subject: Training & Development [print this page] Training & Development Training & Development
*Dr. Shanmukha Rao Padala ** Dr. N.V.S.Suryanarayana
Organisation and individual should develop and progress simultaneously for their survival and attainment of mutual goals. So, every modern management has to develop the organisation through human resources development. Employee training is the most important sub-system of human resources development. Training is a specialised function and is one of the fundamental operative functions for human resources management.
Meaning:
After an employee is selected, placed and introduced in an organisation he/she must be provided with training facilities in order to adjust him to the job. Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skill of an employee for doing a particular job. Training is a short-term educational process and utilising a systematic and organised procedure by which employees learn technical knowledge and skills for a definite purpose. Dale S Beach defines the training as ". the organised procedure by which people learn knowledge and/or skill for a definite purpose."
In other words training improves changes and moulds the employee's knowledge, skill, behaviour and aptitude and attitude towards the requirements of the job and the organisation. Training refers to the teaching and learning activities carried on for the primary purpose of helping members of an organisation to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes needed by a particular job and organisation.
Thus, training bridges the differences between job requirements and employee's present specifications.
Goal of Training:
Training has certain goal, where the main aim is to train the employees with the best of the knowledge available so that performance is achieved to the maximum and as well it leads to higher job satisfaction. The questions in this section are designed to help the owner-manager define the objective or goal to be achieved by a training program. Whether the objective is to conduct initial training, to provide for upgrading employees, or to retrain for changing job assignments, the goal should be spelled out before developing the plan for the training program.
Do you want to improve the performance of your employees?
Will you improve your employees by training them to perform their present tasks better?
Do you need to prepare employees for newly developed or modified jobs?
Is training needed to prepare employees for promotion?
Is the goal to reduce accidents and increase safety practices?
Should the goal be to improve employee attitudes especially about waste and spoilage practices?
Do you need to improve the handling of materials in order to break production bottlenecks?
Is the goal to orient new employees to their jobs?
Will you need to teach new employees about overall operations?
Do you need to train employees so they can help teach new workers in an expansion program?
Therefore you should review the advantages of each type in relation to your objective or goal.
Can you train on-the-job so that employees can produce while they learn?
Should you have classroom training conducted by a paid instructor?
Will a combination of scheduled on-the-job training and vocational classroom instruction work best for you?
Can your goal be achieved with a combination of on-the-job training and correspondence courses?
Method of Instruction:
One or more methods of instruction may be used. Some are better for one type of training than another. For example, lectures are good for imparting knowledge, and demonstrations are good for teaching skills.
Does the subject matter call for a lecture or series of lectures?
Should the instructor follow up with discussion sessions?
Does the subject matter lend itself to demonstrations?
Can operating problems be simulated in a classroom?
Can the instructor direct trainees while they perform the job?
Training content for different categories of employees:
Training methods and content may not be the same for different categories of employees. As such management has to train the employees of different categories in different areas and through different methods based on the job analysis. Training methods and content for a few jobs are discussed hereunder with a view to giving an idea to the reader.
Supervisory training:
Supervisors mostly learn to supervise under the guidance of a manager. Hence; the emphasis should be on the on-the-job training methods. These Methods can be supplemented by various off-the-job training methods. course content of training to this category include: production control, organisation methods, work/activity control, method study, time study, job evaluation, company policies and practices, personnel policies, procedures, programmes, training the subordinate, grievance handling, disciplinary procedure, communication, effective instruction, report writing, performance appraisal, personnel records, dealing with absenteeism, labour turn-over, industrial and labour laws, leadership qualities etc.
Sales training:
Emphasis should be towards on-the-job as well as off-the-job training methods in training the sales personnel. course content include job knowledge, organisational knowledge, knowledge about the company products, customers, competitors, sales administration procedures, law concerning sales, special skills like prospecting, making presentations, handling objections, closing the sales etc., employee attitudes such as loyalty to the company and trust in the company products, understanding and tolerance with regard to potential and existing customers.
Clerical training:
Emphasis may be given on the off-the-job training in training the clerical Personnel. The training content includes organisation and methods, company policies, procedures and programmes, background knowledge of the company, forms, reports, written communication, clerical aptitude, maintaining ledgers, records etc.
Learning and teaching:
The training programme will not be effective if the trainer is poorly qualified or ill-equipped with the technical aspects of the content or if he lacks aptitude for teaching and teaching skills. Training comprises of mainly learning and teaching. Training principles can be studied through the principles of learning and principles of teaching.
