Training & Development Needs and Common Approaches

 

Training and Development Needs and Common Approaches

 The needs for employee training and development may occur at any level of the organization, such strategic, tactical or operational.(Rodriguez, J. and Walters, K., 2017.) Nassazi (2013) mentioned that needs occurred at the strategic level are identified by senior leaders based on organizational goals, mission, and strategy. Middle management is responsible in recognizing the requirements at the tactical level with the cooperation of other lines of businesses. Needs occurred at the operational level are determined by leaders at lower levels of management, which are mainly focused on individual’s performance and department-specific subjects.(Rodriguez, J. and Walters, K., 2017.)

 Leaders at all levels of management are responsible not only for identifying the needs for training and development, but also for selecting the best methods, approaches, strategies, programs, implementation, and assessment venues to achieve expected individual performance and organizational results. (Phillips, J.J. and Phillips, P.P., 2016)

 An essential part in the process of identifying employee T & D requires is that all needs should be applicable to organizational objectives. As stated by (Wognum and Torrington et al).,

There are three categories of identifying employee T & D requirements:

(1)  Settling problems that are focused on individuals’ performance,

(2) Constant improvement of working practices regardless of individual’s  performance issues

(3) Renewing the organization through innovations and strategic replacements.

 

Nassazi (2013) commented that, while going through the needs identification process, leaders should also be thinking about the needs to create, develop, maintain, and improve any systems pertinent to the job and required skills, in addition to the methods that will be used to implement training and development programs.

There are several approaches being used in the employee training and development arena, for examples:

(1) Problem centered is focused on examine and settling performance matters due to inadequate skills  (Nassazi,2013). 

(2) Profile comparison is used to match the capabilities with the new or existing job filled (Nassazi, 2013). 

(3) Formal training and development program is a pre-planned approach, which incorporate performance evaluations and learning solutions that may be finalized during work or off-work for a specific duration of time (Nassazi, 2013)

(4) On-the-job is given to individuals while performing their work with the same  working venues; for examples, job rotations, job transfers, coaching, and mentoring (Nassazi, 2013).

(5) Off-the-job contains taking individuals away from their workplace so they can focus on the training; for examples, conferences and role playing (Nassazi,2013).

(6) Coaching and mentoring is concentrate on developing certain skills for the task and performance expectations in the workplace; in addition to enhancing mutually beneficial relationships (Nassazi, 2013), while peers cooperate and participate on each other’s development (Elnaga & Imran, 2013).

(7) Job rotation and transfers is focused on moving individuals from one responsibility to another one, or moving them to from one country to another one to obtain knowledge on diverse operations (Nassazi, 2013).

(8) Orientation is focused on gaining new employees familiarized and trained on the new roles, responsibilities, systems, technology, workplace layout, culture,Benefits,working conditions, processes, and procedures (Nassazi, 2013).

 (9) Conferences consists presentations from the same or diverse topics to a group of individuals; however, it may not guarantee the full understanding of the topics at hand (Nassazi, 2013).

 (10) Role playing is where employees are given with minimal, stress-free work scenarios, roles, responsibilities, issues, objectives, emotions, and other information with the goal of enhancing their decision making skills. It is generally used to develop customer services, sales, managerial, and employee support skills (Nassazi, 2013).

(11) Career planning and goal setting is used to direct individuals in managing their diverse stages of their professional lives by classifying work, priorities and skills required for promotion or particular goals (Jehanzeb & Bashir, 2013).

 

List of References

Adik, N., 2014. A Study on Impact of employee training on project performance in construction Industry in Kota Bharu, Kelantan (Doctoral dissertation, Universiti of Malaysia Pahang).

Elnaga, A. and Imran, A., 2013. The effect of training on employee performance. European journal of Business and Management, 5(4), pp.137-147.

Jehanzeb, K. and Bashir, N.A., 2013. Training and development program and its benefits to employee and organization: A conceptual study. European Journal of business and management, 5(2).

Nassazi, A., 2013. Effects of training on employee performance.: Evidence from Uganda.

Phillips, J.J. and Phillips, P.P., 2016. Handbook of training evaluation and measurement methods. Routledge.

Rodriguez, J. and Walters, K., 2017. The importance of training and development in employee performance and evaluation. World Wide Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 3(10), pp.206-212.