Training and Development

“Training is the creation of an environment where employees may acquire or learn

specific, job-related behaviour, knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes.” 1 — Terry L.
Leap
Training and Development aids in organisational development i.e. Organisation gets more
effective decision making and problem solving. It helps in understanding and carrying out
organisational policies. Training and development helps in developing leadership skills,
motivation, loyalty, better attitudes and other aspects that successful workers and managers
usually display.
Human resource and manpower is thought of as the total knowledge, skills, creative abilities,
talents and aptitudes of an organisation’s workforce, as well as the values, attitudes and
benefits of an individual involved. An organisation’s performance and productivity are
directly related to the quality and quantity of its human resources. To maintain the quality of
human resource i.e. to perform its activities well, every organisation needs to have well
trained and experienced people. As the employment in the fast growing present society
becomes more complex the importance of training and development also increases.
MEANING OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Definition: Edwin B. Flippo, ‘’Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skills of
an employee for doing a particular job.
According to Dale Yoder, “Training is the process by which man-power is filled for the
particular jobs it is to perform”.
 Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skills of an employee for
performing the job assigned to him. It is a short-term process.
 After an employee is selected, placed and introduced in an organisation he must be
provided with training facilities so that he can perform his job efficiently and
effectively.
 Training is a systematic process of developing employee skills and knowledge to
improve their job performance.
 The employer organises training for his employees to increase their job knowledge,
skills and improve their attitude and knowledge.
 Training is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening
of skills, concepts, rules or changing of attitudes and behaviours to enhance the
performance of employees.
 Training knows how to reach what you want in life. It knows how to get where you
want to go. Training is having the knowledge to do what you are dream of doing. It is
a vision which one wants to achieve.
 Training is about knowing where you stand at present and where you will be after
some point of time. Training is about the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities
through professional development.
 Training is a process of learning a sequence of programmed behaviour.
 It is the short term process which refers to instructions in technical and mechanical
operations.
 Development
 It is a related process which covers not only those activities which improve job
performance but also those which bring about personality development, progress
and actualisation of their potential capacities.
 It is a long term educational process through which managerial personnel learn
conceptual and theoretical knowledge for general purpose.
 Development is a long-term educational process utilising an organised and
systematic procedure by which managerial personnel learn conceptual and
theoretical knowledge for general purpose.
 It covers not only those activities which improve job performance but also those
activities which improves the personality of an employee.
Importance of Training and Development
1) It optimises human resource utilisation: Training and development helps in
optimising the utilisation of human resource that further helps the employee to
achieve the organisational goals as well as their individual goals. It also helps to
provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development of human resources
technical and behavioural skills in an organisation. It also helps employees attain
their personal growth. It also helps in increasing the job knowledge and skills of
employees at each level. It helps to expand the horizons of human intellect and an
overall personality of the employees.
2) Productivity: Training and Development helps in increasing the productivity of the
employees that helps the organisation further to achieve its long-term goal.
3) Team spirit: Training and Development helps in inculcating the sense of team work,
team spirit, and inter-team collaborations. It helps in inculcating the zeal to learn
within the employees.
4) Organisation culture: Training and Development helps to develop and improve the
organisational health culture and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning
culture within the organisation.
5) Organisation climate: Training and Development helps building the positive
perception and feeling about the organisation. The employees get these feelings from
leaders, subordinates, and peers.
6) Quality: Training and Development helps in improving upon the quality of work and
work-life.
7) Healthy work environment: Training and Development helps in creating the
healthy working environment. It helps to build good employee, relationship so that
individual goals aligns with organisational goal.
8) Health and safety: Training and Development helps in improving the health and
safety of the organisation thus preventing obsolescence.
9) Morale: Training and Development helps in improving the morale of the work force.
10) Image: Training and Development helps in creating a better corporate image.
11) Profitability: Training and Development leads to improved profitability and more
positive attitudes towards profit orientation.
Objectives/goals/purpose of training:
1. Improved quality of work: Training focuses on specific areas and improves employee
skills. It enables employees to improve their quality of work.
2. Enhance employee growth: Employees who undergo training become better at their job.
They enables them to get promoted and grow in their career.
3. Prevents obsolescence: Training imparts knowledge on latest skills and techniques. The
employee becomes upto date with the latest technology and trends. Thus it prevents
obsolescence of employee skills.
4. Assisting new comers: Training programmes help new employees to known the methods
of working, new technology, the work culture of the company etc., they become productivity
in a short span and can start performing quality.
5. Bridging the gap between planning and implements: Plan state the targets to be
achieved within specific time. Through training the job knowledge and performance improve.
Employers meet their technologies and enable implementations of plans.
6. Improved Safety: Training programme inform the risk involved Involved in jobs and safety
measures to be adopted. This helps to improve safety in the work space and avoid accidents.
Process of Training or Steps involved in training:
Assessment of Training Needs: It is the first step of Training needs. Training needs of the
organisation is based on its objectives, resources and its environment. Training needs of
employees is based on the position, function, experience and stage in the career.
Setting of Training Objectives: The training objectives should be based on the objectives of
the firm and its environment. They can be short term or long term. Short term training
objectives relate to improving employee skills, efficiency and team spirit. Long term training
objectives relate to improving competencies, creativity, innovation and learning ability.
Selection of Training Methods: Training can be either on the job training or off the job
training. Each training method is distinct and offer specific benefits. The training method for
operative level employees and executive level employee would be different.
Conduct of Training: Training can be conducted by internal experts who are the employees
of the firm. If internal experts are not available, external experts can be hired. If facilities are
available training can be conducted within the company. If not, it can be conducted in an
external setup.
Evaluation of training programme: After training is conducted, the result of the training
programme has to be measured. It can be done by collection feedback from the trainees. The
feedback can relate to usefulness of the programme, its practical relevance, ability of the
trainer, training setup etc. Training programmes can also be evaluated based on change in the
attitude and behaviour of employees.
Principles of learning
1. Practice – Employees learn more fast when theory and practice go hand in hand.
Employees under training should be given an opportunity to participate in actual work
performance.
2. Active Process – The individual learns better when more of his senses are utilized in
the efforts and he became more involved in the process of learning.
3. Guidance – Learning is more efficient if it is not by trial and error but by guidance
from expert. Guidance can speed the learning process and provide feedback as well.
4. Trainee Readiness – People who are not ready to learn will not learn. Consequently,
an effective training program must comprise individuals who are ready to learn the
skill at hand. Determining trainee readiness involves examining certain important
issues.
5. Motivation – Trainee must be motivated to improve his skills or knowledge by
increased compensation, promotion, recognition etc.
6. Relevance – Most trainees quickly develop perception about whether training is
relevant. If trainee perceives that the instruction will actually help them on the job,
they are much more likely to be receptive to the training. If they do not perceive they
are more likely to demonstrate active or passive resistance in the training.
7. Reinforcement – Reinforcement is another critical principles of learning. It involves
the process of providing financial rewards or non-financial incentives such as praise
or recognition. Reinforcement can often encourage trainees to become more interested
and involved in the training.
8. Standard of performance – Standard of performance must be set for the learner. The
standard provides goals and give a feeling of accomplishment when the employees
achieve them.
9. Feedback – In order to understand the potentialities and limits of improvement of an
employee the progress of his training must be received from time to time. Such
feedback will be a valuable aid in adjusting training to the needs of the individual
workers.