Course Overview
Managerial Development Program : This highly experiential and powerful learning workshop is all about “Hiring Talents to Stay” which requires superb interviewing, influencing, persuading & motivating skills; specially designed for HR professionals and/or hiring managers.
The Mercedes car salesmen in the 1970s used to sit in their luxury show rooms waiting for potential buyers to turn up and would at times turn away “could-be” customers whose attire couldn’t even pay for a Mercedes tyre. Nowadays, because of high-tech, advance electronics, robotics and ample choices of what luxury, comfort, safety and value-for-money means, those same car salesmen “waiting for potentials” no longer exist.
Perhaps now is a critical time to increase the quality of our interviewers, especially since there are so many new and big MNCs in Penang where the market is growing more and more competitive, who require many more specialized skills in selling (like the ‘modern-day’ Mercedes car salesmen) such as in interviewing, influence/persuasion & motivation skills; so that the HR professionals and/or hiring managers of today could attract, identify, develop and retain high potential (HiPos) candidates.
The Managerial Development Program workshop incorporates powerful tools and ideas used in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that makes a real difference to increase the success rate of your interviews by applying both left and right brain tools to enhance and develop your selling and people influencing skills to the next level to engage HiPos candidates to buy your ideas to join and stay in your company.
Course Objectives
By the end of this Managerial Development Program, participants will be able to:
- Articulate an authentic EVP and deliver a compelling candidate pitch
- Apply ethical persuasion techniques and handle offer-stage objections
- Conduct structured, competency-based interviews with scoring rubrics
- Design a 30/60/90-day onboarding plan that reduces early turnover
- Diagnose individual motivators and tailor recognition and development
- Hold stay conversations, give effective feedback, and build IDPs using GROW
Methodology
The Managerial Development Program uses a blended approach — short lectures, live demos, role-plays, group exercises, live interviews, facilitator and peer-to-peer feedback.
Who Should Attend
The Managerial Development Program is suitable for HR professionals and hiring managers.
Course Content
Day 1 — Attract, Interview & Persuade
Opening & Framing
- Program objectives and the “Hire-to-Stay” mindset: every stage of the candidate journey is retention
- The cost of a bad hire and an early leaver — local market data
- Self-assessment: “Where does your hiring process leak talent?”
- Output: Personal learning goals for the two days
Module 1: Employer Branding — Selling the Company Authentically
- What employer branding is (and isn’t): EVP, culture, reputation
- The candidate’s perspective: what top talent actually evaluates
- Crafting your 30-second “Why join us?” pitch — beyond salary
- Authenticity vs. overselling: the retention consequences of broken promises
- Exercise: Build your personal EVP pitch using a provided template; pair-share and feedback
Module 2: Persuasive Communication — Convincing Candidates to Join
- Principles of influence (Cialdini) applied to recruitment: reciprocity, social proof, scarcity, consistency, authority, liking
- Backtracking to Elicit Candidates Motivation Maps
- Tailoring the message to candidate motivation maps (career growth, stability, purpose, flexibility)
- Pacing & Leading in Handling common objections: “I have another offer,” “The salary is lower,” “I’ve heard mixed things”
- Role-play: Objection-handling in offer conversations (rotating triads: candidate / recruiter / observer)
Module 3: Structured Interviewing — Skills & Techniques
- Reviewing Eye Cues to build rapport and understanding ‘truth’ maps
- Designing competency-based questions (STAR format)
- Probing and active listening: getting past rehearsed answers
- Applying AI to structured questioning & leading techniques
- Note-taking and scoring rubrics template
- Exercise: Convert 3 job requirements into behavioral interview questions; peer review
Module 4: Interview Practice Lab
- Live interview simulations in triads (interviewer / candidate / observer with scoring rubric)
- Focus: rapport building, questioning, probing, and reading candidate signals
- Video-recorded practice with structured peer and facilitator feedback
- Debrief: common pitfalls and quick fixes
Day 1 Wrap-Up
- Key takeaways roundtable
- Reflection journal: “One persuasion habit I’ll change tomorrow”
- Preview of Day 2
Day 2 — Onboard, Motivate & Retain
Recap & Warm-Up
- Day 1 highlights; Q&A
- Icebreaker: “Best onboarding experience you’ve ever had — what made it work?“
Module 5: The First 90 Days — Onboarding That Engages & Retains
- Why early turnover happens: the expectation gap
- Designing a structured 30/60/90-day onboarding plan (pre-boarding, week one, month one, quarter one)
- The hiring manager’s role vs. HR’s role in onboarding
- Buddy systems, check-ins, and early feedback loops
- Workshop: Draft a 30/60/90 onboarding template for a real or sample role
Module 6: Motivation — What Actually Drives People
- Motivation theories made practical: Tony Robbins’ 6 Human Core Needs
- Diagnosing individual motivators: questions that reveal what matters to each employee based on the 6 Core Needs
- Connecting day-to-day work to purpose and career path
- Brainstorm: Action Plans for each diagnosed motivator
- Exercise: Motivation mapping — build a “motivation profile” for a sample team member and design 3 tailored actions
Module 7: Communication & Feedback for Retention
- Stay conversations: proactive check-ins vs. exit interviews
- Giving developmental feedback (SBI model: Situation–Behavior–Impact)
- Handling difficult conversations: disengagement, missed expectations, conflict
- Psychological safety and empathic listening skills
- Role-play: A “stay interview” and a feedback conversation (pairs, with observer checklist)
Module 8: Developing & Training to Keep People
- The 70-20-10 model in practice: stretch assignments, mentoring, formal training
- Building individual development plans (IDPs) that managers actually use
- Coaching basics: the GROW model for quick development conversations
- Linking development to internal mobility and retention
- Mini-workshop: Draft an IDP for a sample employee using the GROW framework
Capstone: Integrated Case Simulation
- Teams receive a realistic scenario: a strong candidate is hesitating on the offer, and a current high performer is showing disengagement signals
- Teams apply tools from both days: persuasion pitch, onboarding plan, motivation actions, stay conversation
- Present 5-minute action plans; facilitator and peer feedback
Closing & Action Planning
- Personal 30-day action plan: 3 commitments with success measures
- Evaluation form and certificates
