Question

Application Exercises Case Incident

Reinventing the Wheel at Apex Door Company

Jim Delaney, president of Apex Door Company, has a problem. No matter how often he tells his employees how to do their jobs, they invariably “decide to do things their way,” as he puts it, and arguments ensue between Delaney, the employee, and the employee’s supervisor. One example is in the door-design department. The designers are expected to work with the architects to design doors that meet the specifications. Although it’s not “rocket science,” as Delaney puts it, the designers often make mistakes—such as designing in too much steel—a problem that can cost Apex tens of thousands of wasted dollars, especially considering the number of doors in, say, a 30-story office tower.

The order-processing department is another example. Although Jim has a specific, detailed way he wants each order written up, most of the order clerks don’t understand how to use the multipage order form, and they improvise when it comes to a question such as whether to classify a customer as “industrial” or “commercial.”

The current training process is as follows. None of the jobs have training manuals per se, although several have somewhat out-of-date job descriptions. The training for new employees is all on the job: Usually, the person leaving the company trains the new person during the 1- or 2-week overlap period, but if there’s no overlap, the new person is trained as well as possible by other employees who have occasionally filled in on the job in the past. The training is basically the same for jobs throughout the company.

Questions

What do you think of Apex’s training process? How might it help to explain why employees “do things their way”?

What role do job descriptions play in training?

Explain in detail what you would do to improve the training process at Apex. Make sure to provide specific suggestions.

Answer 1

1. ANS: I think Apex’s training process is very unsatisfactory, the training process that the company, APX is following is a very old and traditional method, even though it is has its own advantages; there are more disadvantages which can't help in improving employees' performance. Employees tend to do things their own way because there probably are no proper instructions or training programs which could motivate them to perform activities the way it is suppose to be done. The employee doesn't have a clear idea about the job description.

The training method that is being used was the same for all the members is very traditional and requires a make shift, where in each member is given specialized training depending upon the type of occupation. This is one of the major reasons why different members of the organization do things their own way. Performances before and after the training should be compared to analyze how successful the training has been and then based on the results, some incentive should be set so the employees feel motivated and work with dedication.

2. ANS: Job description plays a major role in training because an accurate job description not only aids a successful company in recruitment, but also in training. Hiring employees without a written job description can lead to reduced productivity. Hiring a person who is ill equipped to handle the position can be overcome with accurate and efficient training. If a person was hired, the employer will already be aware of the additional training that this person may require in order to be successful.

3. ANS: Improvement in Apex’s case must start with management recognizing and accepting that they have a problem with training. They must establish a formal training program i.e. establishing an HR department, gathering a training staff, providing classroom based instruction on the nature of the industry and skill based instruction, and practical application i.e. OJT. Every position would have a formal (written) description. Training procedures would be documented for each position. Supervisors would be formally accountable for training.The company will also need to most likely implement a probationary period, where unsuccessful training candidates can be weeded out in order to save the company labor costs in the long run.

Reference:

Dessler, G. (2011).A Framework for Human Resource Management(6th ed.). Upper SaddleRiver, NJ: Prentice Hall.ISBN: 9780132556378Ashe-Edmunds, S. (2014).

The Effect of Job Descriptions on Employee Performance. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 5, 2014.