Case Study : How TalentQuest Revamped L&D for Mercedes-Benz Group AG

A Class Apart:
How TalentQuest Revamped L&D for Mercedes-Benz Group AG

Designing the best-in-class employee training program for the world’s beloved automotive luxury brand

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Mercedes–Benz
Where supreme performance meets understated elegance

From pioneering the world’s first automobile in 1886 to emerging as an icon of quiet luxury, Mercedes-Benz has come full circle in its quest for dominating universal motorization – the hidden meaning behind the three-pointed star of its widely recognizable logo.

More than a century later, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, formerly known as Daimler AG, remains one of the most successful automotive companies in the world and a leading supplier of premium luxury cars and vans. The company offers a multitude of services for its global customers, including financing, leasing, car subscription and rental, fleet management, insurance brokerage, innovative mobility solutions, and digital services for charges and payments.

A core value at Mercedes-Benz Group AG is an unwavering, enthusiastic commitment to providing the highest possible quality of service and, in turn, striving for constant improvement to maintain these exacting standards. Irrespective of the part of the world they are working in or the product in question, employees are expected to provide exceptional customer service that meets or surpasses the expectations of the brand’s elite clientele. The training program in place at the company, however, failed to deliver the necessary skills that would prepare the employees to take on the heavy mantle of being the face of the renowned brand:

Employee disconnect

Despite having several applications and processes in place to familiarize employees with the know-how of their routine customer-facing responsibilities, the newer recruits were either unaware or inadequately trained in these areas, providing scope for less-than-desirable standards of customer service.

The ultimate kill switch – uninspiring content

Even global icons like Mercedes-Benz have a weak spot – an inadequately designed learning and development program, which forms the backbone of superior customer service. The instructor-led content did not reflect the brand’s premier status, nor was it calibrated to cater to the Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s extensive network of employees worldwide.

Marcedes-benz using TalentQuest for Talent Management and Development

TalentQuest takes a Digital-First Approach

For any brand with the added responsibility of protecting and nurturing its heritage, the transition to digital technology is not just necessary; it provides an opportunity to reinvent itself to stay relevant to the times.

In our analysis of the shortcomings in Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s erstwhile training programs, we realized that a technically complex industry like the automotive sector needed a learning and development approach that enhanced a learner’s cognitive abilities. This is why experts at TalentQuest curated a training program built with a digital-first model that incorporated elements of Bloom’s theory and Merrill’s principles. While the former adopts a phased development of the learning experience by honing an ascending order of cognitive skills, Merrill’s instructional design models are focused on evolving a learner’s problem-solving abilities.

Making training accessible to a global audience

To address the employee disconnect with the training program, we streamlined the course materials into modules accessible by employees from anywhere, on multiple devices, any number of times. This also helped save money and time in training a global workforce.

Imparting individualized professional development programs

The digital nature of the training material allowed Mercedes-Benz Group AG the freedom to foster professionalism among employees through soft skills training oriented toward custom-built roles and allowed real-time feedback to correct shortcomings.

Igniting interest with multiple training modes

Considering the unenthusiastic response of the trainees to the older, instructor-based approach, TalentQuest evolved several training
modes, such as web-based training, simulation training, and video training to engage learners. The simulation model employed application-based training in both practices and teach screens to provide a real-world environment for trainees to try and meet learning objectives associated with specific modules.

Through other features, such as an articulate-based solution, interactive and intuitive user interface and professional voice-overs in English and German, Mercedes-Benz Group AG was able to retain the sleek sophistication in customer service that one would come to expect from this iconic brand. Download the full case study here.

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