This document discusses the role of training and development in improving employee competitiveness. It provides an overview of key aspects of training and development including: defining training vs. development; external and internal influences on training; factors influencing training and development; methods of training such as classroom, on-the-job, and e-learning; evaluating training impact; and integrating training with other HR strategies and the overall business strategy.

1. Current issues of HRD
ROLE OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING EMPLOYEES'
COMPETITIVENESS
Jayadeva de Silva
Introduction
Quality of Employees is critical for organizational success
It provides edge.
Training and Development (T&D)
Human Resource Development – Major HRM function
consisting not only of T&D, but also individual career planning and
development activities and performance appraisal
Training and Development – Heart of a continuous effort
designed to improve employee competency and organizational
performance
Training and Development (T&D)
Training - Designed to provide learners with the knowledge and
skills needed for their present jobs
Development - Involves learning that goes beyond today's job –
more long-term focus
Learning Organization – firms that recognize critical importance
of continuous performance-related training and development an take
appropriate action
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON TRAINING &
DEVELOPMENT
Government 
Equal Employment opportunity 
Manpower policy 
Occupational health & safety 
Economic shifts: Develop skills in short supply 
Unions 
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2. Factors Influencing T&D
Top management support
Commitment from specialists and generalists
Technological advances
Organizational complexity
Learning principles
Other human resource functions
WHO IS INVOLVED IN TRAINING
Corporate Management (Vision) 
All Human Resource Managers (Policy & Guidance) 
Concerned Line Managers (Involvement) 
Employees (Participation/ Research) 
ROLE OF TRAINING DEPT/ TRAINING MANAGER
Training is an integral part of the H.R. M. function
Training manager cannot be an expert of all specialists in the
company. He will be responsible for organizing, coordinating and
controlling all activities involved in planning budgeting and for
monitoring the fulfillment of the training plan.
Structure of Training & Development
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3. The Training and Development Process
Consider External and Internal Environment
Determine T&D needs
External Environment
Internal Environment
Determining Training and Development Needs
In order to compete effectively, firms must keep employees well trained.
Establishing Training and Development Objectives
Desired end results
Clear and concise objectives must be formulated
T&D Methods
Classroom Programs
Mentoring
Coaching
Reverse Mentoring
Case Study
Videotapes
Role Playing
Apprenticeship Training
Vestibule Training
Simulations
Business Games
In-Basket Training
Distance Learning and Videoconferencing
Computer-based Training
Virtual Reality
E-learning
On-the-Job Training
Job Rotation
Internships
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4. Classroom Programs
Continue to be effective for many types of employee training
May incorporate some of other methods
Mentoring
Approach to advising, coaching, and nurturing, for creating practical
relationship to enhance individual career, personal, and professional
growth and development
Mentor may be located elsewhere in organization or in another firm
Relationship may be formal or informal
Coaching
Often considered responsibility of immediate boss
Provides assistance much as a mentor
Reverse Mentoring
Process where the older employees learn from the younger ones.
Case Study
Trainees solve simulated business problems
Individuals study information in case and make decisions
Used in classroom with instructor who serves as facilitator
Videotapes
Especially appealing to small businesses
Behavior modeling utilizes videotapes to illustrate effective
interpersonal skills and how managers function in various situations
Used to train supervisors
Role Playing
Respond to specific problems they may actually encounter in jobs
Used to teach such skills as:
interviewing
grievance handling
performance appraisal reviews
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5. conference leadership
team problem solving
communication
Apprenticeship Training
Combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training
Traditionally used in craft jobs
Apprentice earns less than the master craftsperson who is the
instructor
Vestibule Training
Takes place away from production area
Uses equipment closely resembling equipment actually used on the
job
Removes employee from pressure of having to produce while
learning
Emphasis on learning skills required by the job
Simulations
Training devices that model the real world or programs replicating
tasks away from the job site
Business Games
Simulations (computer-based or non-computer-based) which
attempt to duplicate selected factors in particular business situations,
which participants manipulate
In-Basket Training
Participants asked to establish priorities, then handle business papers,
e-mails, and telephone messages that would typically cross a
manager’s desk
Distance Learning and Videoconferencing
Interactive training
Used to:
-increase access to training
-ensure consistency of instruction
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6. -reduce cost of delivering T&D
programs
Computer-Based Training
Takes advantage of computer speed, memory, and data
manipulation
Greater flexibility of instruction
Virtual Reality
Unique computer-based approach
Permits trainees to view objects from a perspective otherwise
impractical or impossible
E-Learning
Umbrella term describing online instruction
On-the-Job Training
Informal approach that permits employee to learn job tasks by
actually performing them
Most commonly used T&D method
No problem transferring what has been learned to the task
Job Rotation
Employees move from one job to another to broaden experience
Helps new employees understand variety of jobs
Internships
Training approach where university students divide their time
between attending classes and working for an organization
Excellent means of viewing potential permanent employee at work
Students are enabled to integrate theory with practice
Corporate Universities
Focus on creating organizational change
Proactive and strategic
Growth attributed to universities’ flexibility
Permits students to learn on their own time
Management Development
All learning experiences resulting in upgrading of skills and
knowledge needed in current and future managerial positions
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7. Imperative managers keep up with latest developments in their fields
while managing ever-changing workforce in a dynamic environment
Requires personal commitment of individual manager
Reasons to Conduct Management Training Outside of the
Company
An outside perspective
New viewpoints
Possibility of taking executives out of work environment
Exposure to faculty experts and research
Broader vision
Reasons to Conduct Management Training Inside of the
Company
Training more specific to needs
Lower costs
Less time
Consistent, relevant material
More control of content and faculty
Orientation
Initial T&D effort designed for employees
Strives to inform them about company, job and workgroup
Purposes of Orientation
Employment situation
Company policies and rules
Compensation and benefits
Corporate culture
Team membership
Employee development
Dealing with change
Socialization
Responsibility for and Scheduling of Orientation
Often joint responsibility of training staff and line supervisor
Peers often excellent information agents
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8. Additional Benefits of Orientation
Effective in retaining and motivating personnel
Special Training Areas
Diversity – develop sensitivity to create more harmonious working
environment
Ethics – develop corporate culture that rewards ethical behavior
Conflict Resolution – communication skills needed to resolve
gridlock
English as a Second Language – help employees in way that
validates them and optimizes personal relationships
Teamwork – how to work in groups
Empowerment – how to make decisions and accept responsibility
Remedial – basic literacy and mathematics skills
Implementing Human Resource Development Programs
Often difficult
Many managers are action-oriented
Feel they are too busy to engage in T&D efforts
Qualified trainers must be available
Requires a high degree of creativity
Evaluating Human Resource Development
Ask participant’s opinions
Determine extent of learning
Will training change behavior?
Have T&D objectives been accomplished?
Benchmarking
Evaluation difficult, but necessary
Business/Government/Education Training Partnerships
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9. Career Planning and Development
Career – general course that person chooses to pursue for working
life
Career Planning – process whereby individual sets goals and
identifies means to achieve them
Organizational Career Planning – paths identified for employees
to assist in development
Organization Development
Survey feedback process
Quality circles
Team building
Sensitivity training
Survey Feedback Description
Process of collecting data from organizational unit through use of
questionnaires, interviews and other objective data
Can create working environments that lead to better working
relationships, greater productivity and increased profitability
Quality Circles
Groups of employees who voluntarily meet regularly with their
supervisors to discuss problems
Investigate causes
Recommend solutions
Team Building
Conscious effort to develop effective workgroups
Uses self-directed teams
Small group of employees responsible for an entire work process
Members work together to improve their operation
Sensitivity Training
Participants learn about themselves and how others perceive them
No agenda, leaders, authority, power positions
People learn through dialogue
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10. Participants encouraged to learn about themselves and others in
group
Also called T-group training
COMPANY POLICY ON
STAFF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
See the slide
Mini Case study
Extract from the diary of Len Hodge - HR Director
“ First Monday of the month again - Board meeting. This was the
opportunity I'd been waiting for - with some trepidation. My function
had produced firm proposals on a new training and development
strategy which I was to present to the Board.
Case…
Development for all was theme, with key competencies being
identified at each level of the organization and everyone being
entitled to six days off training per year, plus coaching on the job to
meet individual development goals. A real step in the right direction
at last. All I had to do was to get the Board's backing and We'd be
off.
…
I began to present the scheme complete with user-friendly
overheads, information packs to employees and a manager guidance
and support package. My colleagues listened intently, for about 5
minuets, then all hell broke loose.
"So what's going to happen to production when they're all off for
training - we're understaffed anyway? - that was Gray the Production
Director.
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11. Brian from marketing chipped in next: They'll be poached as
soon as they're trained if word gets out about this - we'll be doing it
for nothing'.
But worst of all was Karen the MD: 'Why are you proposing
this anyway. Granted we desperately need some skills training for
those new machines and to encourage flexibility - but we didn't ask
for all this. How will it improve business performance? What are we
going to get out of all the money this is going to cost us?
I had hoped more of Karen. She was usually very supportive when
I came up with training proposals to solve business problems - well
crises would be a better word - we did what I suggested and it usually
worked.
This time my words fell on stony ground - no one was
interested. Where do we go from here?
Discuss & Present
What went wrong in the Board Meeting?
Your response / comments on the Directors' reaction?
What could LEN have done differently to improve his chances of
success?
Where should LEN go from here?
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12. General Tips for Proving Impact
There are four basic ways to provide "dead bang proof" that a
program works.
 Each is similar to the way a new drug gets tested or that new ads
and new products are tested.
The most effective ones are listed first.
1.Split sample contrast
-- Use a split sample or a control group. Instead of applying a new
HR program to the entire team or division, apply it to only half to
demonstrate the relative impact of the program
2.Before and after contrast
– Measure employee performance just prior to program
implementation and again after implementation, show the contrast in
performance.
3. Demonstrate a correlation
-- Show a direct correlation between the increased usage of a tool by
managers and employees and an increase in productivity, revenue or
profit. Also demonstrate that when usage goes down, so does
productivity
4. Results after implementation
-- Show that employee performance is high immediately after the
program is implemented
(In this case you do not have “before” performance data (as in #2)
for precise comparisons)
How to show the effectiveness of Training
 Split the sales team and provide one half of the sales team with
increased sales training.
 Do nothing to the other half.
 Contrast the difference in sales between those with increased
training and the sales people without the additional training
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13.  Demonstrate that there is a high correlation or connection
between the number of hours a worker receives in training and their
productivity
Show that lower training hours correlates with increased error rates,
accidents and lower product quality.
 Calculate the costs of errors and accidents to prove the business
impact
·
Assess worker performance before training and then show that
worker productivity increases immediately after they receive training
Adding Value
Assumptions:
· 2010 Revenue: Rs 2,262,200,000
· 2010 Expense (Budget): Rs2,142,900,000
· 2004 HR Budget: Rs69,000,000 (3.2% of total budget)
· 2010 Salaries & Benefits: Rs1,208,922,000 (56.4% of total
 budget)
· The Math:
· Value of 7% Reduction in HR Costs:
o 7% X Rs 69,000,000 = Rs 4,830,000
· Value of 1% Workforce Productivity Gain:
o 1% X Rs 1,208,922,000 = $12,089,220
That’s a difference of Rs 7,259,220!
BENEFITS OF TRAINING
 More rapid development for full job performance
 Increased productivity
 Improved quality
 Less waste of Time, Materials, Man power..
 Better utilization of Equipment
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14.  Better utilization of Personal
 Fewer accidents
 Reduced costs
 Reduced need for supervision
 Better identification of Employee potential
 Reduced labour turnover, Absenteeism
 Increase employee satisfaction
 Improve employee self esteem/ morale
Reactive -Proactive
 Reactive: Problem solving approach
Eg.. High waste
 Pro-Active: Forward looking approach
Eg. .Train Staff for promotion
AN INTEGRATION WITH OTHER HR STRATEGIES
a) Manpower planning identifies skill shortages
b) Performance review indicates performance gaps
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT AS PART OF BUSINESS
STRATEGY
a) Management Development to be aligned with the strategic
positioning of the firm
b) To reinforce entrepreneurial & innovative culture
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