1 Canadian Human Resource Management: A Strategic Approach Orientation and Training Chapter 7

2 The Balance Between New Employee Capabilities and Job Demands New Employee Capabilities OrientationTraining Job Demands

3 Orientation Programs Programs that familiarize new employees with their roles, the organization, its policies and other employees and promote the socialization process. Socialization: the continuing process by which an employee begins to understand and accept the values, norms, and beliefs held by others in the organization.

4 Purposes of Orientation: Reduce employee turnover Reduce errors and save time Develop clear job and organizational expectations Improve job performance

5 Purposes of Orientation Attain acceptable job performance levels faster Increase organization stability Reduce employee anxiety

6 Purposes of Orientation Reduce grievances Result in fewer instances of corrective discipline measures

7 Topics often covered in Employee Orientation Programs Organizational Issues: Employer history Organization Names/titles of key executives Employee’s title and department Physical facilities Probationary period

8 Topics often covered in Employee Orientation Programs Organizational Issues: Product line or service Production process Policies and rules Disciplinary regulations Employee handbook Safety procedures and enforcement

9 Topics often covered in Employee Orientation Programs Employee Benefits Pay scales/paydays Vacations and holidays Rest breaks Training and education

10 Topics often covered in Employee Orientation Programs Employee Benefits Counselling Insurance Retirement Employer-provided services Rehabilitation programs

11 Topics often covered in Employee Orientation Programs Introductions To supervisor To trainers To co-workers To employee counsellor

12 Topics often covered in Employee Orientation Programs Job Duties Job location Job tasks Job safety requirements Overview of job Job objectives Relationship to other jobs

13 Orientation Pitfalls -- (The human resource manager and supervisor should ensure the employee is not: overwhelmed with too much information to absorb in a short time; given only menial tasks that discourage job interest and company loyalty; overloaded with forms to fill out and manuals to read;

14 Orientation Pitfalls -- (The human resource manager and supervisor should ensure the employee is not: pushed into the job with a sketch orientation under the mistaken philosophy that “trial by fire” is the best orientation; forced to fill in the gaps between a broad orientation by the human resource department and a narrow orientation at the department level.

15 Needs Assessment: Diagnoses present problems and environmental challenges that can be met through training, or the future challenges to be met through long-term development.

16 Training Objectives should state: the desired behaviour the conditions under which this behaviour is to occur the acceptable performance criteria

17 Training Objectives: Serve as the standard against which individual performance and the training program can be measured Allow both the trainee and the trainer to evaluate their success against specific goals

18 Learning Principles: Guidelines to the ways in which people learn most effectively.

19 Learning Principles: Participation – learn more quickly and retain learning longer Repetition – etches a pattern into our memory Relevance – learning in helped when material to be learned is meaningful to the trainee

20 Learning Principles: Transference – the closer the demands of the training program match the demands of the job, the faster a person can master the job Feedback – motivated learners can adjust their behaviour to achieve the quickest possible learning curve

21 Steps in the Evaluation of Training Evaluation Criteria Pre-test Trained or Developed Workers Post-testTransfer to the Job Follow-up Studies