Our Consultants » William R. Swim, Ph.D.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING CONSULTANT
Prepares career development, career management processes and identifies required educational content for relevant industry training, community college programs and related economic development efforts. Understands to focus on what training is needed by individuals at what time in their developmental process within the context of industry needs and economic conditions. Usually integrates his work with existing client training and professional development efforts or if needed, starts new programs.
PROFESSIONAL FOCUS FOR OVER 28 YEARS
Creates career development and professional development processes and plans to help business, industry, education and community economic development organizations achieve competitive advantage using the results of workforce applied research. Results produce training processes, apprenticeships, needs assessments, occupational and training surveys, professional development plans designed to improve workforce skill levels, employment competencies, improved performance results and partnerships between business and education. Dr Swim instructs Career Decision Making at several colleges. He assists organizations control performance by the creation of career development, career management and educational management processes and assessment for professional and technical positions covering a broad range of employment sectors. Dr. Swim’s formal background is in occupational research methods designed to enhance the skills, knowledge and attitudes required for successful employment performance.
METHODS USED
Dr. Swim designs customized performance improvement tools used to complement performance management efforts, facilitate or create training, and improve decisions in the following workforce development areas: career management, career development, tool and technology use, the identification of required occupational skills and the required knowledge for successful employment (technical skills, social skills, system skills, basic skills, complex problem solving skills, laboratory skills, process control skills troubleshooting skills, maintenance skills and the unique skills associated with emerging occupations that are associated with technological change). Dr. Swim uses practical and adapted methods which have their origins in the time tested social science of workforce assessment such as: task analysis, DACUM, job analysis, skill identification, and knowledge identification, organizational, operational and individual level need assessments, job satisfaction measurement, retention planning and basic academic level assessment. Often Dr. Swim is involved in the implementation phase of strategic planning to ensure that accurate career management and career development efforts are being applied to ensure the successful management of workforce performance efforts per plan. All projects are customized and designed upon the foundation of proven methods to address precise customer needs.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
The information obtained and organized by Dr. Swim is often applied in career management planning, compensation decisions, training development, professional development planning, OJT improvement, relevant apprenticeship content, accurate occupational classification, compliance requirements and job redesign for modern job descriptions that match lean manufacturing and technological changes. The most common use of the information is the evaluation of training programs for relevance and the determination of who needs what training when and at what cost. Most organizations identify key occupational competencies and what each learner needs to acquire those competencies Also, following a training event the learner is assessed to make certain that a transfer of training has occurred and if not what actions are necessary to ensure that future on-the-job- learning will be successful. Often Dr. Swim is brought in to improve On-The Job-Training and other educational methods. Leadership teams are guided towards the best educational paths that lead to greater competitive advantage. Bill’s focus is upon improved performance management through job specific individual assessment, job specific training and post training assessment to ensure learning and behavior change has occurred. All the above effort improves competencies, job results, retention, safety, professionalism, compliance, retention and subsequently reduced costs.
PROJECT EXAMPLES: MANUFACTURING
Created redesign processes for a major appliance manufacturer to enhance career management through improved selection, cross-training and retention planning. Results produced a professional and career development program for Regional sales managers, Customer Service Managers and Product Development Managers. The analysis was used to ensure that a meaningful professional development plan was supported by an appropriate compensation and succession plan.
Conducted Needs Assessments for a broad range of biotech, pharmaceutical, ethanol, biodiesel and food processing plants. Results identified the critical organizational, operational and individual performance gaps that reduced efficiencies. Career development action plans were created to deal with the identified needs which were rank ordered from the most critical to business success to the least critical. The closing of identified gaps reduced overall costs through the implementation of a career development process for improved performance management. The focus was on federal compliance.
Directed 5 team accountability analyses for a large maintenance crew responsible for the correct operation of all equipment and technology in a major food processing plant. The analysis identified a serious need for cross training and better employee selection. Subsequent steps included a partnership with a local community college and several private vendors to improve accountability. A formal On-The-Job-Training system was installed to improve on the job learning in a team environment. All efforts became a subset of a newly installed performance management and hiring system.
Integrated a DACUM process with a task analysis, skill assessment and a job description evaluation method to examine the structure and content of the leadership pipeline in a major Mid West Engineering Firm. Results included: a new strategic planning process, a new career development process, individual professional development plans, and a clarification of the role and responsibilities of the company’s leadership team. Additionally, a mentoring process was established to ensure emerging leaders were matched with correct mentors in order to fill the leadership pipeline for the future.
With a union and management leadership team generated an employee retention plan that improved skill identification, training, safety, compensation, employee selection, compliance, employee evaluation, waste reduction, better quality assurance, employee satisfaction and employee security and protection from harassment because of racial and ethnic differences. Retention was dramatically improved. Focus was placed on the creation of a career development process for key members of the leadership team.
Identified competencies for all critical positions within a Fortune 50 paper manufacturing plant. Determined required knowledge, safety requirements, performance outcomes and required skills and the subsequent training necessary to improve hiring, training and vendor selection related to the improvement of each critical position.
Designed and directed the roll out and buy in process for a Fortune 500 company’s transition into a high performance work system. Directed 60 different teams to determine who was in for the change and who wanted out. Focused on the new skills and evaluation requirements with precise emphasis upon the basic social and technological skills necessary for successful transition and financial viability. Follow-up efforts included job redesign, better employee selection, compensation and the transition process to move individuals from supervisors to team leaders. The organization went from 28 supervisors to 10 Team Leaders the first year and eventually to 5 Team leaders as greater leadership responsibility was “trained away” to others. Results also focused on compliance with federal and state law.
Created & facilitated a skill and knowledge analysis process to determine the start-up requirements for five new food product lines within an international cereal plant. The work focused upon compliance skills in safety, preventative maintenance, predictive maintenance, food safety, laboratory skills, teamwork and formal on-the-job-training methods based on multiple task analyses. The subsequent pay for performance training program and learning evaluation was used for evaluation and compensation decisions, career development efforts, selecting workers and resource management skills.
At the request of a Fortune 500 company redesigned for greater effectiveness the following departments: Human Resources, Accounting, Engineering and Quality Assurance. Results decentralized departmental functions to support a newly installed High Performance Work System. Results assisted in compensation, evaluation, technical skill improvement, greater team responsibility and improved profit center success.
Developed competency profiles for a major aluminum-recycling foundry to improve skill identification, cross-training, safety compliance, retention and training evaluation. Worked with Union and Management leadership to focus on the following key positions: Team leader, Lead Person, and Manufacturing Technician. Results improve hiring, orientation, safety training, and on-the-job-training. Success was also measured by shift out put, accident data, grievance numbers and the ease of cross training and shift rotation.
Designed and facilitated a strategic planning process for a Union and Management Team to ensure greater cooperation between the groups. Results focused on actions to increase productivity with certain actions being done by a union and management team with other activities completed by just union or just management. Success and lessons learned meetings were held monthly to maintain forward movement in the process. Issues included; selecting workers, working conditions, compliance, use of task analysis data, skill identification, and measurement of learning, technical skill identification and the repeated public commitment of both groups to work more effectively together.
Created a lock out tag out program for a large manufacturing company in the Mid-west. The project required the gathering of machine specific data to ensure all was in compliance with current prints schematics and P&ID’s. The program included lock out tag out procedures, verification methods, locations and cross references with all SOP data. The information was used to update SOP’s, safety training, required manufacturing skills, job evaluations, and a certification process which controlled access to the manufacturing area. Results effected job descriptions, apprenticeship programs, compliance requirements, training program content and team accountabilities.
Created a Troubleshooting Guide for use by a manufacturing company with subsidiaries located in 23 countries. The Guide identified root causes for chronic pump problems. Its international use reduced the problem solving demands being made on the most advanced plant location allowing greater productivity for every site. The Guide was based upon the knowledge of the most expert workers in the system and organized in such a fashion that it could be used as a training tool to enhance complex problem solving skills. It was also incorporated into a new employee hiring process.
Designed and created an employee retention plan for a major food processing facility employing over 1750 individuals. The goal was to reduce turn-over by answering a series of questions addressed to a series of union and management work teams. Results determined 83 key action areas, all implementation costs and a realistic time-line with designated leaders and team members. Action items included better orientation, new cross-training methods, yearly needs assessments, professional development planning for managers, a reduction in supervisory staff, improved preventative maintenance, maintenance assessment and maintenance training, better efforts at public relations and a greater emphasis on removing through put obstacles. At the conclusion of 3 years, turn-over had been reduced by over 60 percent.
Designed and conducted multiple On-The-Job-Training seminars applicable for all industries. The seminars point out the actions necessary to take greater control over on-the-job-learning by improving on-the-job-training, the most common method of knowledge transfer in industry. Improved OJT positively effects skill acquisition, apprenticeship programs, decision making, tool and technology use, safety, worker job satisfaction and retention.
PROJECT EXAMPLES: LIFE SCIENCES
Identified the start-up training content for the following team accountabilities for a state of the art bioprocessing facility: process management, quality systems, laboratory equipment operation and calibration and intellectual capital management. Aspects of the information were used for employee selection and evaluation, process improvement, the development of best practices and SOP’s and the subsequent OJT process required for successful cross-training and preventative maintenance. Efforts included creating partnerships with vendors and community colleges for training support.
Designed and implemented a Biotechnology Industry Workforce study funded by the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Results were for use by key community college in the state of Iowa. The study examined 5 training questions and examined the composite hiring needs of 15 separate life science companies in 20 occupational categories over a 5 year projection. Results were used to make college program decisions per estimated company growth by occupational category. Subsequent curriculum development and delivery models were based upon this original workplace needs evaluation and recommendations.
Performed multiple job assessments and task analysis for 3 international biotechnology industries functioning within an agglomeration economic business model. Results were used to create training programs and training assessment tools for an overlapping career and professional development educational process by sharing common vendors and other educational resources. The purpose of the effort was to drive down overall training costs by reducing career development efforts from one program for each company to one program for use by three companies. Results allowed learners from each organization to attend classes together without the fear of compromising intellectual property. In addition the information identified previously unknown occupational information on several critical positions. This data was new and treated as confidential resulting in the construction of variant customized career development plans for individualized educational plans within each industry using their confidential information in a format that protected content from others within the business cluster. Additional results expedited lean manufacturing efforts, better cross-training with assessment and more effective workforce scheduling and compliance with state and federal agencies.
Within the Ethanol Industry Dr. Swim performed a series of occupational assessments to determine the required competencies for success in the following positions: Maintenance Mechanic-Electrical, Maintenance Mechanic-Mechanical, Process Control Technician and Laboratory Technician. The competencies and knowledge identified were used as training outcomes and subsequently a training program was established for each position. Results were also applied to hiring, performance evaluation and per evaluation results occupational members were assigned professional and career development plans to close the gaps that existed between the required competencies and the individuals competency level. Outside vendors and internal mentors were established and each learner was followed and evaluated until competence was acquired. Mentors were trained prior to their involvement to ensure better on the job learning experiences.
Within the Biodiesel Industry the 4 most critical positions within 10 plants were identified by a senior management leadership team. In order to create career development and professional development plans for members of these critical positions each selected occupation was carefully examined using a variety of occupational assessment methods. The competencies, required skills, knowledge and safety requirements for the following positions were evaluated in order to develop and verify that the correct training was being delivered. The most critical occupations were: Quality Assurance Manager, Maintenance Mechanic, Process Control Technician and Laboratory Technician. Results were used to verify the relevance of existing training and develop new training per research results.
Designed and completed a state-wide survey of 50 selected high tech life science manufacturing organizations. The year long project was funded by the Iowa Department of Economic Development to better understand the nature of theses emerging industries and evaluate how state funding for training and development should be dispersed to facilitate their continued growth. The project involved 50 in-depth face to face guided interviews with the owners of each business. Industry groups were: Bioprocessing, Pharmaceutical and Research & Development. A small example of the results by rank order indicated the distribution of educational need was highest in “how to train others”, followed by: “communication skills” “safety”, “process control”, “pharmaceutical protocol” and finally “research and development procedures”. The most common finding: the struggle the industries had with keeping up with regulatory requirements. The results were shared with educational institutions and subsequently multiple credit and continuing education programs were developed to address these specific skill development needs on a state-wide basis using community and 4 year schools to design and deliver the educational content required for “green business” success.
PROJECT EXAMPLES: FINANCIAL SERVICES
Completed multiple strategic planning processes for a privately held community bank which involving all employees within the business. The last plan determined 8 key action areas involving 54 sub goals requiring 4 internal teams to complete. All aspects of the 5 year plan were accomplished in 2 years. Key result areas focused on redesigning the leadership structure, greater community involvement, opportunity recognition marketing efforts, installation of a pay for performance system and an analysis of new technology resulting in the acquisition of multiple cutting edge applications to better serve customers and improve efficiency.
Emerging from the success of the above strategic plans, Dr. Swim and members of the original strategic planning team organized and implemented a nine county Bank Alliance Project that resulted in 9 community banks working together within 1 economic development region. It was a myth that the 9 banks were competitors because of how the law defined the business scope of privately held community banks. Dr. Swim designed and facilitated the process for the 9 banks to work together instead of competing against one another. The project lasted two years and involved all levels of leadership with each bank. Results varied by the end of the second year. Certain bank leaders were unable to move from competition to cooperation and therefore did not enjoy the benefits of sharing in loan agreements, technology sharing, working together with customers to identify new business opportunities, the participation in shared best practices and shared training and compliance costs. The best measure of success was experience by 1 bank that doubled its deposits within the 5 years the plan was being followed.
Designed and facilitated a comprehensive planning process for a major investment firm in the Mid-west. The issue regarded new leadership and how to develop buy in on a plan that would dramatically change the way business would be conducted. The process was uniquely designed and per leadership request it involved over 140 individuals. The effort identified and made clear that all aspects of the business were to change. The methods and measurement of the changes were made clear to all employed and discussions were held regarding who would stay and who would leave based upon the identified impact of the key result areas. Several senior members of the leadership elected to leave and others demonstrated skill sets previously not seen. At the conclusion of the first year the
new leadership team viewed the changes as positive and the additional financial growth was evidence that the plan and its implementation were a success.
Performed an in-depth job analysis, task analysis and knowledge analysis for multiple key positions in an international insurance company in order to create an assessment tool for use in the identification of training needs. Results were used to develop professional development plans and ensure competence through assessment following training. In addition new hiring guidelines were created and new training materials developed. Emerging from this effort was a partnership with one of the states largest community colleges to provide customized training. In addition an internal mentoring system was developed to facilitate the professional growth within each key position.
Redesigned the Human Resources department of a major insurance company in order to deal with scope issues and the determination of who should be doing what. Results demonstrated scope creep, inadequate knowledge and individuals failing to understand their role. Action taken by senior leadership involved departmental leadership change, new training and overall a smaller and more effective Human Resources department.
Resolved a serious duplication of services issue between two major departments within a national insurance organization. Each department was examined regarding their inputs, outputs and the process’s used. The input-output-process analysis involved all members of each department. Results determined areas of overlap and identified the resolution methods necessary to ensure each department was adding unique value to the organization without the duplication of services. An additional result of the effort involved changing the names of each department to better reflect their function. At the conclusion of this work each department held an open house-show and tell explaining to other key departments within the organization the scope of their work and the outputs to be expected.
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
YEAR |
Company |
|---|---|
1998 - Present |
Vice President Ruth Consulting Group |
1988 - Present |
Owner Training Research Services |
1983 - 1988 |
Business & Industry Training Analyst, Economic Development |
1974-1983 |
Title III Vocational Assessment Coordinator |
EDUCATION
1997 Needs Assessment coursework Drake University, Des Moines Iowa.
1984 Post Doctorial work, Ohio State University, Performance Assessment in Industry.
1983 Ph.D. The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
1973 MA Degree The University of Iowa, Iowa City Iowa.
Certified DACUM Trainer
Certified Interpersonal Skills Trainer, Mental Health Association State of Iowa.