1 If you were designing the overall training and development strategy for Hilton, in what areas would you seek to supplement e‑learning, and what approaches to training in these areas would you advocate? In 2001, Hilton International had ambitious plans to launch a major training initiative.

However, following the downturn in trade after 11 September, the budget was cut and the plans had to become more modest. The reaction of the HRM team was to develop a significant e‑learning resource, which is seen as highly successful and has grown significantly since its initiation. As of 2012 there were over 2,500 active participants in the e‑learning programme, with over 10,000 online courses completed on average each year. The e‑learning programme is credited with providing a liberating experience for employees, particularly those from under-

developed countries who have not had access to a vast array of education offerings (Hilton, 2013).

The group operates hotels in 70 countries and so running residential training for staff from the over 400 hotels at a central location is difficult, costly and inconvenient for a business that relies on having its staff at the ‘customer interface’ around the clock.

Initially, the e‑learning resource had 60 business courses and was not accessible at all venues, as some were in parts of the world where there was restricted internet access.

Although there was uptake of the courses, it was a little sporadic. The answer was to make the process more systematic. After a review, staff had to apply for a password to enter the

‘Development Zone’ and they were encouraged to take and complete particular courses that were related to their training needs, rather than browsing courses they thought they would like.