Training and development is critical in the management of business today. Training can be defined as the action of impacting employees with knowledge on certain areas in order to help them keep up to date with the changing environment. It reduces redundancy of employees and ensures the workforce is skilled and motivated. Development on the other hand is about the growth of an individual from one level to another higher level. It ensures an individual can be able to cope in the marketplace equipped with the right expertise to have confidence in tackling the tasks ahead (Raymond 26).
There has been a shift from the earlier approach of training and development to a more modern outlook. In the earlier times it was viewed as a costly endeavor which did not bring in benefits against the resources used. It was not a mandatory management tool aimed at bringing in results. In the recent times however there has been a shift from the traditional view. Training and development is currently a key management issue. It is very strategic and a lot of importance has been put into the program.
The main key areas on which the program focuses on include the society, individual, organizational and functional needs. Through the society training and development aims to create awareness to the needs and issues which are affecting the community. The employees are educated to be ethical in their dealings with all members of the society. In individual goals, it is essential to lead to the fulfillment of specific personal milestones to be met. The organization sets to meet the plans in place. The program allows for the individual maximum potential to be released (Raymond 42). This is the main initiative to the entity. There has to be a workforce which is directed to make sure the organization moves forward.
The case focuses on training and development of the five associates in the commitment and accountability of their actions. They should also have strong and effective leadership skills. The training and development includes avoiding discrimination with banning of harassment. They will also be equipped with skills on bargaining power to be able to have a competitive edge in their field of business. The program will work to instill a learning culture in the business. All the associates must be commitment to acquiring of new knowledge each and every day. Training and development will be done in the course of employment. The steps outlined below will be followed.
Current situation deals with the challenges facing the organization both internally and externally. We must also analyze the skills available to future and current employees. This is in regard to the climate of the business. The actual requirements should be separated from the perceived ones and those which are in existence. The discrepancy in between will help us know what we should deal with promptly.
In this phase we identify problems which can be tackled with the new program of training. We also deal with the competitive edge the program will provide and direction to follow. Internal and the outward forces which affect the program will be analyzed. After the needs have been established we have to list them according to urgency. Issues on the cost involved will be reviewed. Compliance to legal rules is also mandatory. The expectations of the topmost management in the application of the program are analyzed to deal with the culminating pressure. The number of all the people who will be included in the program and the overall influence of the program towards the consumers are important to investigate.
The people to be trained should be evaluated on the work they perform .It must be evident that they are fully conversant with their job description. They should also be working towards making sure that they fulfill the responsibilities that have been bestowed on them. Growth opportunities should be set even when problems are not identified. This can be done to shift the direction in which the organization goes (Beebe, Timothy & David 49). The training program will seek to correct the problems that the management faces. Feedback on the appropriateness of the techniques applied is sought from peers, friends and supervisors of the entity. In this phase the funds required to sustain the program will be budgeted and resources set aside. After this phase the decisions on the overall outlook of the program with the specific goals to meet and the expectations to be dealt with on application of the policies.
Phase two is on designing and developing on the trainee program. In this phase, according to the needs of the organization; the learning objectives should be realized and this should be centered on achieving the whole experience of the program. The objectives should be designed well in accordance with the needs of the training program. Topics covering issues such as communication, time management, conflict resolution, stress management, job expectation, cultural diversity and coaching will be taught (Beebe, Timothy & David 53). A sequence will be devised in the learning process. The objectives are tailored to meet the set goals of the training program. The methods of learning used are those which will ensure that the learners absorb as much information as can be managed. The five associates were in preference of tutorials followed by practical assessments especially in building teamwork and improving communication.
Phase three will be on implementing the program and finally in phase four evaluation of the program to establish if the desired goals were achieved. In implementation of the program one has to determine the commitment to attendance of the recipients, and communicating importance of everyone participating in the training. The seating arrangement will be fan type to allow for maximum interaction between the trainees. The most important knowledge for the trainer would be to ensure the trainees are conversant with the current organization laws and rules and their application techniques. The trainees should have technical skills to match with their job description (Raymond 57). Their ability on performance of the responsibilities allocated to them. They should produce quality work. Evaluation should be done if the training is yielding any goals ascribed to the program. Feedback on ways to improve on the program should be taken into account. In the event there e is a change in the goals it should be incorporated in the program. A change in the learning materials to adjust for the differences has to be made.
The final phase is evaluation. This is done to assess the overall achievement of the training to meet the set objectives. This is done on short term goals. It can also be on the intermediate and long term goals. In this phase tests can be issued on understanding of the topic. People can also perform actions they are trained on. Post program feedback should be done on performance contracts and questionnaires. The cost benefit analysis of the program should be done.
Works Cited
Raymond Noe. Employee Training and Development. New York: McGraw- Hill. 2009- Print
Beebe, Steven, Timothy Mottet, & David Roach. Training Development: Enhancing
Communication and Leadership Skills. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. 2003-Print
