. Mr. Minsan Park also said “We want to systematically train our overseas employees, so that we can deliver and balance out headquarter-level content with overseas affiliates.”
Before POSCO Group University developed GTaLK, there was no training standard for overseas managers, so it was difficult to provide practical support globally, but now with this new training program, everyone is on the same page, collectively aiming for global success.
Mr. Sharma stated, “POSCO’s global training and GTaLK highly enhances the process of the training program and knowledge acquisition. The systematic training program allowed me to easily train our employees without difficulties.”
Through the in-house training program, POSCO can promote and nurture future talents and develop dedicated employees, helping them to feel fulfilled and appreciated at the work-place. This trickles down the chain of command, as local in-house lecturers use GTaLK to ensure unity and connectivity with all employees of POSCO affiliates, thus building Global One POSCO.\