A Study of HR Practices and Employee Learning at Ernst & Young

This essay examines human resource management (HRM) practices at Ernst & Young (EY), a leading global accounting firm, with a focus on employee development and career growth opportunities. It highlights EY's internal policies, such as lateral transfers, vertical promotions, internal training, and social welfare programs, which are designed to foster a learning environment and motivate employees. The essay also emphasizes the importance of informal learning at EY, facilitated through workforce diversity, access to a company library, cross-departmental mobility, student intern programs, 360-degree feedback, work shadowing, mentorship, and specialized programs like the Aspire Program and EY Vantage program. It underscores EY's belief in formalizing informal learning processes to differentiate employees and enhance their competitive edge, while acknowledging the necessity of combining formal and informal learning for comprehensive employee growth. The role of senior members in actively involving and guiding junior employees in projects and meetings is also discussed, emphasizing the lasting impact of informal learning experiences.

[Date]
Human resource management
Ernst & Young.

Introduction
Human resource management plays a pivotal role in the success of any organization. The career
growth of employees is bestowed upon the human resource management of the organization.
Ernst and Young is a global accounting audit firm that is also listed as one of the ‘Big four’
organizations of the world. As a firm, it provides various opportunities to its current and
potential employees for growth within and outside the firm.
Opportunities provided for HRD at EY
EY is a leading organization in the financial industry that provides advisory and consultation
services to customers regarding their investments. The human resource department of the
organization is crucial for the growth of its employees. Within the firm, EY has enlisted various
policies for the development of its employees. Lateral transfers are conducted for job
enlargement of employees and vertical promotions are offered so that exceptional employees can
take increased responsibilities.
It is also the responsibility of the HR to create an environment of learning within the business
(Armstrong & Taylor, 2014). Internal competition also helps in motivating employees for
improved performance. Social welfare programs are also held across different departments in
order to engage employees. Internal trainings are also conducted in the organization in order
enhance employee learning and deepen their knowledge as individuals. The HR department at
EY also takes responsibility of counselling their employees regarding their career options. These
employees are then presented with opportunities which are best suited for their growth within the
business.
Informal learning at EY
Informal learning at EY has been identified as an important tool for an employee’s growth as
well as motivation. Informal learning is a form of self-directed learning that is not formally
designed or implemented compulsorily in the business (Rooney & Boud, 2018). However,
organizations put consistent efforts in enabling their employees to learn through various informal
sources in their tenure.

EY Australia allows a diversified workforce where people from across the globe work under a
single roof. Diversity in workforce creates an opportunity for learning within the organization
and allows employees to enhance their understanding of different cultures and working styles.
EY library in Australia provides its employees with an access to a sundry variety of books. This
enhances opportunities for employee learning.
The work culture at EY allows free mobility of employees across departments. These lateral
shifts in the business provide an opportunity to employees so that they can gain a deeper insight
about how different departments of EY function. Besides full time employees of the
organization, student interns who are recruited are given the liberty to interact with anyone in the
business and work on any project that best suits their career goals. A 360 degree feedback
mechanism in also introduced at EY. This 360 degree feedback allows every employee of the
business to gain a transparent feedback from their seniors, peers as well as juniors (Mahajan,
2017).
New employees are given an opportunity for work shadowing wherein they quietly spend time
with people who is doing a particular job in order to learn the work. All the employees have

mentors who they can approach in case of any queries, issues or advice. Different programs have
also been launched like Aspire Program and EY Vantage program. These programs are aimed at
informally enhancing employee learning through activities, mentoring and on the job trainings
(EY, 2018).
The accelerated leadership program of EY allows exceptional employees to gain access to
various forms of formal and informal learning in order to enable them to take up key
responsibilities within the organization (EY, 2008).
Ernst and Young believes that one of the key roles of an HR executive in an organization is to
formalize the informal learning process within the firm (EY, 2013). Informal training is crucial
for learning of an employee as this form of learning helps in differentiating employees from each
other and allows employees to gain a competitive edge over others. This in turn enhances their
chances of growth within the firm as well as outside.
EY also ensures that appropriate training and guidance is provided to every employee as deemed
necessary by the employee. Senior members at EY ensure that they assist towards informal
learning of their juniors by actively involving them in projects, meetings and seeking their
opinions. This form of learning allows employees to gain a firsthand experience about the job

and also enhances their chances of growth (Garrick, 2012). Knowledge gained through informal
learning lasts longer and has a deeper impact on the employee (Baert, 2018). However, it is
important to note that informal learning alone cannot guide employees of an organization
towards their future. Rather, it is vital for formal as well as informal learning to go hand in hand
and enable the learning and growth of employees in the business.

References
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Baert, H., 2018. Informal learning at work: What do we know more and understand better?.
In Informal Learning at Work (pp. 153-187). Routledge. United Kingdom.
EY, 2008. ‘Ernst and Young HR leading practice’. Available at
https://www.sqc.org.sa/sqcdocs/Ernst&YoungLeadingHRpractices.pdf. Accessed on 10 April,
2018.
EY, 2013. ‘Role of HR in driving sustainable business practices’. Available at
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-role-of-hr-in-driving-sustainable-business-
practices/$FILE/EY-Role-of-HR-in-driving-sustainable-business-practices.pdf. Accessed on 10
April, 2018.
EY, 2018. ‘Learning and Development’. Available at https://fscareers.ey.com/students/learning-
and-development/. Accessed on 10 April, 2018.
Garrick, J., 2012. Informal learning in the workplace: Unmasking human resource development.
Routledge. United Kingdom.
Mahajan, R., 2017. Importance of Informal Learning over Formal Learning in 21st
Century. International Journal, 5(2), pp.152-154.
Rooney, D. and Boud, D., 2018. The potential and paradox of informal learning. In Informal
Learning at Work (pp. 150-168). Routledge.