TRAINING DEFINED

It is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of

skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes and behaviours to enhance
the performance of employees. 

Training is activity leading to skilled behavior.

 It’s not what you want in life, but it’s knowing how to reach it

 It’s not where you want to go, but it’s knowing how to get there

 It’s not how high you want to rise, but it’s knowing how to take of
 It may not be quite the outcome you were aiming for, but it will be an outcome

 It’s not what you dream of doing, but it’s having the knowledge to do it

 It's not a set of goals, but it’s more like a vision

 It’s not the goal you set, but it’s what you need to achieve it

Training is about knowing where you stand (no matter how good or bad the current
situation looks) at present, and where you will be after some point of time.
Training is about the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) through
professional development.
ROLE OF TRAINING 
What's the difference between training and
development?

The difference between training and development

can be summed up quite simply.

Training is delivered but participants and the

companies paying for the training
wantdevelopment.

Quite simply training is an event, a seminar, a course, an elearning course.

Development is a process which allows individuals to learn and apply their

learning so that they grow their skills, confidence and expertise.

Good training specialists craft training courses to ensure that not only is
there good learning during the course, but that
the learning is retained and applied in the
workplace. Powerpoint presentations alone won’t
do that. Goodtraining consultants recognise the
importance of focusing on the needs of the group
they are working with to ensure the course
achieves its learning outcomes.

A development programme works differently. It recgnises that one size

doesn't fit all and is a process designed to focus participants on their
learning, the skills gaps they need to close. It can be made up of a
combination of formal and informal training, activities and opportunities
that help participants grow their talents and skills.

Development programmes can be particularly useful in developing

 talent 

 managerial thinking, capacity and skill

 commercial and business acumen

 business development and growth practices, skills and approaches

 call quality and customer experience

An analysis of training need is an essential requirement to the design of effective
training. The purpose oftraining need analysis is to determine whether there is a gap
between what is required for effective performance and present level of performance.

Why training need analysis?

Training need analysis is conducted to determine whether resources required are
available or not. It helps to plan the budget of the company, areas where training is
required, and also highlights the occasions where training might not be appropriate but
requires alternate action.

Training Need arises at three levels:

Corporate need and training need are interdependent because the organization
performance ultimately depends on the performance of its individual employee and
its sub group.

Organizational Level – Training need analysis at organizational level focuses on

strategic planning, business need, and goals. It starts with the assessment of
internal environment of the organization such as, procedures, structures, policies,
strengths, and weaknesses and external environment such as opportunities and
threats.

After doing the SWOT analysis, weaknesses can be dealt with the training
interventions, while strengths can further be strengthened with continued training.
Threats can be reduced by identifying the areas where training is required. And,
opportunities can be exploited by balancing it against costs.
 Individual Level – Training need analysis at individual level focuses on each and
every individual in the organization. At this level, the organization checks whether
an employee is performing at desired level or the performance is below expectation.
If the difference between the expected performance and actual performance comes
out to be positive, then certainly there is a need of training.

However, individual competence can also be linked to individual need. The methods
that are used to analyze the individual need are:

 Appraisal and performance review

 Peer appraisal
 Competency assessments
 Subordinate appraisal
 Client feedback
 Customer feedback
 Self-assessment or self-appraisal

Operational Level – Training Need analysis at operational level focuses on the

work that is being assigned to the employees. The job analyst gathers the
information on whether the job is clearly understood by an employee or not. He
gathers this information through technical interview, observation, psychological
test; questionnaires asking the closed ended as well as open ended questions, etc.
Today, jobs are dynamic and keep changing over the time. Employees need to
prepare for these changes. The job analyst also gathers information on the tasks
needs to be done plus the tasks that will be required in the future.
Based on the information collected, training Need analysis (TNA) is done.

Steps in the Training & Development

Process
An organization must study current business needs and fill positions with
employees who match those needs. Unfilled needs are met through
recruitment and placement of new workers. Employee training and
development assessments help an organization understand its manpower
needs so that it can meet present operational requirements. A long-term plan
includes building employee skills to prepare them to satisfy future operational
needs.
1. Initial Assessment
o The training and development process begins when a new person
gets hired. An human resource specialist or a manager must assess a new
employee's training needs and write a professional development plan to
 address those needs in the first year. A new employee's first year is crucial to
determining if he is suited to the position.

Training
o The training process continues when an employee goes to in-
house and external training programs. Each learning situation should help an
employee move from her present skill level to a desired skill level. Although
learning activities vary, an employee should exit all experiences more skilled
or knowledgeable in the subject matter.

Development
o Once an employee receives training at the onset of a job, he
needs time to develop himself in his position. His supervisor monitors his
progress to ensure that he can apply his training and other skills and abilities
to perform the job well. A supervisor might add additional training programs to
his individual plan during the first year.
Feedback
o Feedback is another important step in the process. An employee's
supervisor needs to determine if the employee is succeeding. For example, if
he performs customer service tasks, a supervisor can get feedback from
customers and compare it to data from other workers in the same position. A
supervisor then offers feedback and coaching to the employee so he can
improve.

Evaluation
o At the end of every year, an employee's training and development
plan plays a part in the formal evaluation process. A supervisor considers
whether training and development opportunities have helped an employee
succeed. The overall ratings on the evaluation determine if she continues in
her job. An employee can also be proactive in asking for feedback in the year
following the first appraisal. If she continues, her training plan is updated for
the next year. She must improve over the next year and in subsequent years.
Through this process, she develops into a better asset to the organization.
 Different Methods of Training
Employees
Effective employee training can have a major impact on your company's
growth and profitability. Training can be provided in-house or by purchasing
services from a training provider. Don't make the mistake of quickly launching
a training program until you have investigated and understand the different
training methods available today.

1. On the Job Training

o Some companies cannot afford the time to take personnel away
from their jobs and provide off site training. On the job training provides
instructions at the workplace and is focused on training employees in
techniques for their current jobs. The training is usually provided by a
supervisor or others in a department.
According to MBA Knol, one advantage of on the job training is that the
instruction is immediately reinforced by the employee performing the work he
is trained for. A disadvantage is that there are often interruptions in the
workplace, making it harder for the trainee to focus on the material that is
being disseminated.

Lecture and Course-Based Training

 This type of training is conducted in a classroom environment or on line.
The classroom version provides the trainee with an easy way to interact and
exchange ideas with others in the class at scheduled times. Online training is
often more flexible and allows the trainee to work when and where he wants
to.
Lecture and course based training, whether in a classroom or on line, is often
used to teach an employee new skills or update his current knowledge with
new information.
One advantage of lecture- and course-based training is that the trainee can
focus primarily on the material being provided. A disadvantage is that there is
often a lag between the training sessions and time spent back on the real job.
 Role Playing
 Role playing is a training approach where the trainee pretends and acts
in a hypothetical situation. For example, a supervisor could receive a
description of an employee problem and interact with another class member
who played the role of the supervisor experiencing the problem employee.
Role playing is often used to train others in personnel related management
skills or other interactive environment such as training focused on team
building.
Role playing provides an opportunity for a trainee to practice a behavior as if it
is real. This behavior based approach often makes it easier for the trainee to
exhibit the trained behavior in a real life situation.

Simulation
 Simulation training involves working in an environment that is similar to
a real life situation. For example, pilots and astronauts practice first in
simulators, enclosed containers that appear like the vehicle with controls they
would normally fly. The pilot looks out a window that appears as if he was
looking out a real cockpit window. Simulation provides an environment most
closely matching a real life situation.