Chapter Employee Training & Development

In this chapter we shall discuss about the following issues

Socialization, Orientating, Training and Developing Employees

When we talk about socializing, orienting and developing employees, we refer to a process of helping new
employees adapt to their new organizations and work responsibilities.

What is socialization?
When we talk about socialization, we are talking about a process of adaptation. In the context of organizations, the
term socialization refers to all passages employee undergo. For instance, when you begin a new job, accept a lateral
transfer, or promoted, you must make adjustments. You adapt to a new environment – different work activities, a
new boss, a different and most likely diverse group of coworkers, and probably, a different set of standards for what
constitutes successful performance.
Socialization is a process of adaptation that takes place as individuals attempt to learn the values and norms of work
roles.

Orientation and Training employees

Carefully selecting employees doesn’t guarantee they’ll perform effectively. Even high-potential employees can’t do
their jobs if they don’t know what to do or how to do it. Making sure your employees do know what to do and how
to do it is the purpose of orientation and training.

Employee Orientation
New employee orientation covers the activities involved in introducing a new employee to the organization and to
the individuals in his or her work unit. Who is responsible for orienting the new employee? This can be done by
either the new employee’s supervisor, the people in HRM (HR Department) or some combination of departments. In
many medium sized and most large organization, HR Department takes charge of explaining such matters as overall
organizational policies and employee benefits. In today’s dynamic organizations, new employees must understand
the organization’ culture

What is organizational culture?

It is the system of sharing meaning within the organization that determines how employees act.

The purposes of employee orientation.

Employee orientation still provides new employees with the information they need to function ideally. It should
also help new employees start getting emotionally attached to the organization.

Organization wants to accomplish four things by orienting new employees:

1. Make the new employee feel welcome and at home and part of the team.
2. Make sure the new employee has the basic information to function effectively.
3. Help the new employee understand the organization in a broad sense.
4. Start the person on the process of becoming socialized into the firm’s culture, values and ways of doing things.

The Orientation Process

The length of the orientation program depends on what you cover. Traditional orientation program take several
hours. The human resource specialist usually perform the first part of the orientation by explaining basic matters like
working hours, benefits, and vacations. That person then introduces the new employee to his or her new supervisor.
The supervisor continues the orientation by explaining the organization of the department and by introducing the
person to his or her new colleagues, familiarizing the new employee with the workplace, and helping to reduce first-
day jitters. Supervisors need to be vigilant. Follow up on and encourage new employees to engage in activities that
will enable each to “learn the ropes” and become productive In organizations like Toyota Motor USA orientation
 take up top a week. These may include videos, lectures by company officers, and exercises covering matters like
company history, vision and values.

In new employee development Orientation Program the supervisor or department are introducing the following
issues:

Topic Include in Orientation Program:

1. Human Resource Information:

i. Departmental Attendance Procedures, Work Time and attendance policy, Leave policy etc.
ii. Job Description review
iii. Annual Performance Evaluation and Peer Feedback Process
iv. Probationary Period information
v. Dress Code Requirements
2. Department Information:
i. Organizational Structure – Department Core Values Orientation
ii. Department/Unit Specific Policies and Procedures
iii. Customer service policies
iv. Tour and Office Plan
v. Equipment and Technological information.
3. Safety Information:
i. Departmental Safety Plan
ii. Employee safety/Injury Reporting Procedure
iii. Hazard Communication
4. Facilities Information:
i. Emergency Power
ii. Mechanical Systems
iii. Water
iv. Medical facilities etc.

Steps in Employee Orientations

1. Reception& Acceptance
2. Executive’s personal interest
3. Introducing with colleagues
4. Introducing with superiors
5. Introducing with service & regulations
6. Understanding the facilities
7. Introducing duties and responsibilities
8. Follow up and correction.

Employee Training
Directly after orientation, training should begin.

Training means giving new or current employees the skills they need to perform their jobs.

Employers today want to make sure that their training programs are supporting their to achieve organizations
strategic goals. As one trainer said, “We sit down with the management and help them identify strategic goals and
objectives and the skills and knowledge needed to achieve them.”

Training is a learning experience that seeks a relatively permanent change in individuals that will improve their
ability to perform on the job.
Importance of Training
Employee training has become increasingly important as jobs have become more spphisticated and influenced by
technological and corporate changes.

The importance of training can be elaborated as under:

1. Economy in operations: Trained workers make better and economic use of resources. Wastages are
minimized. This helps in reducing per unit cost of production.
2. Minimization of supervision: The trained worker knows his job well. His work, therefore, requires less
supervision. The supervisor can devote his time for more urgent work.
3. Better performance: Training improves quality of work. It also helps in increasing the productivity. So
there is an increase in quality and quantity of output.
4. Increase in morale: One of the objectives of training is to change the attitude and outlook of the workers.
A trained worker’s morale increases because of the support and encouragement he gets from his superior at
the workplace. His opinion is respected. This makes workers more loyal to the organization.
5. Uniformity in performance: Training provided to workers enables uniformity in works and
standardization of methods in performing the jobs.
6. Effective control: Supervisors can easily delegate their power to the trained
personnels/employees/subordinates for the better managerial control.
7. To cope with change: When ever any fundamental change takes place in the job, the employee should be
given adequate training about the changes. Changes may occur in the methods of activity, in the technology
used in the performance of the activities, in the system of operation etc.
8. To acquire basic skills: Training to new employees is important for the reason that they need to acquire
basic skill related to the particular job in which he is employed. Skill development enables a person to
perform the job effectively. Training enhances the knowledge about skill and that skill provides the
employee with the basic grounding.

The Four Step Training Process

Training program consists of four steps:

1. Training Needs Analysis: Here organization identifies the specific knowledge and skills the job requires,
and compares these with the respective trainees’ knowledge and skills. More clearly in this step you will
identify whether the training is necessary or not since the money and time is involved in the training
program.
2. Instructional system design. In this step the organization or the training department formulate specific,
measurable knowledge and performance training objectives, review possible training program content
(including workbooks, exercises and activities) and estimate a budget for the training program.
3. Implement training program: here implement the training to the targeted employee group using methods
such as on-the-job and off-the – job training program.
4. Evaluation step. Finally in this step you assess the program’s success or failures.

Training Effects to Measure/ How to measure effective training program?

Usually organization measure four basic categories of training outcomes:

1. Reaction: Evaluate trainees’ reaction to the program. Did they like the program? Did they think it
worthwhile?
2. Learning: Test the trainees to determine whether they learned the principles, skills and facts they were
supposed to learn.
3. Behavior: Ask whether the trainees’ on-the-job behavior changed because of the training program. For
example, the employees in the store’s complaint department more courteous toward disgruntled customers?
4. Results: Probably most important, ask “What results did we achieve, in terms of the training objectives
previously set?” For example, did the number of customer complaints diminish? Reactions, learning, and
 behavior are important. But if the training program doesn’t produce measureable results, then it probably
hasn’t achieved its goals.

Discuss how you would motivate trainees?

To motivate the learner/Trainee following guideline need to follow:

1. Make the Learning Meaningful: Learners are always more motivated to learn something that has
meaning for them. Therefore:

i. At the start of training, provide a bird’s eye view of the material that you are going to present. For
example, show why it is important, and provide an overview.

ii. Use variety of familiar examples.

iii. Organize the information so you can present it logically and in meaningful units.

iv. Use as many visual aids as possible.

v. Again, create a perceived training need in trainees’ minds.

2. Make Skills transfer easy: Make it easy to transfer new skills and behaviors from the training site to the
job site. Therefore:

i. Maximize the similarity between the training situation and to the work situation.

ii. Provide adequate practice.

iii. Direct the trainees’ attention to important aspects of the job.

iv. Trainees learn best at their own pace. If possible, let them pace themselves.

Training Vs Education

Training differs from education.

Training Education
1. Training is concerned with increase in 1. Education is concerned with enhancing general
knowledge, skill and abilities of the employees in knowledge and motivating one to understand the
doing a particular job. total environment.
2. It has a narrow aim limited to increase in 2. Education, on the other hand, broadens the
knowledge and skill related to a job. mental faculties and horizon of general knowledge.
3. Training is vocation oriented and is given at the 3. It is imparted in schools, colleges and
factory or at the work place. universities.

The difference between training and education is minimized when in certain cases both are imparted at the same
time.

Orientation Vs Training

The difference between orientation and training are given below:

 Orientation Training
1. Orientation is a procedure for providing new 1. Training is the process of teaching new
employees with basic background information about employees the basic skills they need to perform
the firm. their jobs.
2. Orientation function can be performed by HRM, 2. Normally different training institutes provide
line manager or a combination of two. training but many companies have its own training
department.
3. The purpose of orientation is to give a brief idea 3. The purpose of training are to develop current or
about the organization, so that the new employees future employees for future jobs with the
do not feel uneasy in the new environment. organization or to solve an organizational problem
concerning, for instance, poor interdepartmental
communication.
4. Its main benefit is that the employees can easily 4. Its main purpose is to make the employees most
adjust with new environment. qualified and fittest.

Difference between Training and Development

Development is a long-term educational process utilizing an organized and systematic procedure by which
managerial personnel learn conceptual and theoretical knowledge for general purpose. It covers not only those
activities which improve job performance but also those activities which improve the personality of an employee.

According to A. A. Khan, “Development focuses on future jobs in the organization.”

Training means giving new or current employees the skills they need to perform their jobs. Training is present day
oriented.

Although training is often used with development, the terms are not synonymous. Training is a means to
development.
Points Training Development
1. Definition Training is the process of teaching Management development refers to
new employees the basic skills teaching managers and professionals to
they need to perform their jobs increase knowledge, skills, attitude,
needed for future jobs.
2. Present/Future Training is present day oriented. Development is future day oriented.
3. Participant Training programs are arranged for Development programs are arranged for
employees. executives.
4. Level It is the lower level learning It is the higher level learning program.
program.
5. Area Training is imbibed for enhancing Development is imbibed for enhancing
much more skills and knowledge to specific skills and knowledge to the
the employees. executives.
6. Change Skill level is changed through Behavior level is changed through
Training. Development.
7. Focused Training is a narrower concept Development is a broader concept
focused on job related skills focused on personality development.
8. Aimed Training is aimed at improving job Development aims at overall personal
related efficiency and performance. effectiveness including job efficiencies.
9. Instruction Training refers only to instruction Development refers to philosophical
in technical and mechanical and theoretical educational concept.
operations.
10. Period Training courses are typically Development involves a broader
designed for a short-term period. education for long term purposes.
Despite differences, both are concerned with the development of human potential or talent. They are complementary
parts of the same process and it is difficult to imagine any training which does not have some training effect.

Methods of Training

Training method refers to a way or technique for improving knowledge and skills of an employee for doing assigned
jobs perfectively.

There are different types Training method. Organization has to consider nature of the job, size of the organization
& workers, types of workers and cost for selecting Training method. There are broadly two types of Training
method: On-The – Job and Off – The – Job training methods.

A. On the Job Training:

T h e s e m e t h o d s a r e g e n e r a l l y a p p l i e d o n t h e w o r k p l a c e w h i l e employees are actually working.

This form helps particularly to develop the occupational skills necessary to manage an organization, to fully
understand the organization’s products and services and how they are developed and carried out. The most familiar
on-the-job training is the Coaching or understudy method, Job Rotation and Special Assignments.

1.Coaching or Understudy method: Here, an experienced worker or the trainee’s supervisor traind the emp[loyees.

2.Job Rotation: Job rotation is the systematic movement of employees from job to job or project to project within
an organization, as a way to achieve many different human resources objectives. Such as purchase division to sales
or marketing division, Accountant to cashier. The objective is to give a comprehensive awareness about the jobs
of different departments.

Training Method

A. On the Job Training

1.Job Rotation, 2.Job Coaching 3..Job B. Off the Job Training
Instruction 4. Apprenticeships 5.
Internships 6. Assistantships 7.
Vestibule Training

1. Simulation Method 2. Information Method

i. Case Studies ii. Role Plays i. Induction ii. Classroom Lectures
iii. Incident iii. Gorup Discussion iv. Team teaching v. Audio-Visual
iv. Demonstration vi. Sensitivity training vii. Study tour viii. Computer &
CD Rom ix. University's Course x. Seminar, Workshop
v. Management Game & confercnce etc.

Figure: Methods of Training

A d v a n t a g e – employee gets to know how his own and other departments also function. Interdepartmental
coordination can be improved, instills team spirit. Excellent job rotation program can decrease the training cost.
Disadvantage – It may become too much for an employee to learn. It is not focused on employees own job
responsibilities. Employee’s basic talents may remain under utilized. Job rotation increase amount of
management time to spent on lower level employees.

3. Job Instruction: In this method a supervisor explains the knowledge, skills and the method of doing the job to
the trainee. The supervisor then asks the trainee to do the job himself. The supervisor provides the feedback. This is
an effective method of training for the operative staff in the industrial establishment.

4. Apprenticeship: Generally fresh graduates are put under the experienced employee to learn the functions of job.
An intern is recruited to perform a specific time-bound jobs or projects during their education. It is concerned with
provisional periods with little payments.

5. Internship: Internships are opportunities for students to get real world experience, often during summer
vacations as a part of fulfilling requirements for degree programs. Internships are offered usually by organization to
college students wanting to find work experience. The internship offer precious, real life job experience and the
organization often get skilled, highly dedicated service.

6. Special Assistantship: In this method, an experienced person appoints an unskilled person as an assistant for
giving practical idea about work.

7. Vestibule Training: By this method, organizations open a separate room or department for short time within the
organization for giving practical idea to unskilled and semi- skilled workers under an experienced master trainer.
Generally, after giving Vestibule Training new employees are appointed in real work.

8. Committee Assignment: In this method a committee consisting of a group of employees is given a problem and
is invited to give solution. The employees solve the problem and submit the solution. The objective of this method is
to develop a teamwork among employees.

B. Off the Job Training:

These are used away from work places while employees are not working like classroom trainings, seminars etc.
Following are the off-the-job methods;

1. Simulation Methods: Simulation is concerned with creating a real life situation for decision-making and
understanding the actual job condition. Following are some of the simulation methods of trainings-
i) Case Studies: It is a written description of an actual situation and trainer is s u p p o s e d to analyze and give his
conclusions in writing. The cases are generally based on actual organizational situation
ns. It is an ideal method to promote decision-making abilities within the constraints of limited data.

ii) Role Plays: Here trainees assume the part of the specific personalities in a case study and act it in
front of the audience. It is more emotional orientation and improves interpersonal relationships.
Attitudinal change is another result.

iii) Incident: To solve the real problem different type of events or incidents are represent to the in front of the
trainees by this methods. Trainees take decision by analyzing the events and try to adjust themselves each other and
with the trainers.

iv) Demonstration: In this method, trainer does the job practically and gives direction to practice in front of the
trainer. The trainer identifies the deviation and solves the problem practically.

v) Management Game: American Management Association established this method in 1956. One party plays with
another party in a specific event or issues for achieving the goals. They use different types of mathematical models
to solve the problem with gaming mentality.
 2. Information Method: Information Method is concerned with providing verbal and visual data for improving
employees’ skills and knowledge. F o l l o w i n g a r e s o m e o f t h e Information m e t h o d s o f   trainings-

i) Induction: Especially this method is concerned with orientation program. New employees are given different
types of information about rules and regulations of the organization, colleagues, and responsibilities by this method.

ii) Lecture: It is a verbal lecture presentation by an instructor to a large a u d i e n c e . Classes or courses provide
information and practice on particular subject matter to participants. Content may address solving practical
dilemmas, or it may introduce concepts or skills and provide hands on activities to apply those to everyday
professional examples.

Advantages – It can be used for large groups. Cost per trainee is low.

Disadvantages – Low popularity. It is not learning by practice. It is One- w a y communication. No authentic

feedback mechanism. Likely to boredom.

iii) Group Discussion: A group of people are gathered together in a discussion about a topic for solving a problem
by this method.

iv) Team Teaching: Team members are highly critical person than group. Different instructions are given by this
method to the team member for doing particular jobs under a skilled trainer.

v) Audio-Visual: It can be done by using Films, Televisions, Video, and Presentations etc.

Advantages – Wide range of realistic examples, quality control possible.

Disadvantages – One-way communication, No feedback mechanism. No flexibility for different audience.

vi) Sensitivity Training: This is more from the point of view of behavioral assessment, under different
circumstances how an individual will b e h a v e himself and towards others. There is no preplanned agenda and it is
instant. A group of people freely discuss for increasing their mental ability.

Advantages – increased ability to empathize, listening skills, openness, tolerance, and conflict resolution skills.

Disadvantage – Participants may resort to their old habits after the training.

vii) Study tour: Arrangement of yearly or half-yearly tour in different places for gathering knowledge.

viii) Computer and CD Rom: Using new technology and computer for giving training.

ix) University Course: Professional courses such as CA, CIMA, MBM, BBA and MBA etc.

x) Seminar, Workshop & conference etc: Arrangement of Seminar, Workshop & conference for improving
knowledge and skills.

Advantages and Disadvantages of On-the-Job Training

Advantages of On-the-Job Training:

1. It is directly in the context of job.

2. It is often informal.
3. It is most effective because it is learning by experience.
4. It is least expensive.
5. Trainees are highly motivated.
6. It is free from artificial classroom situations.
 Disadvantages of On-the-Job Training:

1. Trainer may not be experienced enough to train.

2. It is not systematically organized.
3. Poorly conducted.
4. Programs may create safety hazards.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Off-the-Job Training

Advantages of Off-the-Job Training:

1. Trainers are usually experienced enough to train.

2. It is systematically organized.
3. Efficiently created.
4. Programs may add lot of value.

Disadvantages of Off-the-Job Training:

1. It is not directly in the context of job.

2. It is often formal.
3. It is not based on experience.
4. It is least expensive.
5. Trainees may not be highly motivated.
6. It is more artificial in nature.

Describe and Illustrate how you would identify training Requirements?

Training Needs Analysis (Task and Performance Analysis)

Most managers have an intuitive feel for what they want their subordinates to learn when they’re training them. How
you analyze training needs depends on whether you are training new or current employees. The main task in
analyzing new employees’ training needs is to determine what the job entails and to break it down into subtasks,
each of which you then teach to the new employee.
Analyzing current employees’ training needs is more complex, since here you have the added task of deciding
whether training is the solution. For example, performance may be down because the standards are not clear or
because the person is not motivated.

Task Analysis: Assessing New Employees’ Training Needs: Particularly with lower-level workers, it’s common to
hire inexperienced personnel and train them. Your aim here is to give these new employees the skills and knowledge
they need to do the job. You use task analysis to determine the new employees’ training needs.
Task Analysis is a detailed study of the job to determine what specific skills the job requires. Job descriptions and
specifications are important here. These list the job’s specific duties and skills when are the basic reference points in
determining the training required. You can also uncover training needs by reviewing performance standards,
performing the job, and questioning current job holders and their supervisors.
Performance Analysis: Assessing Current Employees’ Training Needs:For under-performing current employees, you
can’t assume that training is the problem: Is it lack of training, or something else? Performance analysis is the
process of verifying that there is a performance deficiency and determining whether the employer should correct
such deficiencies through training or some other means (like transferring the employee).
The first step in performance analysis is usually to compare the person’s actual performance to what it should be.
Doing so helps to confirm that there is a performance deficiency, and may also help the manager to identify its
cause. Example of performance deficiency might be: I expect each salesperson to make 10 new contracts per week,
but John averages only six.

There are several ways to identify how a current employee is doing. These include reviewing:
  Performance appraisal
 Job-related performance data (Including Productivity, Absenteeism, late deliveries, product quality etc)
 Observations by supervisors
 Interviews with the employee or his or her supervisor
 Tests of things like job knowledge, skills and attendance
 Attitude surveys etc.

How To Make Training Effective?

1. Management Commitment
2. Training & Business Strategies Integration
3. Comprehensive and Systematic Approach
4. Continuous and Ongoing approach
5. Promoting Learning as Fundamental Value
6. Creations of effective training evaluation system