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Need For Training

Training is a planned programme designed to improve performance and bring about measurable changes in knowledge, skills, attitude and social behaviour of employees.

Features of Training
Increases knowledge and skills for doing a particular job

Focuses attention on the individual job.

Concentrates on individual employees Gives importance to short term performance

Training is essential for job success. It can lead to higher production, fewer mistakes, greater job satisfaction and lower turnover.

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Need For Training

helps new recruits to perform assigned tasks effectively helps existing employees to prepare for higher level jobs enables existing employees to keep in touch with latest developments permits employees to cope with changes brought in by frequent transfers

makes employees more versatile, mobile, flexible and useful to the organisation

bridges the gap what the employee has and what the job demands allows an employee to gain acceptance from peer groups readily

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Training vs. Development

Training is concerned with teaching specific job related skills and behaviour. Development is future oriented training, focusing on the personal growth of the employee.

Training vs. Development

Learning Dimension Meant for Focus Scope Goal Initiated by Content Time-frame T raining Operatives Current job Individual employee Fix current skill deficit Management Specific job related information Immediate Development Executives Current and future jobs Work group or organisation Prepare for future work demands The Individual General Knowledge Long term

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Training vs. Education

Training, more or less, is job oriented (skill) learning. Education, on the other hand, is a person-oriented, theory-based knowledge whose main purpose is to

improve the understanding of a particular subject (a kind of conceptual learning).

Training Pitfalls
Here is a checklist to avoid training pitfalls Attempting to teach too quickly Trying to teach too much Viewing all trainees as the same Giving very little time to practice

Offering very little to the trainee in the form of encouragement, praise or reward
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Learning Principles: The Philosophy of Training

Training efforts are invariably based on certain learning oriented guidelines: Modelling: It is simply copying someone else's behaviour. (like showing the videotapes of desired behaviour while at work) Motivation: For learning to happen, it is important to motivate the trainee first. Reinforcement: If behaviour is rewarded, it probably will be repeated. Positive reinforcement consists of rewarding desired behaviours. Feedback: Feedback helps an employee find where he stands. People learn best if reinforcement is given as soon as possible. Spaced practice: Learning takes place easily if the practice sessions are spread over a period of time. Whole learning: Employees learn better if the job information is given as an entire logical process. Active practice: Learning is enhanced when trainees are provided ample opportunities to repeat the task. Relevance: training should be as real as possible so that trainees can successfully transfer the new knowledge to their jobs Environment: employees learn faster in comfortable environments

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Areas And Types of Training

Training is generally offered in the following areas

Areas of training
Knowledge Technical skills

Social skills
Techniques

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Areas And Types of Training

The various types of training that are commonly employed in present-day organisations may be listed thus.

Types of training
Skills training: here certain basic skills like reading, writing, computing, speaking, listening, problem solving etc are taught Refresher training: here the focus is on short term courses that would help employees learn about latest developments in their respective fields Cross functional training: this helps employees perform operations in areas other than their assigned job. Team training: this is concerned with how team members should communicate with each other, how they should cooperate to get ahead, how they should handle conflictful situations, how to find their way using collective wisdom etc. Creativity training: this helps employees to think unconventionally, break the rules, take risks, go out of the box and develop unexpected solutions. Diversity training: it aims to create better cross cultural sensitivity with the aim of fostering more harmonious and fruitful working relationships among a firm's employees Literacy training: this is generally offered to those employees with weak reading, writing or arithmetic skills.

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A Systematic Approach To Training

A systematic approach to training would consist of three phases: training needs assessment, implementation and evaluation

Training needs assessment

Training efforts must aim at meeting the needs of the organisation and the individual employees. This, essentially, involves three types of analysis: a. Organisational analysis: This is a study of the entire organisation in terms of its objectives, utilisation of resources to achieve objectives etc. Analysis of objectives Resource utilisation analysis Environmental scanning Organisational climate analysis

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Training needs assessment

b. Task or role analysis: this is a detailed examination of a job, its components, its various operations and conditions under which it has to be

performed.
c. Person analysis: here the focus is on the individual in a given job; training is needed, whether the employee is capable of being areas where the training is needed. 00 whether

trained, and the

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Data sources used in training needs assessment

Organisational Analysis
Organisational goals and objectives Personnel inventories Skills inventories Organisational climate analysis Efficiency indexes Changes in systems or subsystems (e.g., equipment)

Task Analysis
Job descriptions Job specifications Performance standards Performing the job Work sampling Reviewing literature on the job

Person Analysis
Performance data or appraisals Work sampling Interviews Questionnaires Tests (KASOCs) Customer/employee attitude surveys

Management requests
Exit interviews MBO or work planning systems Customer survey/satisfaction data

Asking questions about the job

Training committees Analysis of operating problems

Training progress
Rating scales CIT Diaries

Devised situations (e.g., role play)

Assessment centers MBO or work planning systems

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Training needs assessment

d.

Identify training objectives: Training objectives can be of three types

Objectives of training
OBJECTIVE Innovative

Problems Solving

Regular

Anticipating problems before they occur T eam building sessions with the departments

Training clerks to reduce complaints Training supervisors in communications to reduce grievances

Orientation Recurring training of interviewers Refresher courses on safety procedures

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Training needs assessment

e. Training methods: Formal training methods include on the job training covering job instruction training, coaching, mentoring, job rotation, apprenticeship training, committee assignments etc and off the job training including lectures, conference, simulation exercises and programmed instruction. Evaluation: Evaluation helps in controlling and correcting the training programme.

f.

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On The Job Training Methods

Job instruction training (JIT): This is training directly received on the job. Here the trainee receives an overview of the job. The trainer actually demonstrates the job and the trainee is asked to copy the trainers way. The trainee, finally, tries to perform the job independently.

Merits and demerits of job instruction training

Merits

Demerits

Trainee learns fast through practice and observation.

The trainee should be as good as the trainer. If the trainer is not good, transference of knowledge and skills will be poor. While learning, trainee may damage equipment, waste materials, cause accidents frequently. Experienced workers cannot use the machinery while it is being used for training.

It is economical as it does not require any special settings. Also, mistakes can be corrected immediately. The trainee gains confidence quickly as he does the work himself in actual setting with help from supervisor. It is most suitable for unskilled and semi-skilled jobs where the job operations are simple; easy to explain

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On The Job Training Methods

Coaching: Here the supervisor explains things and answers questions; throws light on why things are done the way they are; offers a model for trainees to copy, conducts lot of decision making meetings, and allows trainees freedom to commit mistakes and learn .Coaching, thus, requires lot of teaching skills. Mentoring: The use of an experienced person to teach and train someone with less knowledge and experience in a given area is known as mentoring. The mentor nurtures, supports and guides the efforts of young persons by giving appropriate information, feedback and encouragement whenever required.

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Functions of Mentoring
Good mentors......

Good mentees......

Listen and understand Challenge and stimulate learning Coach Build self-confidence Provide wise counsel Teach by example Act as role model Share experiences Offer encouragement Successful Mentoring

Listen Act on Advice Show commitment to learn Check ego at the door Ask for feedback Are open minded Are willing to change Are proactive

Merits and demerits of Mentoring

Merits

Demerits

There is an excellent opportunity to learn

It may create feelings of jealousy among quickly through continuous interaction. other workers who are not able to show equally good performance. If mentors form overly strong bonds with trainees, unwarranted favouritism may result. This can have a demoralising effect on other workers, affecting their work performance in a negative way.

Constant guidance helps the mentee to be on track, using facilities to good advantage.

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On The Job Training Methods

Job rotation: This kind of training involves the movement of trainee from one job to another.

Merits and demerits of Job rotation

Merits
Improves participants job skills, job satisfaction Provides valuable opportunities to network within the organisation Offers faster promotions and higher salaries to quick learners Lateral transfers may be beneficial in rekindling enthusiasm and developing new talents

Demerits
Increased workload for participants Constant job change stress and anxiety Mere multiplication of enrich the life of a trainee may duties produce do not

Development costs may shoot up when trainees commit mistakes, handle tasks less optimally

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On The Job Training Methods

Apprenticeship training: Most craft workers such as plumbers, carpenters etc are trained through formal apprenticeship programmes. In this method, the

trainees are put under the guidance of a master worker typically for 2-5 years.
Committee assignments: In this method, trainees are asked to solve an actual organisational programme working along with other trainees.

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Off The Job Training Methods

Vestibule training: It occurs off the job on equipment or methods that highly similar to those used on the job. are

Role playing: This is a development technique requiring the trainee to assume a role in a given situation and act out behaviours associated with that role.
Lecture method: Here the instructor organises the study material on a

specific topic and offers it to a group of trainees in the form of a talk. Conference or discussion method: In this method the trainer delivers a lecture and involves the trainees in a discussion so that the doubts about the job to be undertaken get clarified. Programmed instruction: This is an approach that puts material to be learned into highly organised logical sequences that require the trainees to respond
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Evaluation of A Training Programme

Training can be evaluated at five levels: reaction, learning, behaviour, organisation and results.

Important decision points in training evaluation may be listed thus;

Important decision points in planning training evaluation

Should an evaluation be made?

Who should evaluate? What is the purpose of evaluation? What will be measured? How comprehensive will the evaluation be?

Training

Who has the authority and responsibility?

What are the sources of data? How will the data be collected and evaluated? How will the data be analysed and reported?

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Methods of evaluation
Questionnaires Tests

Interviews
Studies Human resource factors Cost benefit analysis

Feedback.

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