TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT - BLOG 03

How New Methods of Training and Development will change the picture. 

When an employee hears about an upcoming training program, his or her eyes sometimes roll to the back of the head. And hearing such announcement will make them think of an excuse to skip the program. Lately, organizations are doing group programs rather than individually training, which will save a lot of time and money. An individual's success increases by 15%-20% by time to come, but teamwork matters most (Ulrich, 1999).

(Source: siriostraining, n.d.)

All employees are having their own agenda to climb up the ladder in the workplace and sometimes forget about the importance of joining the colleagues for the training programs. Learning as a team will definitely increase the individual skills and training absorption.

(Source: Shutterstock, 2003-2018)

In my recent visit to a Divisional Secretariat here in Sri Lanka to get my driving license renewed from a subdivision; the Motor Traffic Department, what I experienced while trying to get the job done was unflattering. The whole idea to write this article came into my mind on this very day. In this article, I'm sharing some of my experience with this government organization and suggest what new methods of training and development will enhance the performance of the employee's. The Divisional Secretariat essentially needs training and development methods to be more productive.

A good training and development program will help an organization retain the right employee's. In this world of fully occupied community, people tend to lose patience over faulty public services. The process of me as an individual to get the driving license updated was so complicated and frustrating. I was asked to do the following mentioned below;

(source: author developed)

The process itself took me more than five hours to complete. And Below I will highlight what are the things I have noticed, that has room for improvement.

a. No awareness made to the public of steps to complete a requirment.
b. Too much of steps to follow. 
c Lack of employee interest in completing a job.
d. Lack of knowledge about resources.

Looking at the process itself anyone can get the idea that the system is outdated. Employees need to be updated in order to fulfill the public needs. According to Gorman, CEO at Green Place To Work, "As companies grow and the war for talent intensifies, it is increasingly important that training and development programs are not only competitive but are supporting the organization on its defined strategic path". A trainee will have lesser motivation towards a training, whereas the experienced employees have shown better interest in learning. Companies are advised to choose people who show higher motivation towards learning, thereby the overall growth and productivity will increase (Sitzman et al., 2009).

The things that are essential to improve productivity in the above department is mentioned below.

1.1 Training on Positive Attitude

Each employee was frustrated and was doing the job for the sake of doing it. They were not working with a positive mindset. People with a positive attitude are known to be more successful than others, as they learn from their mistakes and see the failures and issues as challenges in life. Training and development is an aspect that must be practiced by every organization, focusing on improving employees, competencies such that the organization can maximize the effectiveness of their human resources. Winning the hearts and minds of the employees will put the organization on an advantage play, getting them to be identified with the organization (Armstrong, 2009).

 * Out Bound Training - There can be a number of activities involved in an outbound training programme. A training outside the walls of the department, like outbound training, will definitely increase the chances of employee positivity towards the organization. It's a team exercise which will boost self-confidence, team bonding and enhance effectiveness. 

* Introducing an Incentive Scheme - when there is an incentive, the employees will work with a target. And the targets can be given in order to get the final positive outcome. This method will create a performance culture and it'll increase performance and encourage higher productivity. And with time the targets can be increased to make sure a sustainable development. When the best customer service officer is displayed in the office other employees will also be motivated to reach that goal. 

 1.2 Training on Computer Literacy

On my last step to complete my job of DL renewal, I waisted like an hour since the respective officer handling the temporary license was having no idea, of how to operate the printer. The paper was jammed and she was struggling to find someone with computer literacy to get it back to work. Apparently, there were none assigned to address such cases. While the cue went above approximately 50 people, the officer came with a person who took out the toner and put it back to get it to work again. If the officer were given at least basic training on it, this issue would have been resolved then and there. 

* A weekly/monthly training on computer literacy - an assigned group of employees will get a training from basics to above with time to come. 

* Training on latest methods of technology - the public can scan documents and email prior to submitting the request form, there will be a lot of time saved.

Training and development provide both the employee and the organization a whole lot of benefits that make the cost and time worthwhile investing. Training and development directly improve the efficiency and productivity of employees. Employees remain up to date with new technology and thus use existing ones in a better way. Well trained employees show both quantity and quality performance. 

In many organizations, employees tend to be affected by its surroundings and environment. According to Birdi (2005) claimed that the absence of managerial support could restrain the impact of creative training. inconducive environment affects training effectiveness. It’s also necessary to set performance standards, and ensure that the employees receive the training, incentives required and feedback to avoid performance deficiencies (Dessler, 2015).

The HR, managers, and employees should collaborate to build a continuous professional development. Just as its manager's responsibility to coach the employees, its employee's responsibility to seek new learning opportunities. And it's the HR's responsibility to facilitate to process the activities. 

Reference:

Armstrong, M. (2009) Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Management Practice, 11th Edition.

Birdi, K. S. 2005. No idea? Evaluating the Effectiveness of Creativity Training. Journal of European Industrial Training, 102 – 111.

Dave Ulrich, (1999). Are We There Yet? What's Next For HR. 

Dessler, G. 2015, Human Resource Management, 14th edition.

Sitzman, T, Brown, K, Ely, K, Kraiger, K (2009). A longitudinal investigate, military psychology, 21, 534-551.

Thimira Wijekoon
Field Manager 
Reckitt Benckiser (Lanka) Limited,
Hemas Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd,No.439, Galle Road, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka,