UAPP 2053 Organizational Psychology - Lecture 6 Training

Objectives

• What is training?
• Typical reasons for employee training and development
• Typical topics of employee training
• Benefits of training
• Needs assessment in training
• Training methods

What is training?

• In organizational development, the related field of training and development (T&D) deals with the design and delivery of learning to improve performance, skills, or knowledge within organizations.
• In some organizations the term Learning & Development is used instead of Training and Development in order to emphasize the importance of learning for the individual and the organization. In other organizations, the term Human Resource Development is used.
• 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 someone or an organization up to another threshold of performance, often to perform some job or new role in the future.

Typical Reasons for Employee Training and Development

• Training and development can be initiated for a variety of reasons for an employee or group of employees, e.g.:
• - When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is needed.
  - To “benchmark” the status of improvement so far in a performance improvement effort.
  - As part of an overall professional development program.
  - As part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a planned change in role in the organization.
  - To “pilot”, or test, the operation of a new performance management system.

Typical Topics of Employee Training

• Communications: The increasing diversity of today’s workforce brings a wide variety of languages and customs.
• Computer skills: Computer skills are becoming a necessity for conducting administrative and office tasks.
• Customer service: Increased competition in today’s global marketplace makes it critical that employees understand and meet the needs of customers.
• Diversity: Diversity training usually includes explanation about how people have different perspectives and views, and includes techniques to value diversity.
• Ethics: Today’s society has increasing expectations about corporate social responsibility. Also, today’s diverse workforce brings a wide variety of values and morals to the workplace.
• Human relations: The increased stresses of today’s workplace can include misunderstandings and conflict. Training can people to get along in the workplace.
• Quality initiatives: Initiatives such as Total Quality Management, Quality Circles, benchmarking, etc., require basic training about quality concepts, guidelines and standards for quality, etc.
• Safety: Safety training is critical where working with heavy equipment, hazardous chemicals, repetitive activities, etc., but can also be useful with practical advice for avoiding assaults, etc.
• Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment training usually includes careful description of the organization’s policies about sexual harassment, especially about what are inappropriate behaviors.

Benefits of Training

• Training is more than just building the skills and knowledge of each individual of your team for their own personal benefit. Companies that have invested in training report the following benefits:
• - Improved recruiting: Today job applicant is looking for an environment that fosters personal growth and development. For many job hunters, training is every bit as important as the compensation package. Plus, an effective training program allows you to cast a wider net by hiring people with the right attitude. Developing the skills can come later.
  - Increased Profitability: As the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) study demonstrates, there is a clear correlation between providing your employees with the training they need to become more productive and an increase in the company’s overall profitability.
  - Consistent Quality: Providing employees with up to date training ensures that they will be able to complete their tasks in the most efficient manner possible while providing consistency and quality for the organization.
  - Customer Satisfaction: Increased productivity and higher quality results in a greater level of customer satisfaction.
  - Employee Development: Providing employees with training allows them to develop their individual skills making them better able to contribute to the overall success of the organization.
  - Employee Retention: Making training available to your employees provides them with the tools to increase their skills and makes them feel more valued by the organization resulting in greater employee retention.

Training Needs Assessment

• What is a training needs assessment?
• - A tool utilized to identify what educational courses or activities should be provided to employees to improve their work productivity. Focus should be places on needs as opposed to desires.
  - For example, training dollars would be better spent on a new employee in the accounting department who needs to learn Microsoft Excel for their job duties as opposed to learning Microsoft Publisher which the employees wants but does not need.
• Why conduct a training needs assessment?
• - To pinpoint if training will make a difference in productivity and the bottom line.
  - To decide what specific training each employee needs and what will improve their job performance.
  - To differentiate between the need for training and organizational issues.
• How is a training needs assessment performed?
  - There are several techniques that can be utilized individually or in combination with each other. More than one tool should be considered to get a better view of the big picture, however, which tools are used should be left up to company.
  1. Meet with management
  Ø Since most supervisors are involved with the planning of projects and the future of the company they know what will be needed. They shold be able to communicate where their employee’s current abilities lie and what is needed to get them to the next level for new projects on the horizon.
  2. Meet with employees
  Ø Discuss what struggles they may be facing from day-to-day and what would make their job easier and more efficient. Remember to keep them focused on what they need rather than what they want.
  3. Conduct surveys
  Ø Surveys are beneficial because many people can be polled in a short period of time. Additionally, surveys provide employees with the opportunity to confess a need on paper that they may be too embarrassed to admit needing in a face-to-face meeting.
  4. Conduct focus groups
  Ø Focus groups allow for small group interaction, allowing the assessor to uncover details about their target audience. Brainstorming is encouraged allowing for an exchange of new ideas and a revelation of what training may be needed.
  5. Review company goals and mission statement
  Ø A brief review of the company’s past and where they are headed for the future may reveal valuable information for training. A comparison should be made of what employees are currently doing and what will be expected of them as the company continues to grow and change.

Training Methods

• On-the-job training takes place in a normal working situation, using the actual tools, equipment, documents or materials that trainees will use when fully trained. On-the-job training has a general reputation as most effective for vocational work.
• Vestibule training is a particular type of on-the-job training that does not interfere with actual production. It can be expensive to set up, so make sure there are a large enough number of trainees to justify its full use.
• In vestibule training you set up a training area that simulates the work space, with equipment and operating procedures like those found in the actual work situation, and employ full-time instructors. For example, a vestibule training facility might simulate the work situation of the cabin crew of an airliner, hotel kitchen workers, or high-tension-wire workers.
• Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of skilled crafts practitioners. Apprentices (or in early modern usage “prentices”) build their careers from apprenticeships. Most of their training is done on the job while working for an employer who helps the apprentices learn their trade. An informal, theoretical education may also be involved.
• Computer-based training is any training that uses a computer as the focal point for instructional delivery. With CBT, training is provided through the use of a computer and software, which guides a learner through an instructional program.