Official

A large South based fast moving consumer goods company (FMCG) wanted its employees to have highly specialized, focused sales training- so that the firm could achieve faster sales growth, utilizing such skills. To this end it had hired the services of a premiere sales training agency and asked 9 of its executives (mostly engineers and commerce graduates) to undergo a training for a period of 15 months. The company supported the programme by meeting all expenses charged by the agency in addition to a special allowance for buying books, study materials stationeries etc. The training was offered in the company’s own premises in Chennai. The executives were allowed to focus on the programme in the after- noon hours in addition to two off on week-ends. the whole exercise was meant to up date their skills to “sales” as quickly as possible. The programme went on smoothly and concluded only recently. The results were beginning to manifest themselves in more than one way. As per the recommendations of the training agency and the newly executives, the company is about to launch new brands in the market.

Rahul a bright and aspiring young engineering graduate full of energy and ideas-for whom management had high hopes- resigned in August 99, exactly after 4 months of the sales training programme. Rahul found that the intraorganisation training, the invaluable 6yr work experience and the newly acquired sales training certificate presented a fairly lucrative portfolio of credentials, which he took to a large multinational firm. The offer from the MNC seamed irresistible and Rahul had no hesitation in quitting the company that had spend nearly fifty thousand rupees on his sales training just four months back. Rahul, on his part ,had expressed his desire to stay, but he was told by the management that there were no anticipated openings at the middle management level and he might to wait for his turn patiently.

Rahul’s manager Vikram is caught in a dilemma now. Loss of Rahul meant a ten-month set-back for the project Rahul was working on.He also felt that the extensive sales training Rahul had received at the company’s expense was little utilized compared to what Rahul would have contributed had he remained in the company. Another pressing problem stared Vikram on the face –many others may be waiting in the queue.Rahul had shown the other trainees that if the firm would not recognize and reward his capabilities, other employment could be easily found.

As Rahul’s manager, what would you do to retain him at the same time save the company’s resources and reputation?