Change is demanded by adjustments in external and internal environment. The process of training requires starts when once the requirement for change is acknowledged and the components that affect the interference are considered.
Fundamentally two questions must be inquired. “What are our training requirements?” and “what do we desire to achieve through our training struggle?”
After beginning the training goals, management can ascertain suitable methods to achieve them. In order to facilitate change and achieve organizational goals, training must be continuously evaluated.
Phases of Training and Development Process
Following are the different phases of Training and development process you must know.
Phase 1: Need Assessment & Developing Goals
Business organizations must maintain their employees well trained, in order to compete effectively. To determine training needs is the first step in training process.
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The entire aim of the assessment phase is to ascertain if training is required and, if so, to give the information needed to design the training program. Three levels of analysis are included in the assessment.
- Organizational Analysis
It is the evaluation of the types of issues that an organization is experiencing and where they are present inside the organization.
- Task/Operational Analysis
It specifies the types of behaviors & skills needed of the incumbents of a particular job and the standard of performance that must be met.
- Personal Analysis
The goal of the personal analysis is to evaluate how well the individual employees are doing their duties. Training should be provided to them who require it.
The organizational resources are wasted in case when training is given to all employees, regardless of their skill level.
Also unpleasant condition is created for those employees who do not require training. Goals are desired end results. In human resource, concise and clear goals must be developed.
Phase 2: Delivering the Training:
The training program that is as a result of assessment should be direct reaction to an organizational issue or requirement. An Approach differs by presentation, location or kind. These are as follow.
- Location Options on the Job
Training is given at real work place employing real work equipment.
- Location Options off the Job
Training is performed outside from real work place. Training is performed at training facility that is prepared particularly for training.
Phase3: Training Methods
Following are the training methods that can be used for giving the training.
- Lecture
In order to communicate large portion of actual information to relatively large number of people at the same time, lecture is an effective source for this.
It is employed in many training programs and it is traditional method of teaching. Material can be organized in skilled lecture and is shown in an understandable & clear manner. However, learners do not actively participate in lecture.
- Case Method
In this training method trainees are required to examine the information provided in the case and they make decisions on the basis of that information.
- Simulations
Simulators are training devices of different degrees of complicatedness that copy the actual world. In this method an artificial learning environment is created that resembles to the actual working environment as much as possible.
- Apprenticeship
In this kind of training method, a new employee, also known as apprentice, work side by side and under the supervision of skilled technician.
- Internships
This method of training resembles to the apprenticeship training. However, in internships or assistantships higher level of formal education is required for the occupation being considered as compared to the skilled trades.
The internships opportunities for students are given by many colleges & universities by developing agreements with the organizations.
- Coaching & Mentoring
An experienced mentor is assigned by some organization for new employees. Job skills are taught by effective mentors to their protégés along with provision of encouragement & emotional support.
As mentoring and coaching provides learning on the basis of one-to-one because these are on-the-job development approaches.
Coaching is mostly viewed as responsibility of the immediate boss who has enhanced experience & expertise in the relative field and can have the ability to give proper advice.
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Similar is in the case of mentor but the mentor is present elsewhere in the organization or even in another business organization. The relationship may be informal or formal.
- Discussions
Because conferences & group discussions give forums where persons are able to learn from one another, therefore they can also be used as method of training. In order to alter behaviors & attitudes, group discussions are used.
- Games
Business games are simulations that show real business conditions. Selected parts of a particular situation are duplicated by struggle of these simulations which are then manipulated by the participants.
- Role Playing
It is a training method in which participants are needed to react to particular issues they may actually encounter in their jobs.
- Computer Based
It is the training method that takes benefit of memory, speed and data manipulation capabilities of the computer for enhanced flexibility of instructions.
- Multimedia
Multimedia is an application that increases computer-based learning with animations, audio, interactive video and graphics.
- Virtual Reality
This is a unique computer-based training method that allows trainees to see objects from a perspective otherwise impossible or impractical.
- Video Training
Another popular training method is the use of videotapes. An example of utilization of videotapes is given by behavior modeling.
Behavior modeling is successful training approach that uses videotapes to exemplify potential interpersonal skills and how managers operate in different conditions.
- Vestibule Training
In this training method training is provided some other location away from actual job location by using equipment that is much similar to the real equipment of the job.
Phase 4: Evaluating Training
Many approaches have taken by organization in attempting to ascertain the worth of particular programs.
The effectiveness of training is assessed in this phase. Effectiveness can be evaluated in non-monetary and monetary terms.
- Participant’s Opinion
Assessing a training program by inquiring the opinion of the participants is an in expensive approach that gives suggestions for improvements and quick reaction.
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The fundamental issue associated with this kind of assessment is that it is not based on fact but on opinion. In reality, nothing is learnt by the trainee except a learning experience happened.
- Extent of Learning
Tests are administered by some organizations to ascertain what the participants have learnt in the training program. One procedure method that may be used is the post test, pretest and the control group designed.
- Behavioral Change
What has been learnt may be fairly and accurately indicated though tests but they provide minute insight into desired behavioral changes.
- Accomplishment of Training Goals
Still another approach for assessing training programs includes ascertaining the degree to which stated goals have be accomplished.
- Benchmarking
In benchmarking approach other organizations have given the task to assess and improve the training programs.
There is an estimate that approximately 70 percent of the American business organizations are involved in some kind of benchmarking.
