Which learning principle is an application of training to actual job situations?

written by Ahmed Khalaf

HR Diploma 2010

Enlightenment:

The purpose of this document is to demonstrate the role of training, development, and career planning in enhancing both individual’s and organization’s performance and, subsequently, improving their productivity and quality of work. 

Each organization has its objectives, goals, and strategies; profits are one of the organizations’ goals; these profits depend on the production and its quality.

In order to reach a satisfactory level of productivity and quality of work, the organization has to get potential staff and have them trained and developed.

Training and Development is one of the key departments in the Human Resources Department because they play a significant role in the improvement of individual capabilities and professional progress of organizational employees. Several studies have underlined the relationship between properly designed and strategically planned training and development policies and business firms’ profitability. Therefore, companies recently pay attention and lots of money in T&D and career planning, which are considered essential HR key tools that are used as corrective measures or actions to restore any imbalance between actual and standard performance.

The coming few pages will demonstrate how training, development, and career planning are important and how each one is implemented and evaluated. 

DEFINITIONS:

 Training:

Training is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills, concepts, rules, or changing attitudes and behavior to enhance employees’ performance. It can be defined as “The process of teaching new employees the basic skills they need to perform their jobs.”

Career:

The occupational positions a person has had over the years.

Career Planning: 

The process through which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge, motivations, and other characteristics; and establishes action plans to attain specific goals.

IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Productivity and quality of work are one of the strategic objectives of any organization. To achieve the organization’s objectives, a well qualified, skilled, and potential staff should be existed.

Training and Development is one of the key tools in the HR department that plays a significant role in implementing its strategic plan and achieving its goals and objectives. T&D cares for all employees from the first day they join the organization by providing them with an orientation program to familiarize them with their roles, with the organization, and with other employees; and providing them with relevant training required to improve the skills and enhance their performance which will positively impact the organization’s performance.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT ROLE

Training and development department close up employees at all levels and the organization. It helps supervisors lead their subordinates and helps juniors understand their jobs. The role also includes newly hired personnel to adapt them to the organization’s environment, policies, procedures, etc. This is called Orientation; 

Orientation: 

Orientation programs have new employees familiarized with the organization’s environment and make them part of their family. Effective orientation should cover such topics as policies, procedures, rules, and safety, and a tour of the company’s facilities. It should also include a company’s history. Orientation programs, if properly prepared and well-conducted, can cover many areas as follow:

– Reduce employee turnover: employees are more likely to quit during their first few months than at any other time of their employment, and the reason is that they are not comfortable with the organization’s environment or sociality wise, but in the case of a successful orientation program this turnover can be reduced.

– Reduce errors and save time: the difference between oriented and non-oriented employees is typically like the difference between experienced and new employees; so, a well-oriented employee knows exactly what is expected of him, making him a fewer mistake.

– Improve job performance: orientation program helps new employees to build a good relationship with the organization, colleagues, and supervisors; those new employees who succeed in building a good relationship; tend to be more productive and hence; are getting started and reached the acceptable job performance level faster. 

– Increase organizational stability: An effective orientation program helps communicate the company’s policies and procedures to new employees so that they understand the regulations and act accordingly, which reduces complaints and unexpected behaviors.

In Summary, an orientation program speeds up the socialization process; it helps the new employee understands the social, technical, and cultural aspects of the workplace and makes him part of the organization’s family so that he becomes able to deal with his colleagues, superiors and do his tasks in an easy and comfortable environment and accordingly enhances his performance, increases his productivity and improves his quality where it helps the organization implements its strategic plans and approaches its goals and objectives.

Training: 

Companies today – who seek a competitive advantage – must adopt an excellent strategy to manage their human resources. Training is another important tool that HR uses to help the organization approach its strategy by improving work productivity and quality. 

In fact, the main aspect of the human resources management strategy is the relationship between manager and employee. Many studies confirm that the most important reasons that prompt people to quit are the immediate bosses and not the income, nor search for a better chance. And because the direct boss is a most effective element, the Human Resources Department focuses on training and development of managers’ thinking of their employees and development of the concept of relationship to evolve into something like a partnership, not dependence, because the partnership means more responsibility that leads to more belonging to the organization. This loyalty will, of course, be succeeded by more productivity.

Consequently, training is not limited to new employees. It might also be needed for experienced employees to reduce poor work habits or learn new skills that improve their performance. 

Employees gain benefits from training such as self-development and stronger self-confidence, more effective handling of stress and conflicts. On the other hand, there are also some benefits that the organization gains from the training, such as improved profitability through higher productivity, improved morale, better corporate image, lower costs, and stronger identification with corporate goals.

Training will not lead to the intended productivity and improvement unless it is effectively provided. These individuals and organizations’ benefits can be achieved by successful and effective training that must have five critical phases to ensure that the training has been properly designed, properly delivered, and achieved the needed objective. These five phases are called the ADDIE Model.

Assessment:

Assessment is when data is collected to identify gaps between actual and desired organization’s performance. If these gaps are related to a lack of employees’ performance, specific training must be developed.

To develop an effective training program, HR specialists and concern managers must identify and analyze the needs and objectives for which the training program is designed for. And to design or develop an effective training program, there are basic steps to be followed in preparing a training program; the below graphic figure shows the flow of these steps.

 The above flow chart shows the cycle of effective training, which starts from needs analysis, set objects and evaluation criteria, review the program content and learning principles, and implementing the program to gain the required SKA (Skills, Knowledge, and Ability).

Needs Analysis:

An organization’s success depends on its human resources who operate and run the business, and any lack of performance will negatively affect the organization’s strategy and productivity. However, training is not the solution for all problems, employee’s lack performance could be due to some other reasons such as disappointment, sometimes employee does not do the job not because he does not know how to do it, but might because he does not want to do it, in this case, training will not be useful.

Therefore, to avoid useless training programs that cost money and waste time for nothing, it’s essential to do some investigations on the training needs before assigning training to an employee. This process is called Needs Analysis. The data to be analyzed differ according to the targeted employee.

The needs analysis process helps HR professionals identify the required skills and knowledge to familiarize new employees or correct existing employees’ deficiencies and find the best solutions by designing the right training programs.

Conducting needs analysis for new employees is different from existing employees, and HR professionals must consider it. 

Task Analysis:

HR professional usually conducts task analysis before designing training to those inexperienced and newly joined the organization (usually lower-level worker) or to the existing employees who are planned to take over different or additional responsibilities through transferring to another job or through promotion to a higher job. So HR professional, in this case, will have to analyze the tasks to determine the required skills and knowledge and translate these needs into a training program to make sure that the targeted employee will gain the right skills and knowledge to be able to perform easily and smoothly, this process is called Task Analysis. It can be defined as “a detailed study of job tasks to identify the specific skills required.” Task analysis is being conducted using the job description and job specifications where the HR professional can list the job’s specific duties and skills required to perform these duties.

For example: in the company “X,” it is decided to combine two sections with being one department, as a result of this combination; some positions were to be closed and some other positions to be created. One of the closed positions was Filling Clerk, and one of the new positions was Department Secretary.

HR professional thought that he might save some money and time by promoting the Filling Clerk to Department Secretary and train her on the required skills and knowledge instead of hiring an experienced candidate.

The first step that HR professionals did is Task Analysis to make sure that the training program is properly designed and the employee has had the right SKA (Skills, Knowledge, and Ability) to easily and smoothly handle the new job.

Appendix-1 is a Task Analysis Record form that will help HR professionals design a proper training program for the employee who will be promoted from Filling Clerk to Department Secretary.

Performance Analysis:

As mentioned earlier, lack or deficiency in performance does not mean that the employee does not know how to do the job (can’t-do), but he might not want to do it (won’t-do). HR professional’s first stage of his role to determine the case if it is can’t-do or won’t-do?

Usually, when the deficiency is a won’t-do problem, the employees are depressed or disappointed. Those employees don’t need training but need motivation or incentives. This kind of problem can be solved by another treatment other than training to transfer to another position or another department.

But when the deficiency is a can’t-do problem, training is considered the best solution to correct the deficiency. And to design a proper training program, HR professional has to determine the lack of performance of the employee, and performance analysis is the only way to determine the weaknesses of the employee that HR professional needs to focus on. This process is called Performance Analysis and can be defined as “The process of verifying that there is a performance deficiency and determining whether that deficiency should be corrected through training or through some other means such as transferring the employee.”

First, make sure that the employee lacks performance; this needs to compare the employee’s actual performance to what it should be. Accordingly, the HR professional decides if the employee lacks performance or not, and if yes, which areas the employee needs to be trained on. 

Many tools or methods can be used for performance analysis such as Performance appraisal, Job-related performance data (productivity, quality of work, absenteeism, etc.), Supervisor’s observations, Interview with the employee or his/her supervisor, testing job knowledge and skills, etc.

Example: HR Department received a memo from Marketing Manager stating that he has two sales representatives unable to meet the sales target few months continuously. Marketing Manager has related this problem to their weaknesses and lack of performance. An HR professional’s reviewed the job description and specifications, employees’ experience and qualifications, performance appraisal, and finally interviewed them independently, and found that the first one doesn’t like this position because all his past experiences were in researches where he can find himself fruitful and productive. The other one likes his job but cannot communicate with the customer due to his English and due to his poor knowledge of the organization’s product.

Upon the above analysis, HR professional determined that the first employee does not need training but needs to be transferred to another section other than sales where he can perform better, due to his experience; therefore, the best solution is to transfer him to Marketing Researches Section. Whereas the second one is lack communications and product knowledge, where it can be strengthened through two different training programs.

The first employee is shifted to Researches Section. The second employee has been given a training program on communications skills and an orientation program on its product. One year later, both employees are happy, and their performance appraisal showed a high-performance level.

Set an Objective:

Upon finalizing the performance analysis and confirming that it’s a can’t-do problem and training is needed. HR professional needs to set an objective that specifies what the trainee should accomplish upon completing the training program and evaluation criteria that will make sure the objective has been approached.

“Objectives” give the trainer and the trainee specific goals that can be used by both to evaluate their success. If these objectives are not met, “Failure” gives the Human Resources Department feedback on the program and the participants.

The objective must be in line with the Organization’s objective to design the training program properly. Of course, the results of the training will reflect on the performance and productivity and quality enhancement.

Design a Training Program:

Design is the phase where initial decisions regarding the learning contents and delivery methods are made. 

Learning cannot be observed, but its results can be measured; an HR professional’s goal is that the learning curve reaches a satisfactory level of performance as quickly as possible. The rate at which an individual learns depends on him. However, the use of various learning principles helps speed up the learning process. The more learning principles are included in the training; the more effective training is likely to be. The principles are:

Participation: Trainee, as more he participates, as quicker he learns, and learning can be retained longer. A trainee usually remembers things that he participated in.

Repetition: Repeating etches a pattern into memories.

Relevance: The trainer should explain to the trainees the purpose and objective of the training to feel the relevance of the tasks and provided materials to the training program.

Transference: Transference is the applicability of training to job situations. The closer the training program’s demands match the demands of the job, the faster the trainee learns and transfers the knowledge to the job.

Feedback: Feedback gives trainees information on their progress, and motivated trainees can adjust their behaviors to achieve the quickest possible learning curve.

Develop a Training Program:

In the phase where the training program is ready for delivery, the HR professional must define the proper method to deliver the training to the trainees. Selection of delivery methods depends on the following factors:

 Cost-effectiveness (training cost limitation or training budget).

 Desired program objective and content.

 The time frame of the training program.

 Appropriateness of the available facilities.

 Audience’s preferences and capabilities.

An HR professional will check the above points and analyze the situation, thereafter decides which of the following method to follow: 

– On-the-job Training:

OJT is a method whereby a person learns a job by actually doing it. OJT is used to teach workers how to do their present job; this type of training includes all the learning principles (participation, repetition, relevance, transfers, and feedback). Usually, OJT is conducted by coaching and/or monitoring.

– Classroom Training:

An instructor usually leads this traditional method of conducting training in a classroom setting. The face to face classroom structure permits the use of several principals such as participation, repetition, transfers, relevance, and feedback). Other methods can also be used (presentations, case studies, reading, demonstrations, simulations, group discussion, and structured exercise.

– Self-directed Study:

This method allows the trainees to progress independently through a set of training materials such as workbooks, CDs, or web-based materials). This method is usually conducted without an Instructor.

– E-Learning:

It includes web-based learning, computer-based training, and online discussion in which the trainee receives formal and informal training, educational materials, and programs via electronic media.

– Blended Learning:

It is a method that includes a combination of several methods, such as classroom, e-learning, self-paced, and coaching.

The importance of selecting the proper delivery method is to ensure that the trainees will get the most level of understanding and that the information has been successfully delivered to the trainees; the next step is implementing the training program.

Implementing a Training Program:

In this phase, the program is ready for delivery to the targeted trainees. It’s the most visible phase in the ADDIE process.

As soon as the HR professional designed the training program and selected the proper delivery method, he might conduct a pilot program where he initially offers the program in a controlled environment with s segment of the target trainees.

Observations and feedback from participants of the pilot audience are used to revise the program’s content since, based on the observations from the audience and instructor, some content might need to be removed, added, and/or modified. Sequencing of the content might also be amended based on the results of measuring the learning activities’ efficiency.

The pilot program also gives us a full picture of the time frame of the training program. As a result of the pilot program, the time allotted is assessed. Accordingly, HR professionals will schedule the actual training program paying attention to the target audience, learning outcomes, deadline for completion, conducting during working hours or evening time, and if weekends are required.

Thereafter, HR professionals will have to select a suitable facilitator according to the training contents and target audience.

Also, a significant step that HR professional must pay attention to while preparing for training implementation, which is the facilities selection, such as:

Location: the location of the training program has an impact on its success, and it depends on the target trainees, method of delivery, media to be used, and any special needs such as computers or simulation aids.

Environment: comfortable environment also has a big impact on the effectiveness of the program since the audience should be seated in a comfortable classroom, clear vision and audios, reasonable room temperature, lighting system, and media equipment. Breaks also should be carefully planned to keep the audience refreshed and alerted.

Space Requirements: reasonable space is also one of the comfortable elements to the audiences. However, training that needs simulations or role-playing needs more space than training that needs presentations.

Seating Arrangement: based on the type of training program, a proper seating arrangement needs to be taken, such as classroom, banquet, circle, and rectangular. However, this arrangement depends on the number of audiences and the type of training program.

Announcing and conducting the program:

After having all the above arranged and confirmed, announcing the program is the next step. It’s imperative to increase the training program’s interest before it starts so that the target individuals are motivated to attend. Interest and motivation will result in the easy transfer of the information from the instructor to them.

Evaluation:

The most essential and important phase in the training process where HR professionals will assess and evaluate the training program results to make sure that the training needs and established objectives are met.

Training results can be observed from the participants’ reactions, their job behaviors’ change, and organizational performance changes.

Since the training program was designed and implemented to cover a lack of organizational performance, it’s vital to evaluate the training program to measure how far the training met the established needs and objectives. 

There are four items to be evaluated after the training program which are:

Reactions: evaluate trainee’s reactions to the program; this is usually done by survey or interview after the training is over. This way measures how the trainee liked the program and its contents rather than their learning level (Appendix-2).

Learning: evaluate trainee’s learning and how well he learned principles, facts, ideas, concepts, theories, and attitudes that he is supposed to learn. There are three methods to measure trainee’s learning after the training program:

Post-measure: where the trainee is given tests after the training which assess their learning. This method might not be accurate since the trainee might answer the previous knowledge questions, whereas his skills level has not been changed.

Pre/post-measure: The trainee is given a test before the training starts to determine his SKA level and another test after the training is over to determine the learning level he gained from the training program.

Pre/post-measure with the control group: in this method, an HR professional will assign two groups of employees who have their performance evaluated, then assign one group for training and the other group not. After the training is over, both groups’ performance is reevaluated to determine if the group that received the training has changed their learning and performance.

Behavior: evaluate the trainee’s on-the-job behavior and how far it changed. This can be measured using different methods such as:

Performance tests: where the trainee is given a practical test of the content of the given program. This will measure behavior changes that transferred to the work environment.

Critical incidents: where positive and negative incidents are recorded and measure the trainee’s behavior according to the training program’s outcomes.

360-degree feedback: behavior can be measured by collecting feedback from various sources such as peers, superiors, the management, or even customers and suppliers.

Simulations: the most expensive method for a simulation is to measure how the trainee acts and performs the simulation. Trainee’s performance is the measurement of the program’s effectiveness.

Observations: Although this method can assess performance that is difficult to evaluate by other methods, it needs to be properly structured for quantitative data collection. An observer should have a list that contains the categories and frequency of behavior to be observed.

Results: Results are measured by comparing the training program’s effect on productivity, quality, turnover, time, sales, and cost. Comparing records before and after the training program can perform this type of evaluation.

The most important reason to conduct a training program is to enhance employee performance, leading to improving the productivity and quality of work.

Following the above-mentioned steps and concepts will ensure the success of the training program and, accordingly, its results.

Training and Career Planning:

As we mentioned earlier in this study, companies seeking a competitive advantage are focusing on developing the relationship between the managers and their employees and developing managers’ thinking of their employees. This process will lead to the creation of employees’ loyalty, performance enhancement, and productivity improvement.

As the human resources department uses training as an important tool in correcting deficiencies and lacks in KSA, it also uses career planning to prepare and develop good, knowledgeable, skilled, and professional managers. 

Career planning is when someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge, motivations, and other characteristics and establishes an action plan to attain specific goals.

The successful organization uses its talented employees to strengthen their leadership and KSA to prepare them for leading positions (Succession plan).

When the organization encourages career planning, employees are more likely to set goals; these goals, in turn, will motivate employees to pursue further education, training, or other career development activities. These activities then improve employees’ value to the organization and give the human resources department a larger pool of qualified applicants from which to fill internal job openings.

Example: an organization hired a Clerk in the recruitment section; the employee was a fast learner, smart, skilled, and computer literate. Due to his hard-working and high performance, his manager used to encourage him to learn and learn. Within few months, the employee is promoted to Senior Clerk, and due to his manager’s continual encouragement, advice and coaching, the employee decided to be in leading positions, so he pursued his study and obtained Bachelor in Business Administration within 3 years, 2 years later he obtained CPHR certificate and Post Graduate Diploma in HR. He is now promoted to Recruitment and Manpower Supervisor after 7 years from his joining date.

This is a realistic and demonstrated example of the employee’s and manager’s role in planning and developing an employee’s career positively, reflecting on the productivity and quality of the organization’s performance.

SUMMARY:

After employees are selected, they are expected to perform successfully; new employees cannot perform well, even experts, unless integrated into their environment. The orientation program helps the new employee begins the socialization process and adapts to managers, colleagues, policies, and procedures. The organization also benefits from the orientation program, increasing employee’s adaption and satisfaction and decreasing employee turnover.

Training is an essential part of an organization’s strategy and a pivotal topic and backbone of any organization’s development efforts. 

Training and development help the organization that wants to compete globally by efficient workfolk that is adaptable to fast-changing and new approaches. 

Training in organizations consists of internal and external training. Internal training is conducted within the organization, either by its staff through training departments or by specific training organizations. Such training can again be classified into on-job and off-job training, on-job training referring to the enhancement of skills and knowledge through employees’ actual involvement in their jobs and off-job training representing learning or skill enhancement through observation, either in a classroom or in workplace settings. On the other hand, external training represents training that is in normal circumstances, arranged outside companies by expert consultants and professionals. It is usually conducted in conferences, Hotels, workshops, or factories. 

Successful training begins with an assessment of needs, then setting specific objectives used to give direction to the training program. The training program’s content depends on the training objectives used to evaluate the training program at its completion. The designing training program should consider such learning principles as participation repletion, relevance, transference, and feedback.

To meet the global challenge and keep the organization competitive, managers should be prepared for constant change, new skill requirements, and higher willingness to accept risks. This requires making employee development plans a part of its overall strategic business plan.

Once training and development programs are completed, they must be evaluated. Without evaluation, the organization will not know what it gets in return from its training and development investment.

Evaluation methods include a pre-test and post-test measurement of how well the contents are transferred to the actual job. Change of behaviors in the workplace also can measure the efficiency of the training. A cost-benefit analysis should be conducted to assess the contribution that any training or development program makes to the organization’s profits.

Career planning and development impact organization development, and more proactive efforts are needed in this area. The planning process enables the employee to identify career goals and the paths to those goals. Then through developmental activities, the employee seeks ways to improve himself and further his career goals.

Career planning helps the employee and enables HR to fill the higher positions internally.

Career planning encourages individuals to assess their current position, determine where they wish to be after specific periods of time. Such exercises also help them in assessing their weaknesses and shortfalls in terms of education, training, knowledge, skills, and finances and enable them to chart out what they need to step forward towards development and increase their motivation to pursue further studies or training, which reduce the gaps and increase their value to the organization

Consequently, it’s obvious how Training, Development, and Career Planning are crucial and essential in the organization and play a significant role in improving work productivity and quality.

REFERENCES:

1. Gary Dessler, “Pearson International Edition – HRM 11th edition”.

2. Dr. Naser Abdullah Naser Al Moaily, “Economic World Magazine” Issue 186 (2007), http://www.ecoworld-mag.com/Detail.asp?InNewsItemID=229579).

3. Hermann Schwind, Hari Das & Terry Wagar “Canadian Human Resources Management – A Strategic Approach – 7th Edition”.

4. Donald L Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model – the four levels of learning evaluation, http://www.businessballs.com/kirkpatricklearningevaluationmodel.htm 

5. Rod Gerber & Colin Lankshear, “Training for a Smart Workforce“ 2000

6. Jelena Vemic, “Employee Training and Development and the Learning Organization” 2007

What is the term for applying what is learned to enhance performance on the job?

What is the concept that includes all factors in the person training and organization that influence transfer of learning to job performance?

How is it determined if a training program provides a transfer of learning to the job?

What is transfer of training for a trainee?