CH 3 (P 27) Developing HR:Consideration in designing training program

Consideration in designing training program

1. On the Job method: these on-the-job trainings are given to the employees while they are conducting their regular works at the same places. In this way they do not lose time while they are training or learning. On-the-job training techniques include orientations, job instruction training, apprenticeships, internships, assistantships, job rotation and coaching.

Coaching - a more intensive method of training that involves a close working relationship between an experienced employee and the trainee.

• The procedure of the coaching is mutually determined by the executive and coach. The procedure is followed by successive counseling and meetings at the executive’s convenience by the coach.

1. Understand the participant’s job, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and resources required to meet the desired expectation
2. Meet the participant and mutually agree on the objective that has to be achieved
3. Mutually arrive at a plan and schedule
4. At the job, show the participant how to achieve the objectives, observe the performance and then provide feedback

• Repeat step 4 until performance improves

For the people at middle level management, coaching is more likely done by the supervisor; however experts from outside the organization are at times used for up and coming managers. Again, the personalized approach assists the manger focus on definite needs and improvement.


Apprenticeships:

• In this method both theory and practical session are conducted. The employee is paid a stipend until he completes     training. The theory sessions give theoretical information about the plant layout, the different machines, their parts and safety measures etc. The practical sessions give practical training in handling the equipment. The apprentice may or may not be continued on the job after training.
• Most of their training is done while working for an employer who helps the apprentices learn their trade or profession.
• It is offered in vocational jobs.

Job rotation – It is the process of preparing employees at a lower level to replace someone at the next higher level. It is generally done for the designations that are crucial for the effective and efficient functioning of the organization.

• where the trainee is given several jobs in succession, to gain experience of a wide range of activities (e.g. a graduate management trainee might spend periods in several different departments)
• It provides the employees with opportunities to broaden the horizon of knowledge, skills, and abilities by working in different departments, business units, functions, and countries
• Identification of Knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) required
• It determines the areas where improvement is required
• Assessment of the employees who have the potential and caliber for filling the position

Mentoring:  is an ongoing relationship that is developed between a senior and junior employee. Mentoring provides guidance and clear understanding of how the organization goes to achieve its vision and mission to the junior employee, beyond his supervisory responsibility.

• Executives also have mentors. In cases where the executive is new to the organization, a senior executive could be assigned as a mentor to assist the new executive settled into his role. 
• Mentoring is one of the important methods for preparing them to be future executives.
•  This method allows the mentor to determine what is required to improve protégés performance. Once the mentor identifies the problem, weakness, and the area that needs to be worked upon, the mentor can advise relevant training. 
• The mentor can also provide opportunities to work on special processes and projects that require use of proficiency

Job Instruction Technique (JIT):  uses a strategy with focus on knowledge (factual and procedural), skills and attitudes development.

• Procedure of Job Instruction Technique (JIT)
• JIT consists of four steps:

1. Plan – This step includes a written breakdown of the work to be done because the trainer and the trainee must understand that documentation is must and important for the familiarity of work. A trainer who is aware of the work well is likely to do many things and in the process might miss few things. 
2. Proper documentation ensures that all the points are covered in the training program. The second step is to find out what the trainee knows and what training should focus on.
3. Then, the next step is to create a comfortable atmosphere for the trainees’ i.e. proper orientation program, availing the resources, familiarizing trainee with the training program, etc.
4. Present – In this step, trainer provides the synopsis of the job while presenting the participants the different aspects of the work. When the trainer finished, the trainee demonstrates how to do the job and why is that done in that specific manner. Trainee actually demonstrates the procedure while emphasizing the key points and safety instructions.
5. Trial – This step actually a kind of rehearsal step, in which trainee tries to perform the work and the trainer is able to provide instant feedback. In this step, the focus is on improving the method of instruction because a trainer considers that any error if occurring may be a function of training not the trainee. This step allows the trainee to see the after effects of using an incorrect method. The trainer then helps the trainee by questioning and guiding to identify the correct procedure.
6. Follow-up – In this step, the trainer checks the trainee’s job frequently after the training program is over to prevent bad work habits from developing.

Internships:

• Internship is a system of on-the-job training for white-collar and professional careers.[1][2] Internships for professional careers are similar to apprenticeships for trade and vocational jobs. Although interns are typically college or university students, they can also be high school students or post-graduate adults. Rarely, they can even be middle school or in some cases elementary students.
• Generally, the internship works as an exchange of services for experience between the student and his or her employer. Students exchange their cheap or free labor to gain experience in a particular field. They can also use an internship to determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or gain school credit. Some interns also find permanent, paid employment with the companies in which they interned. Thus, employers also benefit as experienced interns need little or no training when they begin full-time regular employment.

2. Off the job method: This occurs when employees are taken away from their place of work to be trained. Off-the-job techniques include lectures, special study, audio visual conferences or discussions, case studies, role playing, simulation, programmed instructions, and laboratory trainings.

Lectures:

• Presentations and lectures can be seen as imparting a large amount of information to many people. The purpose of this training method can be seen as delivering findings to an audience. It is usually done classroom style as part of a one-way communication with the lecturer talking to the learners. Lectures do not impart practical skills that a trainee might get from a more interactive training environment. It is however the most cost-effective training method for large audiences.

Audio visual Conferences or discussions:

• Discussions are conducted according to an organized plan that allows the trainer to develop knowledge and understanding by obtaining verbal participation from all the trainees. Techniques like films, audiotapes, videos etc can be used. This training method will be achieved by the collective ideas contributed by the various participants. Therefore one trainee learns from another in this training method. This training method can be used to modify attitudes as trainees participate in obtaining solutions and reaching conclusions from various points of views.

Case studies:

• Under this method, the trainees are given a realistic problem to discuss, which is more or less related to the principles already taught. This method provides an opportunity to the trainee to apply his skill to the solution of realistic problems. Cases may be used in either of the two ways:- 
• (i) They can be used after exposing the formal theory under which the trainee applies their skill to specific situation, or
•  (ii) They may be assigned to the trainees for written analysis or oral discussion without any prior discussion of the theory.
• Participants analyze and resolve a problem individually or in group.
• It can have many possible solutions.
• Encourage group participation and interaction to brainstorm possible solutions.

Role Playing:

• Under this method, two or more trainees are assigned different roles to play by creating an artificial conflict situation. No dialoged is given beforehand. The role players are provided with the written or oral description of the situation and the role to play. Sufficient time is given to the role players to plan tier actions and they must act their parts before the class. For instance role playing situation may be a supervisor discussing grievances with is subordinate. 
• It is done to help participants revisit past behaviors and to explore and practice new behaviors.
• It helps to participants to receive feedback on their skills and on how well they communicate.
• There are four stages in role play:

1. Provide background
2. Conduct the role play
3. Debrief the participants
4. Close the session.

Computer assisted instruction:

• “Computer-assisted instruction” (CAI) refers to instruction or remediation presented on a computer. Many educational computer programs are available online and from computer stores and textbook companies. They enhance teacher instruction in several ways.
• Computer programs are interactive and can illustrate a concept through attractive animation, sound, and demonstration. They allow students to progress at their own pace and work individually or problem solve in a group. Computers provide immediate feedback, letting students know whether their answer is correct. If the answer is not correct, the program shows students how to correctly answer the question. Computers offer a different type of activity and a change of pace from teacher-led or group instruction.
• Computer-assisted instruction improves instruction for students with disabilities because students receive immediate feedback and do not continue to practice the wrong skills. Computers capture the students’ attention because the programs are interactive and engage the students’ spirit of competitiveness to increase their scores. Also, computer-assisted instruction moves at the students’ pace and usually does not move ahead until they have mastered the skill. Programs provide differentiated lessons to challenge students who are at risk, average, or gifted. 

Simulations and games:

• Simulation involves creating atmosphere which is very similar to the original work environment. The method helps to train manager handling stress, taking immediate decisions, handling pressure on the jobs etc. An actual feel of the real job environment is given here.
• It is conducted with technology.
• The purpose is to create a realistic environment.
• Trainees are placed at a computer in which the simulation is already loaded.
• It helps to test what –if – scenarios in low risk environment.
• Provides immediate feedback.
• It specialist should be available to conduct these training sessions.

Demonstrations:

• An effective means of showing trainees exactly what topic they are learning.
• Steps of are:

1. Show once
2. Show second time, talking through each step.
3. Have the trainee conduct the steps.
4. Provide feedback.
5. Repeat.

CH 3 (P 26) Developing HR: Training Evaluation

Donald Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation

Donald Kirkpatrick defined four levels of evaluation widely used in the training and development field. These four levels are considered foundation to training and development evaluation. They are:

1.Reactions: Measures how participants have reacted to the training. Every program should at least be evaluated at this level to answer questions regarding the learners' perceptions and improve training. This level gains knowledge about whether the participants liked the training and if it was relevant to their work. Negative reactions reduce the possibility of learning.

2.Learning: Measures what participants have learned from the training. Learning evaluations are conducted before training (pre-test) and after training (post-test) to assess the amount of learning that has occurred due to training. It assesses the extent learners have advanced in knowledge, skills or attitude. Evaluation methods range from self-assessment to team assessment to informal to formal assessment.

3.Behavior: Measures whether what was learned is being applied on the job. Evaluations at this level attempt to answer the question of whether the training has been transferred back to the job. This evaluation is typically performed three to six months after training. The evaluator would ask questions such as "Are the newly acquired knowledge, skills or attitude being used in the environment of the learner"? This evaluation represents the truest assessment of a program's effectiveness but is costly. It is often impossible to predict when changes in behavior will occur. Careful planning decisions are needed for this level of evaluation in terms of when to evaluate, how to evaluate and how often to evaluate.

4.Results: Measures whether the application of training is achieving results. This evaluation measures the success of the training program in term that executives and managers can understand such as increased production, increased sales, decreased costs, improved quality, reduced frequency of accidents, higher profits or return on investment, positive changes in management style or in general behavior, increase in engagement levels of direct ports and favorable feedback from customers, peers and subordinates.

Process of Evaluating Training programs:

1. Designing and Setting training standard
2. Developing evaluation criteria
3. Pre testing
4. On the training testing
5. Post testing
6. Feedback

CH 3 (P 25) Developing HR:A system approach to training (Instructional system design)

 A system approach to training
The goal of Instructional Systems Design (ISD) or system approach to training is to improve performance based on approach to learning.  This process is also referred to as ADDIE because it includes analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.  There is not a single universally accepted model for training design. The various models all seem to share the assumptions that the effectiveness of the training depends on reaching training goals and objectives; measurable objectives should be identified in the design process; and evaluation is an integral part of the overall process.        
     
1. Analyze: It focus on determining:

• Where the gap exist?
• Who learners are?
• What is the objective of the instruction?
• What skill, knowledge and attitudes need to be taught?
• How much content is needed in the instruction? 
• It will help to determine exactly where the problem exists and what you want to achieve through training.

       Analysis stage broken down into:

• Need analysis: Ideal performance – Actual performance
• Problem analysis: Helps to determine cause of the problem and whether training is proper solution or not.
• Goal analysis: Help to set realistic objectives that training want to achieve.
• Trainee analysis: focus to determine the characteristics of the trainees, to better suit the training materials according to their needs.
• Resource Analysis: This will determine the availability and the constraints on resources for training.
• Job and Task analysis: This determines the tasks each employee needs to perform and the standards to which it must be performed.

2. Design: This phase involves determining specific learning outcomes and defining the scope to the training. Here determination is done for:

• Learning objective 
• Standard of performance
• how will the training be delivered, 
• how training is evaluated (construction of criterion measures), 
• what delivery method to use, 
• how content are sequence 
• Selecting methods and media

3. Develop: It is the stage when all the training materials, documentation, and evaluation are chosen, written, or produced. In this phase evaluation is done of every material to ensure that they are meeting the standards set by the design phase.  The basic activities carried are:

• Choosing training materials: The amount and type of training materials needed will directly depend on the methods and scope of the training determined in design phase.
• Common material in training are: manuals, handouts, transparencies, videotapes, software, models etc.
• Consideration for choosing materials depends on cost, availability, content, objective, models etc.
• Creating training materials: Guides for creating training materials are:
• Accuracy: Every piece of content throughout the materials must be accurate.
• Focus: The training materials need to be tightly focused on the learning objectives.
• Difficulty level: The materials should meet the trainee’s level of learning.
• Creating program Evaluation Materials.
• Evaluation materials development depends on what types of evaluation materials were selected in design phase.
• The three most common criterion- referenced tests are pre-test, embedded test, and post tests.
• Documenting training: It helps an organization make decisions about the effectiveness of training. Here documentation plan is made which include:
• What training records will be kept?
• How they will be kept.
• Who will keep it.
• How long it will be kept.

4. Implement: It is the stage where actual presentation of training is carried. The steps in implementing training are:

• Prepare
• Present
• Practice
• Follow up

5. Evaluate: It is phase of observing whether a program is working as it was panned and whether the trainees are progressing according to plan. It will also help to determine how much a program needs to be revised before it is offered again. It also provide means for :

• Trainer to improve the training
• The trainee to make better use of the training.

CH 3 (P 24) Developing HR: Determining Training Needs

Determining Training Needs:

• Need assessment is a systematic process for determining organizational gaps between ideal and actual performance. The process involves collecting data to determine where the organizational gaps exist and whether they are problems that can be solved through training. Examination of the gaps focuses on the causes of the gaps, the extent of the gaps and possible solutions to them.                                
• If the problem is due to lack of sill, knowledge, and attitude then it can be determined as training problems otherwise the problem might be management problem.

Levels of analysis:

1. Organizational analysis: 

• Training need analysis at organizational level focuses on strategic planning, business need, and goals. It starts with the assessment of internal environment of the organization such as, procedures, structures, policies, strengths, and weaknesses and external environment such as opportunities and threats.
• After doing the SWOT analysis, weaknesses can be dealt with the training interventions, while strengths can further be strengthened with continued training. Threats can be reduced by identifying the areas where training is required. And, opportunities can be exploited by balancing it against costs.
• Its purpose is to look whether training goals, department goals are aligned with organizational goals.

2. Individual analysis: 

• Training needs analysis at individual level focuses on each and every individual in the organization. At this level, the organization checks whether an employee is performing at desired level or the performance is below expectation. 
• The information for the analysis can be obtained from performance appraisal, which will analyze the situation why certain individual is not able to obtain the desired level of output.

3. Job and task analysis (operational analysis): 

• Training Need analysis at operational level focuses on the work that is being assigned to the employees. The objective of this analysis is to determine how the work should be done. 
• The overall job is broken down into smaller tasks that are recorded on a task list. Each task is analyzed to determine: what skills, knowledge, materials, proficiency on equipment, and competencies are needs to perform the task. The concept behind task analysis is that if each employee performs each task to standards, then that overall job will be performed to standard as well.
• The job analyst gathers the information on whether the job is clearly vividly analyze and understood by an employee or not. 

CH 3 (P 23) Developing HR: Importance Of HRD And Socilaization

Importance of HRD

1.Career Development: It helps to match training and development opportunities with the employees needs. It is the source of motivation as it will help employees in realizing the goals of their life and be clear about growth in their career. Performance Improves as the employee are motivated to work and clear about their career. 

2.Growth of organization: Growth of organization is associated with the development of its workforce. In changing situation HRD is viewed as the total system interrelated and interacting with other systems at work: production, finance, and marketing.

3.Development of work culture: The need of HRD is felt as it improves the efficiency of employees, checks monotony at work, better communication, development of mutual cooperation and creativity of all the members comes into limelight.

4.Growth of employees: HRD is associated with growth of employees. It helps employees to know their strengths and weaknesses and enable them to improve their performance. The management should provide adequate opportunity for the development of human resource management for the development of their talents so that their development will benefits the organizational growth.

5.Economic Development: As the human resources of a country develop, the country progresses and the benefits spread all over the country. Better skilled and well-trained human resources attract a larger foreign direct investment into the country and improve the brand image of the country internationally. HRD for an economy is dependent on the economic policy of the government and the effort by the institutions in the economy to actively participate in the development process.

6.Increase in Entrepreneurial or self employment Activity: Human resource development may occur as a result of better education, training or development of vocational skills for individuals. This activity results in an increase in entrepreneurial activity due to the creative process that is encouraged by HRD. Moreover, even in an economy faced by high levels of unemployment, vocational training can generate substantial number of entrepreneurs who look for self-employment. Thus, HRD opens more options and wider avenues of success for individuals.

7.Increase in Productivity: HRD leads to better and efficient utilization of the available resources. The same numbers of individuals are able to improve their performance through training or learning of more productive skills. This leads to an increase in productivity in the same company at the firm-wide level and to an increase in the overall value of goods produced at the country-wide level. An increase in productivity of employees generates high economic progress for the country.

8.Human Rights: A better trained and educated workforce is well aware of its rights and is better able to protect against human rights violations. Workplace environments improve and workers rights are acknowledged with HRD.

9.Profitability: At the firm-wide level, HRD leads to increased productivity and better client service. This leads to increased revenues at reduced costs for the company. Most companies today are focused on hiring a well-trained and competitive workforce in order to develop a unique selling point and enhance their profitability.

Thus, Human Resource Development is a vital area for firms because ideas for innovation, quality and continuous improvement, as well as other critically important inputs needed to compete in the modern, highly competitive business world, come from people and not from machines.

Employee Socialization:

Socialization is an ongoing process of adaption or adjustment or assimilation, that take place as individual or new employee attempt to learn the values, culture, policies and norms of the work roles and work place.

It strongly influences employees’ performance and organization stability.

The socialization can be conceptualized as a process made up to three stages namely:

1.  Pre-arrival stage: The pre arrival stage explicitly recognizes that each individual enters with a set of values, attitudes, and expectations of their own. 

• In case of experienced people, they come with the cultural mindset of their previous organization. It is essential to acclimatize them with the culture, values and functioning of the new organization.
• A fresher, who comes directly from the campus, only has conceptual knowledge and some of the information regarding the functioning of the organization during the classroom teaching. In practice, most of the things are completely different which may not match with the expectation of these fresher. 
• In the selection process, organizations try to look for candidates who could adapt to the culture and requirements of the organization. Hence, the candidates who correctly anticipate the expectations of the employer are likely to be picked up by the organization. In this stage, the candidate tries to understand and learn about the organization from different sources to make him / her suitable for the job.

2. Encounter: confrontation between expectation and reality. At this stage, the individuals confront with the reality which may be just the reverse to their expectations about their job, their co-workers, their boss and the organization in general. If expectations prove to be more or less accurate, the encounter stage merely provides a confirmation of the perception gained earlier. In reverse situation, there is a culture shock they learn new values, philosophies and culture. If this is not done properly, then the individual may feel suffocated and incline to quit the job. The new members should work out any problems discovered during the encounter stage.

3. Metamorphosis: A new employee changes and adjusts to the job, work, group and the organization. We can say that the metamorphosis is complete when the new members have become comfortable with the organization and their job. They have internalized the norms and practices of the new organization and their work groups. The new members feel accepted by their peers as trusted and valued individuals. They are self-confident that they have the competence to complete their job successfully. They understand the system and especially their own tasks. They also understand the rules, procedures and informally accepted practices.