2. Human Resource Management. @. Prikshat Verma. LECTURE 7 - TRAINING.
We can define Training as any planned or structured activity or approach ...
Lecture Notes – Human Resource Management MBA- IInd Semester
Lecture 7 – Training
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Human Resource Management @ Prikshat Verma LECTURE 7 - TRAINING We can define Training as any planned or structured activity or approach designed to help an individual or a group of people to learn as to do things differently or to do different things leading to more effective performance and results. Its purpose in the work situation is to develop the abilities of the individual and to satisfy the current & future needs of the organization. Role of Training as Compared to experience: There are some who believe that training has unnecessarily been given under importance and that the experience on the job is good enough to develop necessary skills & efficiency to perform the job. It is true that training cannot entirely substitute experience but it has certain definite advantages: 1. Training unlike experience can shorten the time required to reach maximum efficiency. 2. Cost of training in much less than the cost of gaining experience if one is dealing with experience equipment. 3. The results of experience sometimes be accidental 4. The element of predictability is far less when compared to the outcome of a well conceived and well conducted training program. A model of training in its simplest form is presented in Figure 1:
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Assessment Phase Identifying Training Needs: Identifying training needs is a process that involves establishing areas where individuals lack skill, knowledge and ability in effectively performing the job it consists of 3 components.
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1. Organizational Analysis: - Comprehensive analysis of organizational structure, objectives, culture, processes of decision – making, future objectives and so on. Analysis begins with an understating of short term & long-term goals of the organization. Do we have adequate number of people to fulfill organizational objectives? Do their people possess required skill & knowledge? Do the employees are willing to learn? 2. Task analysis: Detailed analysis of various components of jobs and how they are performed. Task analysis would indicate whether tasks have changed over period of time & whether employees have adequate skill in performs their tasks. 3. Man Analysis: The focus is on individual, his skill, abilities, knowledge & attitude. Indicators for Judging Performance: Meeting Deadlines Quality of performance Work behavior Absenteeism Objectives of Training: The objective of Training is different according to the employees belonging to different levels of organization. 1. The basic objective of training however is to establish a match between man and his job. 2. The training is designed to improve knowledge, skills and attitude and thus equip the individual to be more effective in his present job or prepare him for future assignments. From the point of view of an organization individual growth is a means to organized effectiveness. In this context the objective of training can be summarized as follows: 1.Induction: - Training constitutes a significant entry into the company’s way of life. Organizations have to provide induction training to all employees entering the organization to let them know 1. What is company’s culture? 2. How does structure function? 3. What are policies & rules of organization? 4. What are designs of freedom or limits of behavior? 2.Updating: - A significant objectives of training is to prevent the Obsolescence of the employees by updating their skills & knowledge.
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3.Preparing for future Assignments. 4.Improvement in Performance Training will be an important aid to managers for developing themselves as well as their subordinates. It is not a substitute for development on the job, which comes from doing, experiencing, observing, giving and receiving feedback and coaching. Research has shown that 80% of a person’s development takes place on the job. However, training can contribute the vital 20% that makes the difference. Training can bring about an improvement in a person’s: Knowledge Skills Attitude There by raising his potential to perform better on the job. 5. Growth Training is also directed towards developing people for higher levels of responsibility thereby reducing the need for recruiting people from outside. This would have the effect of improving the morale of the existing employees. 6.Organizational Effectiveness In company training provides a means for bringing about organizational development. It can be used for strengthening values, building teams improving inter-group relations and quality of work life. The ultimate objective of training in the long run is to improve the company’s performance through people performing better. TRAINING PHASE Methods Of Training There are many different ways to train. Indeed, entire books have been written on the ways to deliver training. How can a manager charged with training his or her employees choose an appropriate method? This article defines some of the most common training methods and reviews pros and cons for each one. The method by which training is delivered often varies based on the needs of the company, the trainee, and on the task being performed. The method should suit the audience, the content, the business¡¦ environment, and the learning objective. Ideally, the method chosen will motivate employees to learn, help employees prepare themselves for learning, enable the trainees to apply and practice what they've been taught, help trainees retain and transfer what they have learned, and integrate performance with other skills and knowledge.
On-The-Job Training Methods This is the most common method of job training. The trainee is placed on the job and the manager or mentor shows the trainee how to do the job. To be successful, the training
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should be done according to a structured program that uses task lists, job breakdowns, and performance standards as a lesson plan. Common on the Job training methods include:Demonstration Demonstration is very effective for basic skills training. The trainer shows trainees how to do something. The trainer may provide an opportunity for trainees to perform the task being demonstrated. Panel A panel provides several points of view on a topic to seek alternatives to a situation. Panel members may have differing views but they must also have objective concerns for the purpose of the training. This is an excellent method for using outside resource people. Projects Projects require the trainees to do something on the job, which improves the business as well as helps them learn about the topic of training. It might involve participation on a team, the creation of a database, or the forming of a new process. The type of project will vary by business and the skill level of the trainee. Mentoring A mentor can tutor others in their learning. Mentors help employees solve problems both through training them in skills and through modeling effective attitudes and behaviors. This system is sometimes known as a buddy system. Off-The-Job Training Methods In basket Exercise Recently, the in-basket has become a focus of interest because of its usefulness in selection across a wide variety of jobs .A variety of techniques have been used to develop in-baskets. In a traditional in-basket exercise, candidates are given time to review the material and initiate in writing whatever actions they believe to be most appropriate in relation to each in-basket item. When time is called for the exercise, the inbasket materials and any notes, letters, memos, or other correspondence written by the candidate are collected for review by one or more assessors. Often the candidates are then interviewed to ensure that the assessor(s) understand actions taken by the candidate and the rationale for the actions. If an interview is not possible, it is also quite common to have the candidate complete a summary sheet (i.e., a questionnaire). Assessment centers Some companies run a series of extended selection procedures (assessment centers) each lasting one or two days, and sometimes longer. Usually these are after the first round of interviews and before making the final selection, but they can be used as an initial selection process. They are usually held either on company premises or in a nearby hotel, and are considered by many employers to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because they give a number of different selectors a chance to see you over a longer period of time than is possible with a single interview, and the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations.
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Assessment Centers typically include a number of elements. 1. Social/informal events, where you could meet a variety of people, including other candidates, the selectors, recent graduates and senior management. This is an excellent opportunity for you to find out more about the organization and to ask questions in a more informal setting. 2. Information sessions, which provide more details about the organization and the roles available. Listen carefully, as it is likely to be more up-to date than your previous research. If you are unclear about anything, ask. It is often good to have a question prepared for these sessions, but make sure it is a sensible question and not one that has already been covered. Asking inappropriate questions just to get noticed does not impress the selectors. 3. Tests and exercises designed to reveal your potential. Selectors at assessment centers measure you against a set of competencies, and each exercise is carefully designed to assess one or more of these areas. Do not worry if you think that you have performed badly at any stage; it is more than likely that you will have the chance to compensate later on. It is also worth remembering that you are being assessed against these competencies and not against the other candidates, so rather than trying to compete against them, make sure that you demonstrate the qualities the organization is looking for. Remember that assessment centers are extremely expensive to run and that you have already come a long way to be invited – you may have as much as a one in six chance of being selected. Vestibule Training Vestibule training creates a miniature of the department for which the training program is carried on. It utilizes machinery similar to that in operation on the production floor. Qualified instructors, usually highly skilled operators or supervisors, are provided to conduct the program in this special section. Here the new employees are given a course of training in the particular machines they will be required to use and on the exact work they will do when they become a part of the regular production force In the early 1800s, factory schools were created, due to the industrial revolution, in which workers were trained in classrooms within the factory walls. The apprentice system was inadequate due to the number of learners that had to be trained as the machines of the Industrial Revolution increased the ability of the factory to produce goods. The factory owners needed trained workers quickly because there was a large demand for the produced goods. Towards the end of the 1800s, a method that combined the benefits of the classroom with the benefits of on-the-job training, called vestibule training, became a popular form of training. The classroom was located as close as conditions allowed to the department for which the workers were being trained. It was furnished with the same machines as used in production. There were normally six to ten workers per trainer, who were skilled workers or supervisors from the company.
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There are many advantages of vestibule training. The workers are trained as if on the job, but it did not interfere with the more vital task of production. Transfer of skills and knowledge to the workplace was not required since the classroom was a model of the working environment. Classes were small so that the learners received immediate feedback and could ask questions more easily than in a large classroom. Lecture A lecture is the method learners often most commonly associate with college and secondary education. Yet, it is also considered one of the least effective methods to use for adult learners. In this method, one person (the trainer) does all of the talking. He or she may use handouts, visual aids, question/answer, or posters to support the lecture. Communication is primarily one-way: from the instructor to the learner. Movies/videos/computer-based training Content for the training experience comes primarily from a videotape or computer-based program. Simulations Trainees participate in a reality-based, interactive activity where they imitate actions required on the job. It is a useful technique for skills development. Self-discovery Trainees discover the competencies on their own using such techniques as guided exercises, books, and research. Role Playing During a role-play, the trainees assume roles and act out situations connected to the learning concepts. It is good for customer service and sales training. Case Studies A case study is a description of a real or imagined situation which contains information that trainees can use to analyze what has occurred and why. The trainees recommend solutions based on the content provided. Seminar Seminars often combine several group methods: lectures, discussions, conferences, and demonstrations. Conference The conference training method is a good problem-solving approach. A group considers a specific problem or issue and they work to reach agreement on statements or solutions. When choosing from among these methods, the trainer must decide which one best suits the trainees, the environment, and the investments available. Many trainers will choose to combine methods or vary them. Others will select a single method that works best for them and never vary. With so many options, a trainer is limited only by his or her creativity.
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EVALUATION PHASE Training Evaluation Once you've implemented a training program based on careful needs analysis, how can you be sure that your training translates into real performance improvements? Evaluation can be used to determine whether the training program achieves its objectives. Evaluation can also assess the value of training, identify improvement areas, and identify unnecessary training that can be eliminated. Need for Evaluation: Training and development staff are more becoming more and more accountable for the effectiveness of their programs. Evaluation can be used to determine whether the training achieves its objectives. Evaluation can also assess the value of the training, identify improvement areas, and identify unnecessary training that can be eliminated. Many training professionals agree that evaluation is important to successful training, but few conduct complete and thorough evaluations. Evaluation can seem anti-climatic to the excitement and creativity of creating a new course With more emphasis on return on investment, companies are asking what is the value of training. Too often, training departments have little or no idea how their training relates to the business objectives of the company. This could be due partially to trainers' lack of measurement and evaluation skills, which result in measurements that are not valid, reliable or even useful to the management of the company. Don Kirkpatrick's 4 Levels of Evaluation: One of the most widely used model for evaluating training programs is one that was proposed in 1959 by Donald L. Kirkpatrick. The model maintains that there are four levels to measure the quality or effectiveness of a training course. Moving down the column, the matrix presents these levels, in order, from simple and inexpensive to complex and costly. Don Kirkpatrick's 4 levels of evaluation is the basis of discussion on evaluation of the effectiveness of training programs. Level 1 measures the learner’s reaction to the training program. Level 2 measures learning that has occurred. Level 3 measures changes in behavior on the job as a result of the training program. Level 4 measures the results of the training program as it affects the company's bottom line.
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Each level has its advantages and disadvantages. It is important to plan the evaluation process, as the training is being planning. It is important to consider all levels at the outset, even though only one or two levels may be used ultimately.
The following is a description of Kirkpatrick's 4 levels of evaluating training:
