Elizabeth Arden looks good winning major award!

(April 28, 2009 Melbourne) The Australian arm of the leading worldwide cosmetics business, Elizabeth Arden, has won Gold for ‘Best Employee Induction Training Program’ in the 2009 LearnX Asia Pacific eLearning and Training Awards. This award focuses on an employee induction training program that has had a significant positive impact on workforce performance. Elizabeth Arden Australia (EAA) is a pioneer in training front-line staff in the health and beauty industry. The work undertaken in Australia is being used as a template for training in markets across Asia and Europe.
 
Arden Access is a web-based learning and development platform designed by e-learning specialist, Workstar for EAA.  It was created to generate, deliver, track, assess and manage the flow of important industry and company-based information and specialised staff training to its sales force across Australia which includes over 500 beauty consultants, trainers, sales staff, management and support staff. 
 
Elizabeth Arden recognises the value its staff contributes to the business and the impact of people performance on sustainable business growth. The Arden Access e-learning platform keeps staff at the heart of the business strategy.
 
The main features of Arden Access include:

• Intranet functionality including news content, targeted search ability, message postings from key staff and other general company information.
• A library of training modules aimed at maximising employees learning effectiveness across a wide range of required skills and knowledge.
• A staff induction and initial training program, ‘Welcome to Elizabeth Arden’, which supplements EAA’s first face-to-face training workshop and gives new employees the opportunity to complete important training before they start behind the counter.
• Video capability for presentations of new ranges, current EAA advertorials and role-play scenarios for sales and customer service training.
• A Marketing section providing learners with an events calendar, a comprehensive price list, product promotions and an outline of staff sales incentives. The section allows the marketing team to inform their front line staff directly, on time and with a consistent message.  

Arden Access’ testing functionality assesses employee understanding of learning modules through randomly generated questions that are linked specifically to the learning outcomes of the learning module. Database functionality provides individual employee log-ons and real time records and reports of each individual. This reporting capability allows managers to identify the strengths and weaknesses in their staff’s knowledge base and ensures consistent implementation of company ‘best practice.’ It also allows for better focus during face-to-face training where assessors can concentrate on identified knowledge gaps.

Key outcomes from the implementation of Arden Access:

• 100% staff have access to 24/7 learning and communication
• 100% of staff completed the induction module before starting on the counter
• 100% improvement in management visibility of staff knowledge and knowledge gaps
• 100% of users find the system easy to use
• 95% of staff find the learning content interesting and engaging
• 96%  find the information useful in delivering improved customer service.
• 27% reduction in face-to-face induction and customer service training costs per staff member

EEA have verified that the on-line training modules have saved the business the equivalent of 300 days of on-the-floor sales.
The continuing benefits of Arden Access meet and support Elizabeth Arden’s core business objectives of ensuring a profitable and sustainable organisation through:

• Improved sales
• Improved productivity
• Reduction in risk through greater control and visibility
• Increased compliance
• Attraction of better calibre candidates
• Improved pass rate of training
• Improvement in staff confidence through timely product training
• Improved staff retention and advocacy
• Maintain and improve status as an employer of choice
• Developing a strong Arden identity
• Improved inductions
• Improved internal communications
• Improved visibility of learning and development opportunities

For further information, please contact Gerard Manion on 0414 888 021