Phase 1:

Needs Assessment & Establishing Objectives

In order to compete effectively, firms must keep their employees well trained. The first step in the Training process is to determine Training needs. The overall purpose of the assessment phase is to determine if training is needed and, if so, to provide the information required to design the training program. Assessment consists of three levels of analysis: organizational, task, and person.

Organizational Analysis: It is an examination of the kinds of problems that an organization is experiencing and where they are located within organization.

Task/Operational Analysis: An operational analysis identifies the kinds of the skills and behaviors required of the incumbents of a given job and the standards of performance that must be met.

Personal Analysis: The objective of the personnel analysis is to examine how well individual employees are performing their jobs. Training should be given to those who need it. Assigning all employees to a training program, regardless of their skill levels, is a waste of organizational resources and create a unpleasant situation for employees who do not need training. The objectives of training must be clarified, related to the areas identified in the task analysis, and should be challenging, precise, achievable, and understood by all. Mostly when there is a performance gap i.e. the performance is not up to the specified standards training is required to improve the performance there are certain factors that should be kept in mind before conducting training ,lets consider these factors:

·          Number of employees experiencing skill deficiency: Number of employees supposed to be trained.

·          Severity of skill deficiency: What are the cons or advantages that are being faced by the organization due to absence of that skill?

·          Importance of skill: How important is skill to be possessed by workforce.

·          Extent to which skill can be improved with Training: Would there be real difference in skill level in case the training program is conducted.

Determining Training Needs:

Following sources can help organization to assess either there is a need for Training or not.

·          Self-assessments

·          Company records

·          Customer complaints

·          New Technology

·          Employee grievances

·          Interviews with managers

·          Customer satisfaction surveys

·          Observation

Establishing Training Objectives

Objectives are desired end results. In human resource, clear and concise objectives must be formulated

Phase 2:

Delivering the Training

The training program that results from assessment should be a direct response to an organizational problem or need. Approaches vary by location, presentation, and type. These are summarized below:

1. Location Options

a.       On the job: Training is at the actual work site using the actual work equipment

b.       Off the job: Training away from the actual work site. Training is at a Training facility designed specifically for Training

Phase 3:

Training Methods

• Lecture: The Lecture is an efficient means of transmitting large amounts of factual information to a relatively large number of people at the same time. It is traditional method of teaching and is used in many training programs. A skilled lecture can organize material and present it in a clear and understandable way. How ever a lecture doesn’t allow active participation by learners.

• Case method: A Training method in which trainees are expected to study the information provided in the case and make decisions based on it.

• Simulations: Simulators are training devices of varying degrees of complexity that duplicate the real world. Simulation refers to creating an artificial learning environment that approximates the actual job conditions as much as possible.

• Apprenticeship: This type of training refers to the process of having new worker, called an apprentice, work alongside and under the direction of skilled technician.

• Internships: Internships and assistantships provide training similar to apprenticeship training; however’ assistantships and internships typically refer to occupations that require a higher level of the formal education than that required by the skilled trades. Many colleges and universities used to develop agreements with organizations to provide internships opportunities for students.

• Coaching and Mentoring: Some organizations assign an experienced to serve as a mentor for new employees. Effective mentors teach their protégés job skills, provide emotional support and encouragement. Coaching and mentoring are primarily on-the-job development approaches emphasizing learning on a one-to-one basis. Coaching is often considered a responsibility of the immediate boss who has greater experience or expertise and is in the position to offer sage advice. The same is true with a mentor, but this person may be located elsewhere in the organization or even in another firm. The relationship may be established formally or it may develop on an informal basis.

• Discussions: Conferences and group discussions, used extensively for making decisions, can also be used as a form of training because they provide forums where individuals are able to learn from one another. A major use of the group discussion is to change attitudes and behaviors.

• Games: Simulations that represent actual business situations are referred to as business games. These simulations attempt to duplicate selected parts of a particular situation, which are then manipulated by the participants

• Role playing: A Training method in which participants are required to respond to specific problems they may actually encounter in their jobs.

• Computer-based: Computer based training is a teaching method that takes advantage of the speed, memory, and data manipulation capabilities of the computer for greater flexibility of instruction.

• Multimedia: Multimedia is an application that enhances computer-based learning with audio, animation, graphics, and interactive video.

• Virtual reality: It is a unique computer-based approach that permits trainees to view objects from a perspective otherwise impractical or impossible.

• Video Training: The use of videotapes continues to be a popular Training method. An illustration of the use of videotapes is provided by behavior modeling. Behavior modeling has long been a successful Training approach that utilizes videotapes to illustrate effective interpersonal skills and how managers function in various situations.

• Vestibule training: Training that takes place away from the production area on equipment that closely resembles the actual equipment used on the job. Effective training programs are effective only if the trainers re able to effectively transfer to required knowledge to trainees but there are certain reasons due to which training programs transferring becomes ineffective. The reasons are as under:

Why Transfer of Training Fails

• Don’t learn material

• Don’t understand “real life” applications

• Lack of confidence

• Forgetting the material

Phase 4:

Evaluating Training:

The credibility of training is greatly enhanced when it can be shown that the organization has benefited tangibly from such programs. Organizations have taken several approaches in attempting to determine the worth of specific programs. In this phase, the effectiveness of the training is assessed. Effectiveness can be measured in monetary or non-monetary terms. It is important that the training be assessed on how well it addresses the needs it was designed to address.

• Participants’ Opinions: Evaluating a training program by asking the participants’ opinions of it is an inexpensive approach that provides an immediate response and suggestions for improvements.

The basic problem with this type of evaluation is that it is based on opinion rather than fact. In reality, the trainee may have learned nothing, but perceived that a learning experience occurred.

• Extent of Learning: Some organizations administer tests to determine what the participants in training program have learned. The pretest, posttest, control group design is one evaluation procedure that may be used.

• Behavioral Change: Tests may indicate fairly accurately what has been learned, but they give little insight into desired behavioral changes.

• Accomplishment of Training Objectives: Still another approach to evaluating training programs involves determining the extent to which stated objectives have been achieved.

• Benchmarking

Benchmarking utilizes exemplary practices of other organizations to evaluate and improve training programs. It is estimated that up to 70 percent of American firms engage in some sort of benchmarking.

• A Case for Simplicity: Value is the measure of impact and positive change elicited by the training.

The most common approaches used to determine the effectiveness of training programs are as under:

Post Training Performance Method:

In this method the participants’ performance is measured after attending a training program to determine if behavioral changes have been made.

Pre-Post Test approach:

Most commonly used approach towards measurement of effectiveness of training is Pretest Post test approach this approach performances the employees is measured prior to training and if required training is provided. After completion if the training again the performance is measured this is compared with performance before training if evaluation is positive e.g. increase in productivity that means that training is effective.

Pre- Post Training Performance with control group Method:

Under this evaluation method, two groups are established and evaluated on actual job performance. Members of the control group work on the job but do not undergo instructions. On the other hand, the experimental group is given the instructions. At the conclusion of the training, the two groups are re-evaluated. If the training is really effective, the experimental group’s performance will have improved, and its performance will be substantially better than that of the control group.