Training & Development Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fulya Aydınlı Kulak

Basic Terms Training The process of teaching new employees the basic skills they need to perform their jobs. Teaching activities for especially new employees in order to provide them the required knowledge and skills to perform their current jobs. Main aim: Making the employee sufficient for a particular job.

Development Increasing current skills even if they are on a sufficient level to perform the current job. Main aim: Increasing the productivity and providing new knowledge and skills for different positions.

Training Objectives Economic objectives: Increasing the productivity. Providing employees the required knowledge and skills. Decreasing the need of control and auditing. Providing occupational safety and decreasing the number of occupational accidents. Decreasing the costs related to maintenance. Decreasing turnover rate.

Social and individual objectives Motivating employees, Providing employees promotion opportunities, Providing cooperation and coordination between employees, Providing employee satisfaction, Integrating organizational and individual objectives.

Training policies Will the organization of T&D be fullfilled by HR department or will it be outsourced? Who will decide which employees will attend to training programmes? Which criterias will be used on deciding that? Will the company heavily depend on on-the job or off-the job training? What will be the minimum and maximum training periods?

Principles of learning Learning is enhanced when the learner is motivated: The attendants must want to learn. Learning requires feedback: Knowledge of results enable learners to correct their mistakes. Feedback must be immediate.

Principles of learning Rewarding encourages right behaviours: If you reward a learned behaviour, it will be repeated. Practice increases performance: When learners practice what they learn; they are more confident, they make fewer mistakes, they do not forget what they learn easily.

Principles of learning Learning begins radiply, then slows down: The learning curve begins with a sharp rise indicating that learning is very fast at the beginning. Then it slows down as opportunities for improvement are reduced. Learning must be transferable to the job: The skills the learners got in the classroom should be transferred to the job.

The training process Planning, Implementing the training program, Evaluating the training efforts.

Planning Determining the main aim, Analyzing training needs, Deciding on the training method, Producing the training program content, Choosing the trainees, Determining the trainers, Determining on the training place and timing, Preparing the training program, Budgeting, Announcing the training program.

Analyzing training needs Training needs = Job requirements – current knowledge and skill level of the employee Training needs analysis Organization analysis, Job / Task analysis, Performance analysis.

Organization analysis Determining the company’s training needs as a whole. Is there a need for training in the company in general? If yes, which departments need training? The training requirements and problems of the departments are determined: Using wrong materials, Unproductive working methods, Low wages, The problems caused by the nature and performance of the employees, Which departments have priority?

Organization analysis Training / development needs should be analyzed according to business strategies. SWOT analysis should be conducted. Training / development efforts should be in line with business strategies.

Job / task analysis Used for determining the required performance level of a particular position. In this way, performance standards are determined.

Performance analysis After determining the job requirements and performance standards, the “standard performance” and the “current performance” of the employee are compared. If C.P. < S.P., training is needed. If C.P. = S.P., development efforts due to career planning systems. If C.P. > S.P., rewarding due to compensation policies Training needs of each employee are determined based on performance evaluations.

Choosing the trainees Organizational analysis (“departments” which have priority are determined), Performance analysis (“employees” who have priority are determined), Training demands of departments.

Who will fulfill training function? HR department ? HR department and training firms or outside trainers together ? Training firms ? Top management and line managers should provide support to training efforts.

Choosing the trainers Qualifiedness of trainers Qualifiedness on “technical knowledge, skills and attitudes”. Qualifiedness on “the training method” that is to be used.

Training place On-the-job training Off-the-job training Training centers for conferences, seminars etc. (top and medium level) Regional training centers for practical training (low level) Hotels, universities, facilities of several training firms, Banking Association, Ministry of Tourism etc.

Timing and period of training Training should be on an appropriate time. It should not disrupt the work. Should not take so much time for productivity and cost reasons, but should be sufficient considering training aims. Attandance should be provided.

Choosing the training method On-the-job training methods Orientation: A procedure for providing new employees with basic backround information about the company and the job. Coaching: The trainee works directly with a senior manager or with the person he /she is to replace (coach) Job rotation: Moving a trainee from department to department to broaden his/her experience and identify strong and weak points. Internship programs..

Off-the-job training methods Lectures, Case study method, Business games, Role playing, T-group training, In-basket, Brainstorming..

Evaluating training and development effectiveness Any changes after training? If yes, is the change related to training? Does the change add value to the company? If some other employees attend the same training program, can a similar change be provided?

Kirkpatrick model A four-level of model evaluation Reaction, Learning, Behaviour, Results.

Reaction How did participants react to the program? Participants are asked to evaluate the training after completing the program.

Learning Did the participants actually learn the knowledge, skills and attitudes the program was supposed to teach?

Behaviour Do the participants’ behaviours change after training? Are the new knowledge and skills transferred back on the job?

Results Is the change obtained a result of training or is the change caused by some other factors? The last two criterias (behaviour and results) are used to determine “transfer of training”. Definition: Extent to which the learned behaviour from the training program is used on the job.

Training evaluation methods Training evaluation forms, Pre-test and post-test method, Pre-post training performance method, Pre-post training performance with control group method.

Training evaluation forms Simplest form of evaluation, Participants’ views related to training are measured. Easy, inexpensive, Frequently used in organizations, Measured criteria: Reaction

Pre-test and post-test method A test is applied to participants before and after training. If there is an improvement, training is effective. However, the effect of training on performance can not be measured here. Also the difference between the results can not directly be attributed to training. There may be some other reasons for improvement. Measured criteria: Learning

Pre-post training performance method Each participant is evaluated prior to training and rated on actual job performance. Then, after training, he or she is reevaluated. If there is an increase in performance, this is attributed to training. However, some other factors other than training may also have influences on the improvement. Measured criteria: Learning and behaviour.

Pre-post training performance with control group method Experimental group: Participants Control group: Employees; doing similar jobs, having similar qualifications and performance with participants, but do not attend the training program. Employees of both groups are evaluated before and after training and the results are compared.

Possible results Performance of E.G. +, performance of C.G. stable = Training is effective. Performance of E.G. +, performance of C.G. + = Some other reasons Performance of E.G. + > performance of C.G. + = Training is effective, but also some other reasons affect performance. Performance of E.G. stable, performance of C.G. + = Training is not effective. There are some other reasons increasing performance. Performance of E.G. -, performance of C.G. stable or + = Training has a negative effect on job performance.

Pre-post training performance with control group method The strongest method of training evaluation. Measured criterias: Learning, behaviour, results. In this method, the presence of other factors influencing job performance is also determined.