Incremental changes can determine sizable progress. This key phrase summarizes Dell’s milestones in a nutshell — from a dorm room to a multinational company. At first, the mantra “Technology that enables human progress” might seem like it centers on automation and machinery as progress-drivers. But it revolves around people, those who develop technology solutions, and those who use them. The incremental changes in any domain start with people, as they are the enablers of transformation and the driving force behind improvement.
Dell Technologies believes development programs are critical to its growth strategy, which is why the company invests in graduate programs around the world that are destined to maximize the potential of young people with a passion for technology. The success of the programs has exceeded all expectations, with the EMEA region surpassing the global target of 25 percent for hiring.
The Foundation of the EMEA Sales Graduate Program: All About Training
The EMEA Sales Graduate Program kicked off in 2016 and since then has hired and trained 238 grads from 21 different countries.
In the midst of workforce transformation, Dell Technologies’ graduate training is specifically tailored to reflect these changes. As a result, grads become fully knowledgeable about the Dell Technologies portfolio, as well as the company’s culture code within the first few months. It’s not just about amassing as much information about laptops and servers as possible, it is also about honing a proactive attitude, building rapport, establishing the right customer etiquette, improving presentation skills and acquiring all the other global skills that are necessary to any work environment. Ty Chan, one of the Cherrywood, Ireland-based sales graduates, even likened his initial experience at Dell Technologies to college life: “A lot of learning and asking questions but I am delighted that I have so much support from my team which allows me to grow!”
In an effort to foster a collaborative environment, the EMEA Sales Graduate program holds two face-to-face events per year where graduates from all across the region meet up and learn from each other. Graduates are divided into groups and assigned projects per team based on their interests and strengths. Many of these projects go past the conceptual stage and are materialized within the company, one such example being the EMEA Online Platform Communication Special Project. The team in charge of this special project aimed to streamline the internal communication process and proposed a new internal communication platform to be adopted by Dell Technologies employees everywhere.
Future Expectations at Dell
The company’s 2020 achievement of hiring 25 percent of all external hires as graduates ensures that the company moves forward with the best, well-grounded talent on board. By identifying the most promising candidates and equipping them with the right tools to succeed, the program aims to kickstart novel careers in the IT industry and to support each individual development story.
The company also vouches to balance out the gender ratio at Dell, not only within the Graduate Program but outside of it as well. Maintaining a gender ratio of 50 percent is an aspect that is controlled and considered at point of hire. Empowerment is more than just a buzzword to attract and recruit. Empowerment can be found in the goals of the company, in the steps taken to give leadership a female voice, and in the opportunities that Dell creates for its employees. Soufiane El Hachimi, a sales graduate from Casablanca, Morocco shares how the cumulative importance that Dell Technologies places on its employees shaped his perspective on the overall grad experience: “The fact that Dell Technologies invests in us with onboarding sessions, trainings, and F2F events was impressive and motivated me to do my best, to be more productive and useful as fast as I could.”
The Outcome: Diversity, Drive, and Dedication
In a technology-driven world, people are still at the centre of everything. Therefore, the heart of this program is the human interaction through which ideas are shared and connections are made. Dell Technologies has built a collaborative work environment where diversity is celebrated, drive is rewarded and dedication is recognized. “I have never experienced such a warm and welcoming culture that made me soon realize that this work is my ‘happy place,’” exclaimed Pavla Fejfarkova, a Prague, Czech Republic-based graduate who summarized her experience within the company so far.
Facilitating interaction between tech-aficionados and allowing them to exchange ideas is what made these meet-ups a success. We have discovered through them that interconnectivity is key, especially between generations. With the help of more experienced employees, Dell graduates not only become adept at their jobs in a short span of time, but they also receive incentive to succeed. As Madalina Ormenisan, sales graduate from the Glasgow, Scotland office states, “it is a real fortune to have had the chance to meet various great leaders who are contributing to making Dell Technologies such a successful company.” The transfer of knowledge goes both ways, as through the Graduate Program, we have also developed a Reverse Mentoring program in which young grads help other Dell employees learn the tricks of the social media trade.
Through the EMEA Sales Graduate program, Dell Technologies continues opening up new avenues and paving the way for digitalization.
To learn more about the program, visit our homepage here.
