New Leadership Development Initiative Launches for Affordable Dental Plan Company 1Dental.com

New Leadership Development Initiative Launches for Affordable Dental Plan Company 1Dental.com

Dental Discount Company Invests in Hands-on Training Program to Further Develop Young, Talented Employees

(PRWEB) May 24, 2010 — 1Dental.com (http://www.1dental.com/), provider of the nation's most affordable dental plan, is launching an intensive summer Leadership Development Initiative this week for its Norman, Oklahoma, student employees.

The company says that the initiative is in line with its goal of developing wise, disciplined leaders to handle both business responsibilities and general life skills.

The participants–economics, business, and communication students–will gain full-time job experience working as telephone sales representatives alongside veteran employees on a competitive sales team offering affordable dental plans (http://www.1dental.com/fact-sheets/discount-dental-plans) at the company's headquarters.

Key facets of the program include on-the-job mentoring, guided Personal Development Planning and coaching in goal-setting. The company has also connected the student employees to the local Toastmaster's public speaking club and to a community service organization through which they will complete various leadership projects. Their full-time work week will also be supplemented by training resources, including books, audio tutorials and video presentations.

John Mark Anderson, former student intern recently promoted to Branch Manager, oversees the Norman 1Dental.com (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3462934.htm) extension that opened in January. CEO Randall Meinen and Anderson established the branch near the University of Oklahoma campus to draw from a pool of competent student workers, creating part-time job opportunities for them to connect callers to an affordable dental plan (http://www.1dental.com/articles/dental-plan/1dental-affordable-dental-plan).

1Dental.com is capitalizing on an opportune time in these students' lives for leadership development. The students' mobile stage of life has allowed them to easily relocate to company headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, this summer for additional training, free from extensive family commitments, long leases or schoolwork.

The company has arranged residency for the students during the program. They will be learning money management and independence by paying rent, bills, and other expenses. According to Meinen, transitioning independent students into the work force is vital in a time when 52% of college graduates move back in with their parents at the beginning of professional life, as stated in Monster's 2010 Annual Entry-Level Job Outlook.

Meinen has several goals for the program. "We want these young people to experience a healthy dose of the reality of work life; we will work them hard and have high expectations of them," Meinen says. "We are confident that the positive, long-term effects of our Leadership Development Initiative will benefit not only the participants, but also the company as a whole. This training strategy demonstrates our corporate philosophy of investing in people as one of our highest priorities," he says.

1Dental.com takes a comprehensive approach to leadership while providing its promising employees with as many resources as possible to succeed in selling the affordable dental plan (http://www.squidoo.com/most-affordable-dental). "At 1Dental.com, we think that the ideal employee is someone that is balanced and developed as a whole person," Meinen says, "These young people are both talented and teachable, and we appreciate the opportunity to invest in their future while growing our company."

Program participant Brian Hamilton is excited to learn at the summer Leadership Development Initiative. "I appreciate the investment 1Dental.com has made in me and the opportunity to pick up some key business skills this summer. I expect to be challenged by the veteran employees' attitude and hard work, and also to have a great time," Hamilton says.

About 1Dental.com

1Dental.com connects thousands of patients every month to an affordable dental plan starting at $6.95/month with immediate savings of up to 60%. The primary company it represents has over 7 million members and 65,000 in-network dentists. Its affordable dental plan is helpful for both dentists seeking new patients and patients seeking dental coverage in today’s economy. To find out more, visit http://www.1dental.com/.