An Overview On Training & Development

Selection and Training

Ideologies or beliefs about people can influence the emphasis placed on selection on one hand and training and development on the other.So, what beliefs about people are influential and how do they influence this emphasis?Training and DevelopmentTraining is the systematic process concerned with facilitating the acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitudes which result in:

Improved job performance
Improved Organizational Performance

Status of Training and Development
“The British have always admired gifted amateurs. Except in certain well defined areas like hard science, they have always stressed that character is more important than formal knowledge.” (Layard et al, 1994)
This view assigns more importance to innate ability than to formal learning.

Influence of Training and Development on Recruitment and Turnover

Top 4 factors ranked by engineering graduates in choice of job and company :1. Challenging work2. Nature of work3. Opportunities to use abilities4. Structured trainingStructured training became the deciding factor for those with more than one job offer.(Killingly, 1989; Hawkins & Barclay, 1989)Jones & Goss (1990) - high training companies with an emphasis on development were less affected by skill shortages than low training ones - also noted that low training companies lose their ability to attract and retain labour.Jones & Goss (1991) - distinguished between ‘vocational’ and ‘post-vocational’ training - those involved in latter suffered less from skill shortages and had fewer recruitment problems.Blackburn & Hankinson (1989) - firms undertaking formal training and development had lower labour turnover rates than those without.i.e. Companies which include training and development as part of their formal Organisational Strategy are likely to be - more productive (hence more competitive) and - more likely to attract and retain good employees.

Factors Influencing Training and Development Activities - INHIBITORS

- National factors - lack of government strategy -lack of structures/ institutions (eg training boards, training institutions) - funding (no financial incentives)

- Lack of market competition for goods or service

- Viewing training as a cost rather than as an investment

- Training and development not integrated into the organisational strategy

- Training staff more concerned with input (a well presented training course) than output (influence on subsequent work performance)

- Lack of structures and systems to assess the need for and deliver training (appraisal system, training personnel etc)- survival state

- People in organisations struggling to survive need to devote all their energies to surviving - organisations in constant crises will not be able to devote time and energy to training (Payne, 1991)

Factors Influencing Training and Development Activities - FACILITATORS

- National factors - government encouragement - legislation - institutional structures (eg Training Boards) - funding (grants and levies)

- Strong market competitiveness for goods or service

- Customers demands for quality in goods or services, suppliers emphasis on correct use of equipment, product or service (certificated training courses)

- Knowledge that formal training and development programmes can attract and retain high quality personnel

- Recognition of a ‘skill gap’ due to: technical/technological changes, product market changes, work redesign, downsizing (Pettigrew et al 1988; Useem 1993)

- Top management belief in and commitment to training and development activities

- Integration of training and development activities within the organisational strategy

- Structures and systems to assess the need for and deliver training (appraisal system, training department etc)

FACTORS INFLUENCING TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

To facilitate training there is a need to achieve the support of line managers through involving them in decision making about training.Line managers should be involved in the processes of:- Identifying training needs and priorities - Allocating time and resources for training - Evaluating the success of trainingThey should also be kept informed of longer term plans and strategies so they can be proactive in identifying future training needs.

Training Needs Analysis: Organization >> Group >> Individual

Where do you want to be in 4 years’ time?
What skills will the job need?
Which of these skills have you demonstrated?
What gaps are there?

Methods of Training: (Muchinsky, 1997)

Lectures
Audiovisual Materials
Conferences
CAI & web based instruction
Simulation
Role-Plays
Behavioural Modelling
Outward bound
Job Rotation

Learning Styles:

Activist/Experience
Pragmatist/Planning
Reflector/Review
Theorist/Conclusions

Barriers to Training Effectiveness:

Supportive culture
Trainer credibility
Application Opportunities
Appraisal & accountability
Expectations & motivation
Follow-through assistance
Appropriate Methods

Management Development

Classical functions / activities of management:
(i) Planning, Organising, Command, Coordination and Control(Henri Fayol, General and Industrial Management, Pitman 1949)

(ii) Planning, Control, Coordination and Motivation,(E.F.L. Brech, Principles and Practice of Management, 1975 )

(iii) Sets Objectives, Organises, Motivates and Communicates, Measures(establishes targets and performance measures), Develops People (P.F.Drucker, People and Performance, 1977 )Useful for classifying managerial activities but do not indicate the skills and attributes demonstrated by effective or successful managers.

For management development purposes, the skills of effective managers need to be known in order to develop programmes for their learning and development.

The ten most often listed characteristics of effective managers:

1. Verbal communication (including listening)

2. Managing time and stress

3. Managing individual decisions

4. Recognising, defining and solving problems

5. Motivating and influencing others

6. Delegating

7. Setting goals and articulating a vision

8. Self-awareness

9. Team Building

10. Managing conflict

Cameron and Tschirhart (1988), using the 25 most frequently mentioned skills from a large number of studies, proposed they could be placed into four main groups:

a) Participative and human relation skills

b) Competitiveness and control skills

c) Innovativeness and entrepreneurship skills

d) Skills for maintaining order and rationality

The first two are contrasting, as are the last two. A conclusion from the study was that effective managers are required to demonstrate paradoxical skills.These are much more ‘skills-based’ approaches to managerial activity and thus form a better basis for training / development.