Question

1. a) What Training? Provide examples.

1 b) Identify and explain three commonly used training methods. Provide examples for each method.

1 c) Training not only leads to better jobs for employees but it has many advantages for the organization as well. Identify and discuss five advantages that can be derived from Training. Provide examples for each advantages.

Answer 1

1.a. Training is developing and teaching knowledge, skills, or fitness, which may relate to certain specific and useful competencies. Training has a specific goal of improving a person's/trainee’s capability, productivity, performance, and capacity in a certain area. There may be basic training requirements for a certain profession, occupation, or trade. In other cases, it may span beyond the basics of initial competence and can be for upgrading, maintaining, and updating the skills throughout a worker’s life or are certain phases of it.

An example of training is Apprenticeship. It is a common form of training for professional job roles including fitters, electricians, AC technicians, and others. A person may also undergo training to achieve certain physical fitness level as in the case of military applications, martial arts, and sports. Training may also be quite important for certain occupations that expose the personnel to hazards. Training for the firefighters or the occupational divers may bring to them competencies that may help them face the challenges better, and with a greater probability of success.

1.b. Three Commonly Used Training Methods with Examples

Training methods used commonly can be broadly classified into off-the-job training methods and on-the-job training methods.

I). Off-the-job training methods: off-the-job training is carried out in an environment separate from the job environment. The study material is provided and concentration is laid on learning, which would provide for better performance later on. Instructor-led training, role-playing, case study, and sensitivity training are some off-job training methods.

A highly common off-job training method is “instructor-led training”. In a professional training environment, around 42% of the training hours are in the form of instructor-led classroom training. The training method is similar to the teaching and learning sessions that are carried out in college, schools, and in other educational environments. The training manager or the subject matter expert prepares the content and classroom experience and uses lectures and other tools and resources (for instance the MS PowerPoint presentations) to deliver the training material to the trainees

II). On-the-job training methods: the freshers or the new joiners to a company may observe their managers and peers performing a job or task in the real world, learn the behavior, and imitate in an on-the-job training method. These training methods cost very low and maybe seen usually in production environments. Job-rotation, job instructional technique, mentoring, and coaching are some of the common on-the-job training methods.

Job Instructional Technique or JIT is a highly structured and step-by-step training process in which a demonstrator or expert demonstrate the skill or task to a trainee in real-time in a real work and job involvement. Employees may learn the skill and knowledge related to certain machinery and may be presented with learning materials as well.

III). Hybrid Training Structures: certain training methods may include the characteristics of both of-the-job as well as on-the-job training procedures and methodologies. for instance, apprenticeship involves on-the-job training sessions as well as off-the-job training in classrooms.

1.c. Five advantages that can be derived from training are listed below.

I. Training reduces losses- when employees are trained for their professions and tasks beforehand, the losses and wastages are reduced when they practice their professions in the real world scenarios. For instance, hands-on training in real-world projects helps employees be aware of the various external/internal factors and aspects that they will have to face when they practice their profession. Training brings to them the necessary skills, knowledge, and even certain experiences that help them perform well, which reduces losses and wastages that may occur due to misguided performance and in-expertise.

The pilots of airlines may undergo simulation training (through the use of flight simulators) to ensure that losses are prevented and they can carry on their job responsibilities well enough when handling their jobs in the real world.

II. Improved employee motivation and morale- It has been found that employees may not stick with the job for long when they lose their satisfaction due to the boredom and the monotonous nature of work. Training may also upgrade the skills, expertise, and knowledge of the employees and make them fit for promotion and job roles higher in the hierarchy. Therefore, training ensures that the employees stay motivated and start to eye bigger goals with enhanced skills and knowledge.

Manufacturing firms train their employees in the latest and relevant software in the production environment so that they can be promoted internally. Employees who get bored with their routine production tasks and jobs find the training to improve their satisfaction as well as promotional and growth chances.

III. Employee retention- high employee turnover rates are a cause of significant losses to any organization as they have to spend unnecessarily towards excessive and repeated hiring and employment cycles. Training ensures that internal hirings are increased and the employees also gain greater satisfaction from their jobs. Therefore, organizations that keep on training their employees in relevant and important areas ensure that the employees do not leave the organization early. It has been also found that employees like the organization that trains them on their expenses. Higher retention rates improve the value of human resources in any organization and retention rates and ensure that valuable expertise and experience do not leave the organization.

Many IT organizations train their employees in the latest skills related to web design and development, software production, project management, and in other areas so that they remain valuable to the organization and stick to it for longer periods.

IV. Improve Employee Confidence- training improves the confidence of the employees and help them to know many other and related things about their job and work environment, which helps them understand their industry and workplace better. Confident employees not only perform better but also take pride in their jobs while possessing a higher degree of motivation towards achievements.

KFC is using the virtual reality training programs to reveal to the employees how the original recipe of the firm (of fried chicken) is made. Employees get to know the various steps of the cooking process including rinsing, inspecting, racking, and pressure frying) while the training is also combined with gamification. Knowledge about the heritage of the firm, as well as about the technicalities and specifications of job tasks improves employee confidence.

V. Compliance- in some areas, professions, and organizations, training may be crucial and mandatory for ensuring compliance. For instance, pharmacists working in the healthcare sector are required to undergo practical training for a given number of hours to gain certification. Firefighters and other professionals exposed to hazardous situations should also be trained for a given number of hours off-the-job before they start to practice their profession in the real world as per the law. Therefore, training is necessary to ensure compliance with the law in many cases. It is also important for compliance with other standards, as in the case of quality training for complying with the ISO standards.