ABOUT
Established in 1899 Miele has built an enviable reputation for manufacturing premium domestic appliances sold in 47 major markets throughout the World.
Miele’s forensic focus on quality can be seen in every aspect of the business from appliance design, through to its marketing communications.
The appointment of a new Marketing Director in the UK, Ireland & S Africa region, provided the impetus to review the structure and competencies of the Marketing team and to isolate the associated capabilities which are critical in order to ensure that the growth strategy flows through seamlessly to execution.
THE CHALLENGE
Employee feedback from the Marketing team showed that there was a significant opportunity to increase individual marketing skills and provide development pathways for all, which would ultimately build a more skilled and engaged marketing team that is fully aligned to the growth agenda.
These challenges were shared with The Capability Bridge (TCB) who have a track record of evaluating and developing skills in Marketing and Sales organisations aligned to the organisation’s desired commercial goals.
THE PROCESS
TCB’s proposal was to establish a Competency Framework and assessment tool for the Marketing team, providing the basis for the team to evaluate and identify skill and competency strengths and gaps within the context for their roles and the broader organisation.
The Marketing Competency Framework would provide the ability to define the skills and competencies for development and help shape the career path of each individual team member as well as guiding the development of training and development programmes and their content.
Ultimately establishing the right team structure and roles, and ensuring everyone has the requisite skills as well as a bespoke personal development plan, increases the likelihood that strategy links to effective execution driven by a highly skilled and motivated team.
The process started with a review of existing role profiles and competency materials, the core job role specifications and the overall structure of the team – always within the context of aligning to the priorities identified within the marketing strategy.
Key competencies were identified and documented in conjunction with individual team members – together with a detailed definition of each competency – and the specific level of competency for each individual role and level of seniority. Finally the framework was fully aligned with Miele’s own business’ language and HR processes.
The Marketing team then worked to complete the framework using an agreed self scoring method and then validated those scores in discussion with their line managers in order to complete their own Individual Development Plans
THE RESULTS
Working to develop such personalised skills development plans proved to be a highly positive and motivating experience for team members a process that was significantly enabled by TCB’s competency framework and assessment tool
The results provided each team member with a detailed understanding of their strengths and weaknesses within their roles, a clear plan for their own targeted skills development – and an agreed pathway for career development.
The framework provided the Marketing Director with a detailed plan for Team organisational structure, clarity in understanding where any skills gaps existed – a guide for recruitment as well as the knowledge of the existing team’s capability – and how to develop any skill building training programmes that will build an even more effective team for the future success of the business.