STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES OF

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Training and Development

Training
Training is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of
skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes and behaviors to enhance the performance
of employees. Training refers to the process of imparting specific skills this activity is
both focused upon, and evaluated against, the job that an individual currently hold

Development

Efforts to improve employee’s ability to handle a variety of assignment

Development refers to those learning opportunities designed to help employees grow.
Development is not primarily skill-oriented. Instead, it provides general knowledge and
attitudes

training and development basically concerned with organizational activity aimed at

bettering the performance of individuals and groups in organizational settings.
A business' most important asset is often its people. Training and developing them can be
one of the most important investments a business can make. The right training can ensure
that your business has the right skills to tackle the future. It can also help attract and
retain good quality staff, as well as increasing the job satisfaction of those presently with
you - increasing the chances that they will satisfy your customers.

A formal definition of training and development is:

“It is any attempt to improve current or future employee performance by increasing an
employee’s ability to perform through learning, usually by changing the employee’s
attitudes or increasing his or her skills and knowledge.”
OR
"Training programmes are directed toward maintaining and improving current job
performance, while development programmes seek to develop competencies for future

Training Development

FOCUS
Understand information, concept
Learn specific behaviors and
and context, develop judgment
actions, demonstrate technique and
expand capabilities
processes

TIME FRAME
Long Term
Short Term

EFFECTIVENESS MEASURES
Qualified people available when
Performance appraisals, cost
needed promotion from within
benefit analysis, passing test or
possible, HR based competitive
certification
advantage

roles.
To be effective, training and development must meet a number of goals. First, they must
be focused on individual training needs but still reflect organizational goals in terms of
desired or expected performance. Second, training and development must reflect learning
goals or outcomes, outlining what will be accomplished by this process. Third, they must
be based on sound learning principles, be perceived as important by trainees, and be
conducted in a manner that maximizes learning. Last, they must be evaluated to
determine effectiveness and to help guide change and improvement.

Training and Development Differentiated

Training Strategy

Training and development provision is not an end in itself but needs to underpin and
support the achievement of organizational objectives

. The strategy needs to address at least two elements simultaneously:

1. Specific training and development initiatives aimed at supporting the achievement

of key organizational objectives

2. The creation of an appropriate infrastructure and culture within which training

and development decisions are taken and resources allocated in a timely and
targeted way

Training and development in an organization requires implementation to achieve success.

Therefore, the strategy will require vision, focus, direction and an action planning
document. A training strategy is a mechanism that establishes what competencies an
organization requires in the future and a means to achieve it. It is a strategy that needs to
support the optimization of the human resource capital in the organization. It is essential
that the training strategy is aligned to the organization's strategy and enables its vision to
be realized.

Training Strategy's Components

There are many important aspects to consider here. To create the Strategic Training and
Development Plan, you will need a detailed profile of your;
Employee Training and Train-the-Trainer needs,
Team Building and Team Development,
Leadership Development,
Executive Coaching,
Competency Requirements and Skills Profiling,
Objectives and Action Plans,
Vision
All of these profiles will further have to be considered within the realms of Equity and
Diversity, Organization Values, Business Process Improvement, Change Management
and Organization Design and Structure.

How are Training Strategies Created?

The most successful and profitable approach has been to;

Identify the customer's training needs in terms of their organizational strategic plan, HR
strategic plan, personal development plans and focus on comprehensive interviews or
focus groups,
Establish development gaps, present and future,
Set organizational training objectives,
Create a training action plan, which must ensure that the necessary systems are in place,
access resources, source or design training and position the training. The training must
then be delivered and co-ordinate
Monitor the training
Evaluate the training by assessment and verification, and
Revise training and/or training plan.

Implementation of Training Strategies

In order to bring about the best results for the training strategy, the training products or
services need to be marketed and promoted by manipulating the following;
Product/Service - keep the training cutting edge and future focused. Make sure there is a
practical transfer of learning, put a development support network in place, and ensure
alignment to quality standards.
Promotion - commit to a core training value system. Create a slogan or tagline to brand
your training. Bridge the gap between perception and reality. Give your training a
personality and a brand, and remember your customers (your employees are customers)
want to know, "What's in it for me".
Price - cost the training accurately and calculate the value received.
Place - decide between on-the-job, classroom, distance learning, web-based and virtual
learning. Access, location, and distribution are key to consider.
People's needs - establish what your customers want and need. Ensure your customers
know the training is meeting their needs and that these needs provide a base for decisions
in all other areas.
Project Management - Establish roles and responsibilities. Action the Training and
Development Strategic Plan. Monitor and evaluate progress and make adjustments where
necessary.
Impact of Training and Development on Performance and
Organizational Effectiveness

One current method of evaluating the impact and importance of training is to examine the
potential—or real—benefits to be achieved through training and development. Although
not all benefits can be measured on a strict cost-benefit analysis basis, most benefits can
be at least informally measured and used to determine effectiveness. The most significant
direct benefits of training are the following:
It clarifies job duties and responsibilities
It increases an individual's job competence
It provides the foundation for further development
It assists in conducting an accurate performance appraisal
It produces higher levels of performance
In addition, training may also be evaluated in terms of indirect benefits that can add
additional value. These indirect benefits could include the following:
Enhancing teamwork and team building
Producing a strong sense of commitment to the organization
Achieving higher levels of employee motivation
Assisting in cross-training/job rotation
Although the impact of training can be measured in terms of individual learning and
performance, another way to determine its impact is in relation to organizational growth,
development, or effectiveness. As organizations have changed in recent times, there has
emerged a need to study the critical elements that make organizations prosper and relate
these to training and development. It is common today to view organizations in a
dynamic sense, noting that they are constantly changing, renewing themselves, and in
need of being reflective of current business practices. One current prospective is to view
an organization as a "learning culture," reflecting its need to be constantly involved with
learning how to become better and to provide significant training opportunities for
employees. Accordingly, when organizations adopt this learning culture, they create a
variety of training opportunities for all employees and develop performance expectations
that instill in all employees the need for and value of training and development on a
continual basis.

THE TRAINING PROCESS

Organizational Objectives
and Strategies

Assessment of Training
Needs
 Establishment of Training
Goals

Devising Training
Programme

Implementation of
Training programme

Evaluation of Results

THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Development starts with the HR plans of an organization because these plans analyze,
forecast, and identify current and future organizational needs for human resource. Also
HR planning anticipates the movement of people in the organization due to retirement,
promotion, and transfers. Also it helps to identify the capabilities needed by the
organization in the future and the development necessary for people to be available to
meet those needs.

Formulate HR Plans
 Identify Necessary
Capabilities

Carry Out Succession

Planning

Assess Development Needs

Conduct Development
Planning
• .Organizational
• .Individual

Determine Development
Approaches
• Job Site
• Off Site

Evaluate Development
Success

CHALLENGES OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

• To identify the specific needs of learners and for learners to identify their own
development needs
• Objectives should be set by trainers, rather than the learners
• Little acceptance by learners of the need to take responsibility for their own
development
• Constraints of time for preparation and participation in learning events
 • Learning should be beyond an event or course
• Training budget cuts when resources get tight.
• Management not fully supportive of training effort.
• No data documenting the impact of training to the bottom line.
• Training programs don't support the organization's mission and strategic
goals.
• Training programs are poorly attended.
• Training program presenters are not well received by attendees.
• Training program evaluation is ineffective and incomplete.
• To achieve high value via transfer of the learning

Objectives of Training and Development

Staying ahead in today's business world is more challenging than ever. Building trust and
promoting teamwork are just two expectations of any business leader.
Training and development programs are designed to keep an organization at the front of
its industry maximize performance and energize every level of the organization. Training
and Development is also seen to strengthen the tie between employee development and
strategic operation objectives.

The objectives of Training and Development are as follows: -

Efficiency: Employees become efficient after undergoing training. Efficient employees

contribute to the growth of the organization.

Fewer accidents: Accidents, scrap and damage to machinery and equipment can be
avoided or minimized through training. Even dissatisfaction, complaints, absenteeism,
and turnover can be reduced if employees are trained well.

Meeting man power needs: Future needs of employees will be met through training and
development programmes. Training serves as an effective source of recruitment. Training
is an investment in human resource with promise of better returns in future.

Improves quality: Better-informed workers are likely to make less operational mistakes.
Quality of products or services will definitely increase. This can be well measured
through the reduction in rejections.
Versatility in operations: Training makes the employees versatile in operations. All
rounder can be transferred to any job. Flexibility is therefore ensured. Growth indicates
prosperity, which is reflected in profits every year.

Employee stability: Training contributes to employee stability in at least 2 ways.

Employees become efficient after undergoing training. Efficient employees contribute to
the growth of the organization. Growth renders stability to the work force. Further trained
employees tend to stay with the organization.

Impact of Training and Development on Performance and

Organizational Effectiveness

One current method of evaluating the impact and importance of training is to examine the
potential—or real—benefits to be achieved through training and development. Although
not all benefits can be measured on a strict cost-benefit analysis basis, most benefits can
be at least informally measured and used to determine effectiveness. The most significant
direct benefits of training are the following:
It clarifies job duties and responsibilities
It increases an individual's job competence
It provides the foundation for further development
It assists in conducting an accurate performance appraisal
It produces higher levels of performance
In addition, training may also be evaluated in terms of indirect benefits that can add
additional value. These indirect benefits could include the following:
Enhancing teamwork and team building
Producing a strong sense of commitment to the organization
Achieving higher levels of employee motivation
Assisting in cross-training/job rotation
Although the impact of training can be measured in terms of individual learning and
performance, another way to determine its impact is in relation to organizational growth,
development, or effectiveness. As organizations have changed in recent times, there has
emerged a need to study the critical elements that make organizations prosper and relate
these to training and development. It is common today to view organizations in a
dynamic sense, noting that they are constantly changing, renewing themselves, and in
need of being reflective of current business practices. One current prospective is to view
an organization as a "learning culture," reflecting its need to be constantly involved with
learning how to become better and to provide significant training opportunities for
employees (Senge, 1990). Accordingly, when organizations adopt this learning culture,
they create a variety of training opportunities for all employees and develop performance
expectations that instill in all employees the need for and value of training and
development on a continual basis.

BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

 • Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees.
• Better inter personal relationship and customer satisfaction.
• Increased employee motivation.
• Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in improved financial gain.
• Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods.
• Increased innovation in strategies and products.
• Reduced employee turnover.
• Enhanced company image.
• Better Risk management and staff safety consciousness.
• Increase in productivity.

REFERENCES

• Raymond A Noe: Training and Development, (McGrew Hill 2005)

• Robert Mathins: Human Resourse Management, (Thomson 2002)
• Dave Hall, Rob Jones: Business Studies, (Italy, Causeway Press Ltd, 2000)
• M. Radhaswamy: General Management Knowledge, (New Delhi, S. Chand
Press, 1990)
• Richard Young, Sue Grant: Management (London, Macmillan Press, 1989)
• www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training