Graduate development programme

RB realizes that well structured and significant employee T&D (training & development) programs correlate strongly with long term success.
The RB HR department recently organized a training session for its management trainees from Africa Middle East region in Dubai. It was a four day session and the training program was planned as following:

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• Time management session:
  We learnt about modern tools for managing time efficiently.
• Presentation skills training:
  We were taught how to improve our skills in structuring and preparing presentations that will meet our audience’s needs. Also we were taught how to improve our ability to deliver an effective presentation.
• Market research session:
  We were told about various formats and processes in RB for initiating or completing research. And we were exposed to most frequently used tools/methodologies in RB i.e. Qualitative focus groups, product test (formulation changes), BASES (new product development), Link testing (copy).
• Budget management session:
  Our finance capabilities were polished. This session enabled our ability to develop financially sound commercial/business propositions and implement plans which would maximise investments while managing funds effectively to meet or exceed targets.

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The best part of the training was the diversity of the group which opened new vistas to our thinking.
It was a truly multi cultural environment. People from 6 different countries gathered in Dubai for the training.

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The trainer, Michaela Murning, was Marketing Director – RB South Africa based in Johannesburg for 2.5 years and before that she was Global Category Marketing Manager based in Slough for 5 years.
She brought her 14 years of working experience with RB on the table which made every part of training relevant to us.
During the sessions we were given business cases to solve and I realized the value of diversity while solving cases. I realized that creativity increases when people with different ways of solving difficult problems work together towards a common solution.
This is a tremendous advantage of diversity. No doubt the training has imparted precious knowledge to all of us.

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Apart from the training we spent quality time with each other. Our colleagues in Dubai took us to dinner at Kaleidoscope (one of the great restaurants) in Palm Jumeirah. Like our group the food in restaurant was multi cultural, too. There was Chinese, Japanese, Lebanese, English, Pakistani, Italian and Thai food.

We enjoyed the food there and after that we had an informal gathering in which we talked about movies, fashion, cultures, hobbies and many more things. It was a great team building experience. International trainings not only polish our skills but expose us to diversity of views.

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It was a great initiative by RB HR and such training sessions should be conducted more often because in nearly every survey, training ranks in the top three benefits that employees want from their employers and they search for firms that will give them the tools to advance in their professions.
Fortune magazine noted that extensive and ongoing training and development is second only to stock options as a primary means of attracting and retaining talented workers.

It is clear that T&D is not merely a nice thing to provide – it is a strategic resource; one that firms must tap to energize their organizations in 21st century.

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Have I aroused your interest about the graduate programmes in our Africa Middle East region?
Programmes in the different countries have different timelines but most begin around June/July. Most of the graduates we take on are for programmes in sales and marketing, but there are also supply chain programmes in Pakistan and UAE.

Visit www.reckittbenckiser.jobs for regular updates on open positions. Good Luck!