Does Whirlpool Have the Coolest Training Program Ever?
Usually, your first days on a new job are spent setting up your email account, getting all of your login information from IT and acquainting yourself with the break room, but if you were hired as a sales person at Whirlpool, your training experience could be totally different.
Whirlpool has a program for new recruits called The Real Whirled, for real. For 10 weeks, new hires who enter into the program stay in a Michigan condo — yes, much like The Real World. Except this pad is decked out with Whirlpool appliances throughout.
Every day, recruits take on a different training exercises meant to acquaint them with every facet of the company — from the factory floor to a board room with CEOs. One of the harder tasks comes after the work days is over and they have to entertain by hosting dinner parties with the Whirlpool appliances for the Whirlpool execs. And we’re not just talking dinner. We’re talking all of the hosting duties — taking coats, small talk, setting the table — all of it.
Their homework? Staining clothes and washing them in each of the four washers. For 10 work weeks, these people’s lives revolve around appliances so they know all there is to know about the products they’re selling. It’s actually kind of genius if you’re the type to get really jazzed about appliances.
By tracking their duties from the boardroom to the living room, new hires hone their skills, understanding more than just the business side of things. 80% of the people who come out of The Real Whirled have stuck around at the company, so maybe there is something to the reality-TV approach.
Know of any unconventional job training programs out there? Tell us about them in the comments below!
(h/t Fast Company)