Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Training & Developement
Training & Developement
Introduction
Since the beginning of the twentieth century and especially after World War II, training programs have become widespread among organizations in the United States, involving more and more employees and also expanding in content. In the 1910s, only a few large companies such as Westinghouse, General Electric, and International Harvester had factory schools that focused on training technical skills for entry-level workers. By the 1990s, forty percent of the Fortune 500 firms have had a corporate university or learning center. In recent decades, as the U.S. companies are confronted with technological changes, domestic social problems and global economic competition, training programs in organizations have received even more attention, touted as almost a panacea for organizational problem. The enormous expansion in the content of training programs over time has now largely been taken for granted. Now people would rarely question the necessity of training in conversational skills. However, back to the 1920s, the idea that organizations should devote resources to training employees in such skills would have been regarded as absurd. Such skills clearly were not part of the exact knowledge and methods that the employee will use on his particular job or the job just ahead of him. Nevertheless, seventy years later, eleven percent of U.S. organizations deem communications skills as the most important on their priority lists of training, and many more regard it as highly important. More than three hundred training organizations specialize in communications training (Training and Development Organizations Directory, 1994). 1
Transferring information and knowledge to employers and equipping employers to translate that information and knowledge into practice with a view to enhancing organization effectiveness and productivity, and the quality of the management of people. It also means that in organizational development, the related field of training and development (T & D) deals with the design and delivery of workplace learning to improve performance.
Core Argument
So, why have organizations increasingly engaged in personal development training? It is because that the rise of the participatory citizenship model of organization over time has driven the expansion of personal development training in organizations. This argument is based on an institutional perspective towards organizations. It is distinct from previous approaches to training in two ways. First, it recognizes that training is not only provided to satisfy functional needs of firms, but is also shaped by the shared understanding about individuals and organizations, which is called "organizational model" in this study and is independent of the functional needs. Second, training decisions are not only affected by the internal conditions of an organization, but are also affected by the dominant ideologies and practices in the organizational field.
Do we expect an automatic, faultless job performance? Does attitude count? Does goodwill count? Do loyalty and dedication count? Does goal-sharing count? Does motivation count? Do general knowledge and know-how count? Do people-skills count? Does an inquisitive mind count? Does initiative count? Does a learning attitude count? 10
Does a sense of responsibility count? Do team efforts count? Do good work relations count? Does creative input count? Do we want employees to feel proud of their role and contribution?
How can we expect such qualities and behavior if we consider and treat our personnel as "skills performers"? However, we could achieve the desired results if we address the personal development needs of the employees involved. When we plan for both "training" and "development", we achieve a proper balance between the needs of the company and those of the trainees. The synergy created takes us to new levels, to a continuing trend of company growth. Our consideration of the people involved results in work motivation, goal-sharing, and a sense of partnership. Not only do the employee-trainees perform at the desired levels, but they offer to the company and its customers their hidden individual gifts and talents, and this reflects itself in the quality of service. Customers feel and recognize efficient performance, motivation and team-work. They become loyal customers. We can learn from the case of a small restaurant operator who had become desperate at the negligent attitude of his servers, resulting in customer complaints. He decided to seek professional expertise to help him replace his employees with "motivated, trained" people fresh out of a waiter's training school. Following some probing questions it came to light that, besides hourly pay, he did not offer much to attract and retain loyal and dedicated employees. Through professional consultation, he came to realize that even if he paid higher wages to new "trained" employees, the problem would persist because employees want more than wages from their work place. They want:
Organization and professional management Information regarding the business and its customers
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Recognition for their role in the company's success Acknowledgement of their individual capacities and contributions Positive discipline / fairness A say in the way the business is run.
The restaurant operator realized that until then he had treated his employees as "plate carriers" and this is exactly how they had behaved and performed. He was ready to change his mode of operation: he diverted his focus to the needs of his employees, re-structured his organisation, planned new operational strategies, a human resources strategy, training and development guidelines, disciplinary rules and regulations. He communicated and shared these in a meeting with his employees and handed out the employee handbook prepared for that purpose. He also reminded them of their responsibilities towards the business, the customers, and themselves (taking charge of their own training, development, and work performance). They were more than pleased when he asked them to express their opinions, make comments and suggestions. He was surprised at the immediate transformation that took place. He began receiving excellent reviews from his customers, the employees worked as a team, their motivation sky-rocketed and he never had to replace them! All this was accomplished by extending the previous concept of training to that of training and people development. Training and Development represents a complete whole that triggers the mind, emotions and employees' best work performance. It is not only business managers and owners who must do this shift in thinking, but Human Resources Directors and Training Managers (whose title should be "Training and Development" Managers). By their actions, they should offer a personal example, coaching and guiding all the people in an organisation to think "beyond training" and invest efforts in people:
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In the coming future, the following trends are likely to be seen: Increased use of virtual reality, the internet and multi-media training Emphasis on cross-cultural development Remote learning to reflect changing patterns of work
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Influencing the legal and policy environment needed for business growth and development Direct services to members
This requires that the staff be trained in the areas of the organization's services and core competencies which may include areas such as:
Industrial relations Human resource management Occupational safety and health Information analysis and research for: Influencing the policy environment Transferring knowledge to members Undertaking wage and other surveys
Training Services This objective of training (i.e. to make its other services more effective) involves mostly the acquisition of knowledge needed for staff to perform their functions. This is an important pre-requisite to staff undertaking the second role of an employers' organization in training, which is to provide training to members (and sometimes to nonmembers) in areas in which they expect services. But unlike in the case of the first objective of training earlier referred to, this second role or objective requires not only knowledge in the areas of
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They will be able to transfer knowledge But not the skills to apply the knowledge to particular situations which arise in enterprises (productivity is increasingly the application of knowledge).
Examples include negotiation, workplace mechanisms to improve workplace relations and human resource management policies and practices such as:
Recruitment, selection, induction Performance appraisal Leadership and motivation Employee retention Wage and salary determination
The main objectives of this second training role (to provide training to members) are:
To provide members with the means to address labour - related problems and issues To instill in enterprise managers the skills needed to improve their management of people Where enterprises have a training department, to train their personnel.
It follows that the staff of employers' organizations are not themselves practitioners in people management. They are trainers of those engaged in managing people and, occasionally of other trainers. Influencing National Policies and Programmes The third role is one to be discharged at the national level, and involves influencing national educational and skills training policies and schemes. This could be affected in a variety of ways:
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Identifying employers' education and skills needs and providing feed back from employers. Employers' organizations could form executive training committees within the organization such as the Education Committee in the Japan Federation of Employers' Associations, the Industrial Education and Training Committee in the Korean Employers' Federation and the Committee on Manpower and Development in the Singapore National Employers' Federation. At the initiative of the New Zealand Employers' Federation the School-Industry Links Development Board was established in 1990 to strengthen the relationship between secondary schools and business. Unique pilot programmes were commenced in 1992 on "Teacher Placement in Industry" and "Management Course for Secondary School Principals".
Influencing government, education and training authorities to correct inappropriate policies and to commence preparing for the future education and training needs if HRD policies are to have impact.
Initiating or promoting teacher education programmes to impart to them knowledge about the role of business in society, the environment needed for business development etc.
Promoting closer links between employers and educational and training institutions. Influencing course content e.g. management course contents to include more human relations management subjects, and even basic management in occupational safety and health and environmental management.
Other Roles A fourth role is for an employers' organization to raise awareness among employers of the need for increased investment in the development of human capital as an essential condition for achieving competiveness. A fifth role is in the training of personnel or human resource managers, given the fact that their role still tends to be downgraded relative to other management functions such as finance, marketing and production. This role could also be undertaken through training support given to professional bodies like an institute of personnel management.
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Assisting trainers in enterprises to develop or improve their in-house training programmes, especially in the areas of the employers' organization's expertise Upgrading the knowledge of company trainers Maintaining a directory of relevant training programmes/courses
Seventh, an employers' organization should be able to influence the provision of training incentives to be offered to employers, through the tax system or training levies. Numerous examples in countries abound which can provide useful ideas to employers' organizations. Eight, an employers' organization could develop training material to be used by enterprises for in-house training.
Understanding Employee Drives and Motivations - The First Step towards Motivation at Work
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MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS Maslow explains the Hierarchy of Needs as applied to workers roughly as follows: Physiological Needs
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Family responsibilities and be unable to work shifts, overtime, or weekends Heavy financial responsibilities which he/she can meet only by working at two jobs, leading to exhaustion, "sick leave", and deficient work performance A desperate financial need for additional overtime and weekend remuneration Premature expectations of swift promotions.
Some other needs the employer can expect, for which company policies should be planned accordingly:
If the company is in a remote location, all employees will have a need for more social activities Many single people look for dates and spouses at work Some women may not be ready to work late shifts unless the employer provides transportation back home Some workers may have a problem with drug or alcohol abuse.
In addition to needs and drives, adult workers have expectations from their employer - they expect:
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Clear and fair policies, procedures, and employment practices Business integrity Clear job descriptions Two-way communications Effective management and supervision Positive discipline Good company repute Good customer relations Company survival Opportunities for personal growth Company growth A share in the company's success.
Business owners and managers are under constant scrutiny by the people they hire. Adult workers care beyond the salary - they care to know to whom they entrust their fate, reputation, and security. They consider their work as a major factor that shapes their lives and the lives of those dear to them. Once they feel confident that the employer and their place of work is what they wished for and expected, they are ready to contribute above and beyond "the call of duty". Most of these needs, expectations and aspirations are unexpressed - it is up to the employer to develop a good system of company communications, employee relations, training and development that will lead to an environment of openness, cooperation, teamwork, and motivation that will benefit all the parties involved. Cross-Training as a motivational and problem-solving Technique Many managers, including human resources directors, mistakenly believe that employee motivation can be won through monetary rewards or other perks. They learn soon enough that such perks are taken for granted and that money is not the key to employee motivation. A professional and unified management, in a good work environment, is the basis on which to build employee motivation.
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Following a reading or lecture on the subject, managers sometimes implement "job enrichment" in a misguided manner, adding unrewarded responsibilities on the shoulders of their supervisors and employees. reverse of the intended effect. An effective training technique which results in motivation is cross-training, when implemented horizontally, upward and downward. Department heads, assistants and employees can cross-train in different departments or within the department itself. With background support, employees can have one day training in the role of department head ("King for the Day"). When a General Manager is away, department heads can take roles replacing him, which is a form of cross-training. Cross-training should be carefully planned and presented as a learning opportunity. It should be incorporated in a hotel's master yearly training plan, covering all positions and departments. It should begin with supervisory level and filter down to entry-level positions. Housekeeping should cross-train in Front Office and vice-versa; Front Office in Marketing, Sales, Public Relations, Food & Beverage, Banquets, Security; Marketing & Sales in Front Office, Food & Beverage, Purchasing; Food & Beverage Service in the Culinary department and vice versa; Human Resources in different departments and vice versa. This technique achieves the following objectives:
Prevents stagnation Offers a learning and professional development opportunity Rejuvenates all departments
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Improves understanding of the different departments and the hotel as a whole Leads to better coordination and teamwork Erases differences, enmity and unhealthy competition Increases knowledge, know-how, skills and work performance Improves overall motivation Leads to the sharing of organizational goals and objectives.
Sending people to work in another department at a moment's notice is not what crosstraining is about. This has to be an effective planned process. Employees must "buy" into the idea, be encouraged to give feedback and make suggestions for improvement. They become "partners". Departmental communications meetings can be used to share lessons learned. When employees think "the grass is greener on the other side of the lawn" they soon realize their mistake after exposure to other departments. They return to their job with a better attitude. Cross-training can also be used to "shake up" supervisors or employees who have lapsed into poor performance. Upon being moved to a different position or department, albeit temporarily, they hear "warning bells", shape up and usually return to their positions as exemplary performers. Depending on the budget at hand and the objectives to be achieved, the time for crosstraining can vary from one day to a week or more. Details must be coordinated with the "receiving" department head. The trainee is incorporated within the department's activities for the duration of the cross-training (briefings, meetings, or obligations). A more sophisticated form of cross-training is job rotation, which usually involves extended periods (from one month to six months). With job rotation, the employee's role is of a different nature. He is not considered as trainee, but is responsible over certain job functions, for which he has to prove himself. Both cross-training and job rotation create a team of workers who are more knowledgeable, can easily replace each other when needed and who gain new confidence regarding their
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Unlike enterprises which can have their staff trained in management and other training institutions, there are no courses and training institutions which are geared to the needs of employers' organizations. This places a heavy responsibility on senior staff to train new recruits and on staff to develop themselves. Therefore organizations often rely on the ILO to conduct training programmes designed to serve the needs of employers' organizations, and to provide staff with study tours to other employers' organizations.
Most organizations do not have skilled trainers i.e. persons who have been trained as trainers. Inadequate training material Inadequate information/knowledge relating to labor-related subjects needed to attract enterprises to the organization's training programmes.
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The economic viability of having full time training staff. Due to financial constraints, an employers' organization would generally have to keep full time training staff to a minimum. Therefore staff with special skills providing advisory and representation services should be trained as trainers to enable them to undertake some training in their areas of expertise.
Organizational Change
Conventional organizational change, which typically encompasses training and development, and 'motivation', mostly fails. Why? Are the people stupid? Can they not see the need for change? Do they not realise that if the organization cannot make these changes then we will become uncompetitive. We will lose market share. There will be job cuts. We will eventually go out of business. Can they not see it? Actually probably not. Or more precisely, people look at things in a different way. Bosses and organizations still tend to think that people whom are managed and employed and paid to do a job should do what they're told to do. We are conditioned from an early age to believe that the way to teach and train, and to motivate people towards changing what they do, is to tell them, or persuade them. From the experiences at school the people are conditioned to believe that skills, knowledge, and expectations are imposed on or 'put into' people by teachers, and later, by managers and bosses in the workplace. But just because the boss says so, doesn't make it so. People today have a different perspective. And when they think about it, they're bound to. Imposing new skills and change on people doesn't work because:
It assumes that people's personal aims and wishes and needs are completely aligned with those of the organization, or that there is no need for such alignment, and It assumes that people want, and can assimilate into their lives, given all their other priorities, the type of development or change that the organization deems appropriate for them.
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Pre-requisites There are certain prerequisites essential to undertaking a training role in relation to members. Training may be affected in three ways
By the employers' organization's own staff By external persons or institutions the employers' organization may contract with to conduct training
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By a combination of both the above methods, this would usually be the most practical since it is unrealistic to expect employers organizations to develop the level of skills needed in all the areas of training.
Even in courses conducted by the organization trainers or resource persons can be used for selected subjects to enrich the programme. Where training is conducted by the staff of the employers' organization it follows that it must have a comparative advantage in the subject matter of the training. In order to have that advantage the staff should
Have the requisite knowledge in the subject matter Be trained as trainers, although this is not critical in all cases. For instance, conducting courses on the application of the labor laws requires knowledge of the subject matter, and skills in training may not be particularly critical though undoubtedly useful.
The above mentioned pre-requisites underline the two types of training an employers' organization might undertake. The first is the transference of information and knowledge needed by enterprises to make decisions in labor related areas. This requires the first and third pre-requisites referred to. However, in order to have an impact on enterprises in the management of people, the training needs to go beyond knowledge-transference and demonstrate how to translate the relevant knowledge into practice. This involves not only a sound information and research base and staff with the requisite knowledge, but also staff with training skills. Identifying Areas of Training Specialization Employers' organizations do not usually offer training in all areas of management (e.g. general management, finance, and marketing) because
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These are specialized areas requiring knowledge in subjects outside the mandate of an employers' organization Such training is provided by other institutions like business schools and polytechnics which specially cater to these training needs.
However, in some areas training undertaken by employers' organizations and other institutions overlap. An example is negotiation skills on which business education institutions in some countries have highly effective programmes. Another is human resource management. Therefore it is important for employers' organizations to develop an expertise in training in industrial relations (laws, workplace labor relations practices, wages, and negotiation). It is a subject in which it can develop a comparative advantage, especially since in many countries such training is seldom offered by other institutions. Even if other institutions do, they may lack the practical experience employers' organizations develop if they provide direct services to members. An increasingly important target group is the small enterprise sector which, unlike the large scale sector, usually lacks a human resource manager or a training policy and in house training facilities. A special needs assessment may have to be conducted in this sector as its needs tend to differ from those of large and medium scale enterprises. The ILO has developed the Improve Your Business (IYB) programme, which is a system of inter-related training packages and supporting materials for providing owners and managers of small enterprises with training in basic business management skills. Establishing Training Priorities The employers' organization should establish a priority table in respect of the areas in which it wishes to
Itself provide the training Act only in a subsidiary capacity by, for instance, collaborating with external institutions or individuals. Provide training material
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Analyzing the organization's strengths and weaknesses in training in the light of the needs assessment surveys and identification of the areas of training. Training the staff in training skills Where relevant, studying the management of the training function of employers' organizations which have developed an excellence in training Improving the organization's information/research/knowledge base Developing training courses and materials Where necessary entering into arrangements with outside individuals or institutions to design and/or conduct training programmes Appointing a training manager, or at least a person to plan and coordinate the training Acquisition of the training equipment needed.
As a brief review of terms, training involves an expert working with learners to transfer to them certain areas of knowledge or skills to improve in their current jobs. Development is a broad, ongoing multi-faceted set of activities (training activities among them) to bring
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1) Corporate ethics: This covers the value of good manners, courtesy, consideration, personal dcor and good rapport. It also shows why and how to discourage gossip, controversies, personal work at office, rush jobs etc. 2) Communications: The increasing diversity of today's workforce brings a wide variety of languages and customs. Right from the way the receptionist handles a call to how the CEO deals with a customer gives a glimpse of the image of an organization. Such training encompasses oral, written and presentation skills. It stresses the importance of communication being clear, concise, concrete and colorful. 3) Career and life planning: A primarily employee-oriented training objective u
undertaken to help employees plan for their lives, career, retirement, redundancy etc. Such training imparts the values of life skills that employees need under different and difficult circumstances. 4) Computer skills: Computer skills are becoming a necessity for conducting administrative and office tasks. 5) Customer service: Increased competition in today's global marketplace makes it critical that employees understand and meet the needs of customers.
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15) Special skills: Besides the above, organizations also impart special job-related skills. These may include technology training, report writing, technical training, quality assessments etc. An organization may choose to impart training in any or many of the objectives mentioned above. But before one invests it is important to choose a trainer who is good and capable of making a positive difference with his or her training methodologies. Also organizational training needs to be undertaken keeping the mission and the vision statement of the organization in view.
Regardless of the size or type of an industry or business, training can have a measurable impact on performance and the bottom line. 42
Training increases staff retention which is a significant cost saving, as the loss of one competent person can be the equivalent of one year's pay and benefits. In some companies, training programs have reduced staff turnover by 70 per cent and led to a return on investment of 7,000 per cent. Improved quality and productivity
Training that meets both staff and employer needs can increase the quality and flexibility of a businesss services by fostering:
Accuracy and efficiency Good work safety practices Better customer service.
Most businesses provide on-the-job training, particularly during induction. Ongoing training almost always shows a positive return on investment. The flow-on effect
The benefits of training in one area can flow through to all levels of an organisation. Over time, training will boost the bottom line and reduce costs by decreasing:
Maintenance costs of machinery and equipment Workplace accidents, leading to lower insurance premiums Recruitment costs through the internal promotion of skilled staff Absenteeism. Staying competitive
Businesses must continually change their work practices and infrastructure to stay competitive in a global market. Training staff to manage the implementation of new technology, work practices and business strategies can also act as a benchmark for future recruitment and quality assurance practices. As well as impacting on business profit margins, training can improve:
Staff morale and satisfaction 'Soft skills' such as inter-staff communication and leadership Time management Customer satisfaction
There are numerous sources of on-line information about training and development. Several of these sites (they're listed later on in this library) suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training among employees. These reasons include: 1. Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees 2. Increased employee motivation 3. Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain 4. Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods 5. Increased innovation in strategies and products 6. Reduced employee turnover 7. Enhanced company image, e.g., conducting ethics training (not a good reason for ethics training!)
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Improved quality Increased productivity Greater flexibility and responsiveness to change Reduced insurance premiums Less wastage Reduced maintenance and repair costs Greater commitment from staff Higher staff retention rate Improved morale.
Perhaps the most important benefit of a healthy training culture is that the skills of your staff are formally recognised and that your employees feel that their contribution to the company is valued.
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"Training has become a been critical business enabler that is being linked to business results" -Sanjeev Duggal CEO & MD NIS Sparta
"Corporate IT training has still not been imbibed as a culture in most organisations. It is need-based rather than a planned activity" -Jitendra Nair Vice-president Karrox Technologies
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"With the increased utilization of IT in all sectors, intensive training has become essential" -Rajeev Katyal Senior Vice-President Enterprise Learning Solutions, NIIT
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Karrox
Varied approaches
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The State of Training and Development: More Spending, More Scrutiny As investment in training continues to rise, with resources migrating away from in-house programs, employers are demanding better accounting to ensure that their development dollars go toward furthering strategic goals and bolstering the bottom line. Technology and global competition, the two driving forces of economic change in todays business world, havent bypassed the once-staid world of training and development. Companies seeking to gain advantage through better-trained and better-developed workers are employing everything from e-learning delivery systems to multicultural and polyglot training solutions. They are hiring chief learning officers to deal with the increasingly complex field. And they are demanding better accounting of results. Jack Kramer, vice president of global alliances for Sum Total Systems of Mountain View, California, says that every training effort--from the most sophisticated leadership course to the most basic regulatory compliance training module--is being rigorously vetted for more than just content. "They want to know, What is the financial impact? Kramer says. Have you cut costs? Have you solved compliance issues? Have you assimilated learning into company operations? "
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The news industry, traditionally untroubled about staff development, is taking a new look. In todays multimedia world, industry leaders feel heightened competition for the best and brightest employees. Economists predict an acute shortage of knowledge workers. Starting salaries for journalists, stagnant for decades, have begun to creep upward. Industry attrition also is climbing, and an increasingly professional journalism workforce wants and is starting to get more training and mid-career education. The same information revolution that draws away journalistic talent also siphons off the attention of audiences. But a growing body of research, as well as the experience of many
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Top Four blunders in Training This is big questions that will the Outsourcing Trend continue to survive with falling training standards? What's the bottom line? Call Center Employers will regret slashing their training budgets to save a few dollars. For a small investment, employers can protect themselves and save hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs. Below are the top four training blunders that many employers make and later regret. Blunder #1: They distribute training policies and that's all they need to do. Distributing a company/induction/training policy is not sufficient to show workforce that a company has met its legal obligation to train its workforce and create an educated work-
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In order to use training as a defense tool, companies must verify that each and every worker received training. All companies experience turnover and absenteeism problems, which undermine training effectiveness. Therefore, companies should receive written or electronic training verifications and audit those verifications ANNUALLY to ensure legally defensible training. Compliance training loses significant value if the company is not able to present tracking information and documentation showing that each of their workers received annual training. Also, many employers experience the all too common scenario where they know they provided training, they know the employee likely attended the training - but they cannot prove it for lack of documentation. The company shouldnt make such mistake. Blunder #3: the company has an HR assistant conduct training workshops. A company needs to rely on the quality and effectiveness of its training. Otherwise, why do it? Using an in-house trainer can be difficult if the person lacks expertise or credibility within the organization. The trainer must be a senior executive or an outside professional to gain the respect and attention of the training participants. Also, companies should have a qualified expert conduct the training - a person who can also provide training testimony in the event the training is ever legally challenged. Blunder #4: the company always want in-person training rather than Web-based and they can't afford it this year. A blended learning solution (combining in-person and Web-based) is the most comprehensive and effective training solution. However, some Web-based programs can also be an effective stand-alone solution. For example, in-person training costs about 4000 to 5000 per person just for the training. That does not account for ancillary expenses such
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Conclusion
The employers should keep in mind these four rules of thumb when designing the companys strategy and solution: Rule #1: Internet technology is the key to a profound revolution in learning. The effects of Internet technology on employee training are indeed profound; however, technology - any technology - should be seen as a tool, not a strategy or final goal. Just because they have good word processing software doesn't mean you write well. Likewise, the Internet cannot, in and of itself, improve the quality of the learning and the content they put on it. The employers need to use Internet technology combined with high quality, effective learning to maximize learning and retention levels.
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davidnys2007@yahoo.co.in
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