VSP’s “STAR” Training Program

By Margery Weinstein As a result of the economy and to be fiscally responsible, VSP needed a solution to address reduced resources and its business decision to not increase its budgets. To meet this challenge, the company created a new program to assist employees in expanding their careers while keeping down company operating costs. The Shared Talent and Resource (STAR) program is a talent pool comprising eligible employees from areas where work volume is temporarily decreased; such employees are available to provide temporary assistance in areas where work volume has increased. Benefits of “STAR” include:

• Ability to better maximize resources company-wide
• Reduction of external agency/contractor costs
• Assistance to departments needing additional resources
• Enhancement of employee skills through temporary re-assignments
• Accommodation for fluctuation in work volume and potentially avoidance of a reduction in force

Results: “We’ve avoided the peak-time costs of hiring temporary workers and maximized the time of our existing workforce,” the company told Training. “The engagement of the employees in the program was high, and they learned new skills, developed new relationships, and expanded their knowledge of the company.” HAVE INPUT OR TIPS on this topic? If so, send them our way in an e-mail to lorri@trainingmag.com with the subject line ‘VSP,’ and we'll try to include your advice in an upcoming edition of the Training Top 125 Best Practices/Executive Exchange e-newsletter.