Best Practices Awards 2017
The ISLD provides online educational resources to retail employees .
SCHEDULE COMMUNICATION The ISLD had a scheduling problem . There are only so many work hours to allocate , and sometimes the organization would discover it had inadvertently overscheduled . This left them uncomfortably close to going over budget as they neared the end of fiscal years .
What was needed was better communication . As a result , the organization last year implemented its new “ When I Work ” scheduling program . This online tool allows managers to quickly see their weekly allocated hours , helping them remain mindful of going over .
“ Several stores were doing great things in Excel , but with this tool the best practices have been combined from various locations and now shared with everyone ,” Wiseman says .
BY KYLE SWARTZ
Best Technology Innovation : Idaho State Liquor Division
The Idaho State Liquor Division ( ISLD ) implemented two innovative programs last year . Leveraging technology , the organization has enhanced employee education , as well as the work and effectiveness of scheduling .
“ Staff training is key ,” says Catie Wiseman , ISLD training specialist . “ We truly believe that investing in our employees will make them happier and better at their jobs , making for a better experience for our guests .”
Wiseman worked with Cornerstone OnDemand to launch The ISLD Learning Center in 2016 . This cloud-based system includes educational videos , website links and PDF documents . The idea came about five years ago when Wiseman was looking into what educational resources were and were not available to staff .
Employees can log on from anywhere with internet access . Managers can assign specific training to different staff , track their progress and elicit feedback .
Current training includes videos on ID verification focused on identifying fakes and underage customers , website links including BeTheParents . org , the TEDTalk “ What It Takes to Be a Great Leader ,” and various documents including the ISLD Employee Handbook and Store Operations Manual .
“ Effective training in responsible service , associate on-boarding and continuing education is essential in fulfilling the mission of the Idaho State Liquor Division ,” says ISLD Director Jeffrey R . Anderson . “ Catie has done an excellent job leveraging modern technology in an efficient , affordable and user-friendly manner .”
The tool also tracks mandatory training for responsible service , sale and consumption of alcohol . The next steps for this tool will be a continued focus on ID verification , customer services skills and HR compliance .
“ Effective training in responsible service , associate on-boarding and continuing education is essential in fulfilling the mission of the Idaho State Liquor Division .”
— JEFFREY R . ANDERSON , ISLD DIRECTOR
All ISLD employees can access the schedule through When I Work . Usage has been lower among non-managerial staff , however , and Wiseman hopes more will make use of the program moving forward . To encourage this behavior , she has planned education initiatives to better present the program to all staff .
Other benefits of When I Work include viewing schedules on cell phones , fewer no-shows and less time spent on scheduling because of the copy / paste and shift / drag features . Employees have shared that the highlight for them is requesting time off and having managers
22 StateWays | www . stateways . com | September / October 2017