1. Training the Workforce
Chapter 8
Training the Workforce
The workplace today is rapidly changing due to technological, global, demographic, and competitive factors (to name a few), which are all causing necessary changes in the workplace in order for organizations to stay competitive. These changes sometimes mean that employees have to become trained to acquire newer skills and knowledge to stay competitive and non-obsolete. Training is an expensive cost to organizations and must be done efficiently and effectively. We’ll look at some of the challenges organizations face in training their workforce.
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2. Chapter Challenges Have familiarity with key training issues
Become aware of training versus development
Recognize challenges in training
Topics covered in Chapter 8 include the following: (1) having familiarity with key training issues, (2) becoming aware of training versus development, and (3) recognizing challenges in training.
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3. Chapter Challenges Learn practices for managing the training process
Become aware of a special case: orientation and socialization
Other areas that we’ll cover in the chapter are (4) learning the practices for managing the training and (5) becoming aware of orientation and socialization. Now let’s look at key training issues facing today’s organizations.
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4. Key Training Issues
How can training keep pace with a changing organizational environment?
Should training be in the classroom or on the job?
How can training be effectively delivered worldwide?
How can trainees be motivated to learn?
Some of the important training issues facing today’s organizations are presented as follows:
How can training keep pace with a changing organizational environment? As products, sales procedures, and equipment change, online content can be easily created or changed and disseminated to employees. However, is poorer learning or application occurring?
Should training be in the classroom or on the job (OTJ)? Classroom training is traditional, yet can be tricky in physically arranging because of geographic constraints. One downside is that it’s not as realistic as OTJ training, but OTJ training can slow things down.
How can training be effectively delivered worldwide? This may require learning advanced skills or interpersonal skills that require classroom and face-to-face interactions. Heavy costs can be associated with this type of training.
How can trainees be motivated to learn? The key to motivating trainees is for them to see that the training is specific and relevant for them and their job.
We’ll now look at training versus development.
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5. Training vs. Development
Although training is often used in conjunction with development, the terms are not synonymous.
Training refers to the process of providing employees with specific skills or helping them correct deficiencies in their performance.
Development refers to an effort to provide employees with the abilities that organizations will need in the future.
This table summarizes the differences between training and development. In training, the focus is on the current job; in development, the focus is on both current job and the job that employee will hold in the future. The scope of training is on the individual; the scope in development is on the team or organization as a whole. The time frame is immediate with the individual, whereas in development, there is a long term time frame. Training addresses specific deficits. Training strongly influences present performance levels and development pays off in terms of more capable and flexible long-term human resources.
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6. Challenges in Training
Is training the solution to the problem?
Are the goals of training clear and realistic?
Is training a good investment?
Will training work?
The training process brings with it a number of questions that managers must answer. These are:
Is training the solution to the problem?
Are the goals of training clear and realistic?
Is training a good investment?
Will training work?
In order for training to be effective, goals need to be clearly defined and articulated before training is set up. Answers to these questions depend on organizational goals, budget, and time frame needed. Thorough insight into all that is transpiring within the organization needs to be identified and determined to see if training is truly needed.
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7. Managing the Training Process
Poor, inappropriate, or inadequate training can be a source of frustration for everyone involved. To maximize the benefits of training, managers must closely monitor the training process. This figure shows the formal training process that consists of three phases: (1) the needs assessment phase, (2) the development and conduct of training phase, and (3) the evaluation phase. The needs assessment involves identifying the problems or needs that the training must address. The development and conduct phase involves deciding the most appropriate type of training to be designed and offered to the workforce. In the evaluation phase, the training program’s effectiveness is assessed.
Usually, employee surveys and manager input are a part of the need assessment phase. The actual training is typically done by the organization’s own training department or an external source is used. Evaluation becomes a crucial phase, as it’s important to determine what worked.
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8. Levels of Needs Assessment
Organizational Analysis
Task Analysis
Person Analysis
Needs assessment consists of three levels: organizational, task, and person analysis.
Organizational analysis: Examines broad factors such as the organization’s culture, mission, business climate, long- and short-term goals, and structure. The purpose is to identify both overall organizational needs and the level of support for training.
Task analysis: The examination of the job to be performed. A recent and carefully conducted job analysis should provide all the information needed to understand job requirements.
Person analysis: Determines which employees need training by examining how well employees are carrying out the tasks that make up their jobs. Training is often necessary when there is a discrepancy between a worker’s performance and the organization’s expectations or standards.
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9. Expatriate Assignment and Training Needs
Country Characteristics
Job Characteristics
As a manager, there are three basic categories to consider when looking at possible training needs for expatriates and repatriates:
Country characteristics: How different is the country from the one where the employee currently resides? The greater the difference, the more training needed. Learning the new language, values, customs, and practices are just some of the items of training needed. Cross-cultural training may also be needed, and repatriation training.
Job characteristics: The nature of the job will determine the type of training needed. Obtaining the needed supplies and materials may be difficult. Competency training may also be required.
Worker characteristics: The worker’s competencies will determine what training is required. Not only will the job itself be assessed in determining the training needed, but also how well the expatriate or repatriate is capable of performing the position emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Assessments can help determine a number of these aspects.
Worker Characteristics
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10. Clarifying the Training Objectives
Develop set of objectives
Relate objectives to KSAs
State behavioral terms
The objectives for a training program should be based on the assessment phase. Each objective should relate to one or more of the KSAs identified in the task analysis and should be challenging, precise, achievable, and understood by all.
Objectives should be stated in behavioral terms and the criteria for judging the training program’s effectiveness should flow directly from the behavioral objectives. Stating the objective in behavioral terms requires determining what an employee will know, do, and not do after training. Creating specific objectives will make it clear what’s expected of the employee when engaged in the tasks of the job.
Create specific objectives
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11. Training and Conduct Phase
On-the-Job Training
Job Rotation
Apprenticeships
Internships
Off-the-Job Training
Training can be carried out either on-the-job or off-the-job. On-the-job (OTJ) training: The trainee works in the actual work setting, usually under the guidance of an experienced worker, supervisor, or trainer. OTJ training provides hands-on experience. Job rotation: Allows employees to gain experience in different kinds of narrowly defined jobs in the organization.
Apprenticeships: Associated with adults wanting to work in certain occupations, such as carpentry and plumbing, and generally lasts about 4 years. The starting pay is usually about half that of the more experienced journeyman workers.
Internships: A route to white-collar or managerial jobs in a variety of fields. Internships help students gain real-world experience.
Off-the-job training: Aan effective alternative to OTJ training. Common examples include formal courses, simulations, role-playing, and classroom settings.
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12. Presentation Options Slides and Videotapes Tele-training Computers
Simulations
Virtual Reality
Classroom Instruction and Role Play
Trainers use a variety of presentation techniques in training sessions.
Slides and videos: Can be used off the job or on location where needed. This a one-way type of training that does not allow for questions or feedback. It’s static, but convenient.
Tele-training: Can be useful when trainees are dispersed across various physical locations. Equipment is key, meaning that access to equipment is crucial. This tends to somewhat be a two-way method in that it will allow for questions and immediate feedback. Costs are usually a deterrent for organizations.
Computers: Training can be either via CD-ROM or over the Internet. This is a cost-effective and convenient way to train. However, it is a one-way method that doesn’t allow for questions or feedback.
Simulation: Organizations use simulation when the information to be mastered is complex, the equipment used on the job is expensive, and the costs of wrong decisions are high. Simulation training is used in the military, police force, airline industry, trucking industry, NASA, and other high-tech, high-stakes types of tasks that are critical to be correct and are expensive.
Virtual reality: A relatively new an emerging technology that provides a “realistic” experience without it being real. This type of training is used in many high-tech training programs.
Classroom instruction and role play: Role play has been used in a number of management training sessions and has been effective. It allows for people to experience scenarios without them being real and allows for immediate feedback and mentoring of peers and instructor. Interpersonal skills training is one example of this type of training.
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13. Types of Training Skills Training Retraining Cross-Functional Training
Team Training
Creativity Training
Literacy Training
Diversity Training
Crisis Training
Ethics Training
Customer Service Training
There are numerous types of training. Job aids (pamphlets, reference guides, manuals) usually accompany many types of training.
Skills training: The most common type of training; set up to provide skills needed for specific tasks in the job.
Retraining: Gives the employees the skills needed to keep pace with a job’s changing requirements.
Cross-functional training: Teaches employees to perform operations in other areas other than their current positions.
Team training: Has become common in companies. Team training can either be content task (related to team’s goals) or group processes (pertaining to the way members function as a team).
Creativity training: A common approach is brainstorming. Critics argue that this type of training is hard to measure.
Literacy training: Trains people to either write, speak, or read in a language. It is training the mastery of a basic skill.
Diversity training: Designed to teach employees about specific cultural and gender differences and how to respond to them appropriately.
Crisis training: Done either to avoid or prepare for crisis or as an after-the-fact response to a crises.
Ethics training: Can clarify the policies and help employees apply them to their everyday work.
Customer service training: Helps employees understand how to meet customer needs and avoid and handle conflicts.
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14. Techniques to Increase Creativity
Brainstorming is a creativity training technique in which participants are given the opportunity to generate ideas openly, without fear or judgment. This table demonstrates the many ways in which to brainstorm.
Analogies and metaphors can be helpful in drawing comparisons and finding similarities.
Free association with words can lead to unexpected solutions.
Personal analogy is helpful in seeing oneself as the problem, which leads to fresh perspectives.
Mind mapping is used to dump ideas on paper, whiteboard, or sticky notes and then arrange them in like categories or create logical groupings of items.
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15. The Evaluation Phase Four-Level Framework for Evaluation
Reaction of the trainees
How much the trainees learn
Trainees’ behavior
Results
The evaluation phase of the training process focuses on whether the training program was effective. Training should be analyzed on how well it addressed the needs it was designed to meet. Assessing the effectiveness of training is more than simply estimating financial costs and benefits. A four-level framework for evaluation includes level one, which refers to the reaction of the trainees. This can include feedback and surveys. Level two refers to how much the trainees learn, and that can be assessed with a skills exercise. Level three refers to the trainee’s behavior, and it may be measured by observers of the work operation. Finally, level four refers to the results, which are generally assessed through the financial measure of return on investment, or ROI.
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16. Legal Issues in Training
Subject to EEO regulation and anti-discriminatory laws
Employees must have access to training and development programs
Job relevance is a valid defense
Training should be available to all employees, including women and minorities. Training and development programs are subject to EEO regulation and should be void of discriminatory practices and not prove to have adverse impact on minority populations. Additionally, as we have learned with determining training needs, training programs must substantively reflect job relevance, as that will hold up in the courts.
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17. Orientation and Socialization
Informs employee of company and expectations
Realistic job preview
Socialization
Three Phases:
1. Anticipatory
2. Encounter
3. Settling in
Much research has shown that organizations that provide ample orientation to new employees will yield lower turnover. Orientation programs can also quickly acclimate the new employee to the organizational culture and values. Orientation, also known as onboarding, is the process of informing new employees about what is expected of them in the job and helping them cope with the stresses of transition.
The socialization process is often informal and can be divided into three phases: (1) anticipatory, (2) encounter, and (3) settling in.
Additionally, a realistic job preview is probably the best method of creating appropriate expectations about the job.
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18. Summary and Conclusions
Training versus Development
Challenges in Training
Managing the Training Process
A Special Case: Orientation and Socialization
Training and development are critical to the ongoing success of an organization. In this chapter, we’ve learned the difference between training and development. We’ve also discussed the challenges in training and managing through the training process. Last, we’ve discussed the difference between orientation and socialization.
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19. Pearson Education, Inc. Copyright
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