Introduction
Domestic emergency can at times appear to be so stressful. For instance, a water pipe can suddenly burst and start pouring and filling the ceiling with water. It therefore appears very crucial to offer knowledge training for the employees of Homeserve to be up to date with current technology to be better equipped to counter such emergencies. Currently 86% of home owners have undergone some sort of domestic emergency.
Even though Homeserve has a network of experienced contractors, it still seemed important for the CEO to offer knowledge training for the employees at Homeserve. The training program coincides with the business strategy which happens to be creation of knowledgeable employees and offer customers the reassurance of approved engineers who respond promptly and on time to emerging emergencies (Brumitt 23).
Homeserve Company strives to excel as a learning organization and company that majorly deals with a culture of lifelong learning thereby enabling its employees to acquire and share knowledge continually. This desire would help Homeserve to achieve certain set goals such as motivation and retention of best employees. The training program focuses on the following steps;
- Conducting a needs assessment
- Creating a learning environment
- Transferring of training
- Developing an evaluation plan
- Monitoring and evaluating the plan
- The return on investments
CONDUCTS NEEDS ASSESSMENT
A needs analysis has been conducted. The analysis showed that the knowledge training appeared to coincide with the Homeserve strategy, values and vision. Homeserve strategy would be to have membership business model that appears successful and would be used to provide a sustainable and competitive advantage and higher recurring income levels. The main strategy of Homeserve appears as to grow building this growth on the seven key pillars. The vision happens to be to be the first place that people can run to for assistance in cases of any domestic or home emergency. Homeserve has committed its resources to the training program. During the needs assessment, it was proven that all employees needed the training. Rewards for the training would be put in place so as to support the learning process.
EMPLOYEE READINESS AND CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
This simply means determining whether the employees have the abilities, attitude, beliefs and necessary motivation required in learning the program and using the knowledge acquired and apply it practically on the job. It would also be determined whether the work environment would be able to aid and be used for the learning purposes without interfering with the performance. In order to find out the employees readiness, a questionnaire appeared to have been designed to be used in the interview process. While assessing the employee readiness, the following areas would have to be assessed in the questionnaire; (1) whether the employees have a motivation to learn, or whether they can be able to view themselves as successful and if they are aware of the needs for the training, the interest and the goals (Walker & Ryan 38).
(2) The variable of input and output. This area assess what, how and when to perform. It also involves the learning expectations and the performance. (3) The last part of the questionnaire would have to involve the consequences and the feedback. If it happens that employee’s readiness is verified, then the successful transfer of learning would be guaranteed. However, resources utilized would not have a return on investments if learning transfers would not have been given a chance. The following appears to be a list of information found based on employee readiness. Reduction in turnover, deduction time for employee training, less errors in production, decreased employee time to competency, and increased efficiency in training practices among others.
The training site would be inside the organization so that transfer of training would be easy because the work environment would be similar to the training environment. The environment at work has the organizational climate, the necessary support from the senior management, the supervisors and other employees, support rendered by the available technology, the chance to put in use newly acquired capabilities and constraints placed on the individual limiting their ability to perform the learned skills on the job.
However, since the organization of Homeserve has proven to be committed in using its resources in supporting the training program, the transfer climate would have to be seen as favorable. The learning environment for the training program would have to consist primarily of the people learning by observing others and positive reinforcements and encouragements would have to be put in place during the training program.
TRANSFER OF TRAINING
Before transfer of training, three major points must first be considered. These are; the characteristics of the trainee, the method used for training and the work environment. However, since the training program would require to use a lot of resources, it would therefore be important for the employees involved in the exercise to listen keenly, acquire the necessary skills and put them in to practice in the work environment so that it would not be seen as if the training was all in vain or all for nothing. Moreover, some characteristics of the trainee for instance the employee motivation and ability of the employee have already been talked about in the questionnaire used during the interview process of the employee readiness. However, the characteristics of the trainee must include certain variables. For instance; the employee’s knowledge, his various skills and ability, employee motivation, and personality. Evidence that individual self-efficacy, conscientiousness, valence, and anxiety appeared to be major characteristics of the trainees that had the largest level of impact on motivation to learn, which was subsequently related to transfer measures. The method used for training would have to have the objectives listed in the Training Action Plan and will explain how each objective affects the employees in offering quality home service to the customers. Each employee of Homeserve involved in the training program should manage to desire a state of self-management. The training program happens not to be forced; however, the involved trainees appear to be allowed to be in control of when they can have the training course. The trainees will be responsible for initiating the training program for themselves. Trainees will have access to new products of technology available for use during home service, best practices and support from the senior management.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN EVALUATION PLAN
However, because the training program appears to be in the early stages, formative evaluations will be carried out to ensure the program was well developed and the Homeserve employees learnt from the program and then put in to practice what they have learnt. A survey and research on the customers who have been served after the training would be carried out. This would confirm to the CEO and the entire organization that the training program have benefited the organization. However, pilot testing will be done by the Homeserve CEO to make sure the content coincides with the business strategy of being the first place customers turn to when they have a domestic emergency (Broad, Mary & Newstrom 45).
MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE PLAN
The surest way of evaluating the training program would be through observation. After the training, it would only be fair to find out if the employees indeed gained from the training. Customers served by Homeserve employees would then be interviewed to find out if they are satisfied with the work done for them and what their thought are on the new and improved technologies. If indeed it comes out that the customers of Homeserve are happy and satisfied then the program can be sated as successful. However, if the customers appear not to be happy, then an improvement must be done (Monitoring 35). Based on the findings of the survey, the training program will be updated accordingly. Continued emphasis will be to improve the training program, the content and the delivery.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Some of the expenses incurred would include; Cost of article training - would be approximately $7.00 per article. ($2.50 towards rewards, 2 .50 for copying, $1.00 for administrative time and other direct costs for $1.00) Benefits to include increased knowledge for the trainee and also better performance. There would be direct costs and indirect costs. Direct cost would have to include: Instructor, in-house instructor, fringe benefits, travel expenses, materials and classroom activities. Indirect cost would mostly include: training management, administration, postage, telephone and shipping cost for the new and improved technologies.
Nevertheless, the cost for one day in-house instructor led training - would be approximately $450.00. Benefits of this part of the training would include increased knowledge, cross-training, increase scope of responsibilities, better performance of the employees among others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it has been proven that the core of any business appear to be its employees, therefore, the implementation of this training program would end up supporting the career growth for Homeserve employees. Moreover, Investing in employees through this training program will support the business strategy and create a motivated team which would aid the business by performing their duties promptly and thus giving the business a good name and in the process retaining the former customers and acquiring new ones hence profit increment.
Works cited
Broad, Mary L., and John W. Newstrom.Transfer of training: action-packed strategies to ensure
high payoff from training investments. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1992. Print.
Brumitt, Jason. Core assessment and training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2010. Print.
Monitoring, Evaluation. Cooperative Monitoring, Evaluation & Research (CMER) abstracts.
Olympia, Wash.?: Timber, Fish & Wildlife, 1994. Print.
Walker, Gail, and Ryan McRobert. Trust and transparency?: the consumer perspective on the
partnership between Scottish Water and HomeServe. Glasgow: Consumer Focus Scotland, 2012. Print.
