2.1: Training

Introduction:

Definition: Training is the process of providing opportunities for workers to acquire employment-related skills and knowledge.

Objectives of training:

• Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of staff and improve quality of customer service/production

  • • Increased competence can lead to an overall decrease in costs as less time and materials are wasted.

    • Greater quality good/service = greater customer satisfaction

• Foster career and personal development of employees

  • • Happier employees harnesses a good reputation for the business as well as increasing motivation.

• Create a flexible and productive workforce

  • • Staff should be equipped to adapt to changes (technological, legal, structural, etc.)

Drawbacks:

• Financial costs (course fees/loss of output) can be very expensive or not worth the investment.

• Effective training often requires in depth which can incur heavy time investment from the manager.

• Employee may leave rendering the investment useless

Summary:

• Training causes workers to be more effective, flexible, motivated and productive; however, the returns should be able to justify the cost.

Types of Training

There are four types of training: induction, mentoring, behavioral, and cognitive. While not all are mutually exclusive, each provide their own benefits and drawbacks.

On-the-job training:

Definition: Refers to training carried out whilst in the workplace.

Induction training:

• Aimed at familiarizing new employees into a business allowing them to settle in faster.

  • • Introduces them to corporate culture as well as their role in the business.

    • Meet existing employees and learn the layout of the workplace.

    • Look at company policies and practices (Breaks, emergency procedures, health/safety policies)

Mentoring:

• • • Mentoring is a type of on-the-job training involving a partnership between two people.

      • It is split into the mentor and the mentee;

      • The mentor is the more experienced one who helps the mentee gain and develop specific skills and knowledge.

Off-the-job training:

Definition: Refers to training carried out off-site, e.g. at a tertiary or hotel conference room.

Cognitive

• • • Training and developing mental skills to improve work performance.

      • Cognitive training includes learning activities designed to help improve memory, attention, listening skills, logic and reasoning, visual and auditory processing, self-control, time management and problem solving. Hence, it is used in many professions, especially highly skilled jobs such as accounting, finance and insurance.

Behavioural

• • • Deals with identifying functional issues that could improve performance in a workplace e.g. team-building, motivation, stress management

      • Focuses on human behavior rather than skills.