Human
Resource Management is concerned with the planning, acquisition, training
& developing human beings for getting the desired objectives &
goals set by the organization. The employees have to be transformed
according to the organizations' & global needs. This is done through
an organized activity called Training.
Training
is a process of learning a sequence of programmed behavior. It is the
application of knowledge & gives people an awareness of rules &
procedures to guide their behavior. It helps in bringing about positive
change in the knowledge, skills & attitudes of employees.
Thus, training is a process that tries to improve skills or add to the
existing level of knowledge so that the employee is better equipped to do
his present job or to mould him to be fit for a higher job involving
higher responsibilities. It bridges the gap between what the employee has
& what the job demands.
Since training involves time, effort & money by an
organization, so an organization should to be very careful while designing
a training program. The objectives & need for training should be
clearly identified & the method or type of training should be chosen
according to the needs & objectives established. Once this is done
accurately, an organization should take a feedback on the training program
from the trainees in the form of a structured questionnaire so as to know
whether the amount & time invested on training has turned into an
investment or it was a total expenditure for an organization.
Training is a continuous or never ending process. Even the
existing employees need to be trained to refresh them & enable them to
keep up with the new methods & techniques of work. This type of
training is known as Refresher Training & the training given to
new employees is known as Induction Training. This is basically
given to new employees to help them get acquainted with the work
environment & fellow colleagues. It is a very short informative
training just after recruitment to introduce or orient the employee with
the organization's rules, procedures & policies.
Training plays a significant role in human resource
development. Human resources are the lifeblood of any organization. Only
through trained & efficient employees, can an organization achieve its
objectives.
* To impart to the new entrants the basic knowledge & skills they need
for an intelligent performance of definite tasks.
* To prepare employees for more responsible positions.
* To bring about change in attitudes of employees in all directions.
* To reduce supervision time, reduce wastage & produce quality
products.
* To reduce defects & minimize accident rate.
* To absorb new skills & technology.
* Helpful for the growth & improvement of employee's skills &
knowledge.
METHODS OF TRAINING: -
The most widely used methods of training used by organizations are
classified into two categories: On-the-Job Training & Off-the-Job
Training.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING is given at the work place by superior
in relatively short period of time. This type of training is cheaper &
less time-consuming. This training can be imparted by basically four
methods: -
Coaching is learning by doing. In this, the superior guides
his sub-ordinates & gives him/her job instructions. The superior
points out the mistakes & gives suggestions for improvement.
Job Rotation: - In this method, the trainees move from one
job to another, so that he/she should be able to perform all types of
jobs. E.g. In banking industry, employees are trained for both back-end
& front-end jobs. In case of emergency, (absenteeism or resignation),
any employee would be able to perform any type of job.
OFF THE JOB TRAINING: - is given outside the actual work
place.
Lectures/Conferences:- This approach is well adapted to
convey specific information, rules, procedures or methods. This method is
useful, where the information is to be shared among a large number of
trainees. The cost per trainee is low in this method.
Films: - can provide information & explicitly
demonstrate skills that are not easily presented by other techniques.
Motion pictures are often used in conjunction with Conference, discussions
to clarify & amplify those points that the film emphasized.
Simulation Exercise: - Any training activity that explicitly
places the trainee in an artificial environment that closely mirrors
actual working conditions can be considered a Simulation. Simulation
activities include case experiences, experiential exercises, vestibule
training, management games & role-play.
Cases: - present an in depth description of a particular
problem an employee might encounter on the job. The employee attempts to
find and analyze the problem, evaluate alternative courses of action &
decide what course of action would be most satisfactory.
Experiential Exercises: - are usually short, structured
learning experiences where individuals learn by doing. For instance,
rather than talking about inter-personal conflicts & how to deal with
them, an experiential exercise could be used to create a conflict
situation where employees have to experience a conflict personally &
work out its solutions.
Vestibule Training: - Employees learn their jobs on the
equipment they will be using, but the training is conducted away from the
actual work floor. While expensive, Vestibule training allows employees to
get a full feel for doing task without real world pressures. Additionally,
it minimizes the problem of transferring learning to the job.
Role Play: - Its just like acting out a given role as in a
stage play. In this method of training, the trainees are required to enact
defined roles on the basis of oral or written description of a particular
situation.
Management Games: - The game is devised on a model of a
business situation. The trainees are divided into groups who represent the
management of competing companies. They make decisions just like these are
made in real-life situations. Decisions made by the groups are evaluated
& the likely implications of the decisions are fed back to the groups.
The game goes on in several rounds to take the time dimension into
account.
In-Basket Exercise: - Also known as In-tray method of
training. The trainee is presented with a pack of papers & files in a
tray containing administrative problems & is asked to take decisions
on these problems & are asked to take decisions on these within a
stipulated time. The decisions taken by the trainees are compared with one
another. The trainees are provided feedback on their performance.
RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION: -
No doubt Training is a very powerful tool for the smooth
functioning of the organization, but it needs to be used with care in
order to derive all the benefits. Here are seven recommendations
for getting the best out of this tool: -
1. Learn about the needs and proficiency of each and every employee
before an organization invests its effort, time & money on training.
Its better to identify the needs & shortcomings in an employee before
actually imparting training to him/her.
2. Experienced & skilled trainer, who possesses good amount of
knowledge & understanding about the organization's objectives,
individual abilities & the present environment, should give training.
3. Active participation from the trainees should be encouraged.
There should be a two-way communication between the trainer & trainee.
4. Feedback should be taken from the trainees after the training is
over, so that the organization comes to know about the deficiencies in the
training program & also suggestions to improve upon the same.
5. Focus of training should be on priority development needs and to
produce strong motivation to bring change in employees.
6. The cost incurred on the training program should not exceed its
benefits.
7. The method or type of training should be very cautiously
selected by the organization depending upon the organizations' resources
& an employee's individual need for training.
Thus, training is a vital tool to cope up with the changing needs &
technologies, & ever-changing environment. It benefits both the
organization as well as the employees.
Books
* Aswathappa K. "Human Resource and Personal
Management" – Text and Cases, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Ltd., New Delhi.
* Chhabra T.N. "Human Resources Management – Concepts and
Issues, Fourth Edition", Shampat Rai & Co., Delhi.
* Gupta, C. B. (2004), "Human Resource Management", Sixth
Edition, Sultan Chand & Sons, New Delhi.
* Kothari, C. R. (2005), "Research Methodology", Second
Edition, New Age International Publishers, New Delhi.
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