Training and Development: Subsystem of an Organization
Discuss about the role and Importance of organizational Training and Development.
In the competitive era, with no statistics, new innovation emerges into the market on an everyday basis. This forces the organization to become more dynamic in terms of their business procedures while continuing implementation of changes in order to attain a competitive edge in the market. For this aspect, the HR manager is required to be active and consider multiple ways and strategies that could take best out of employees while assisting the organization in reaching goals (Bell, Tannenbaum, Ford, Noe & Kraiger, 2017). Big-scale organizations often offer training to their employees for optimum utilization of available skills. Along with this, they realize the significance of training and development and its positive impacts on operations and performance of the organization.
Training and development are considered as a subsystem of an organization which highlights increasing performance and individual groups. Moreover, training is a process of gaining education which is engaged in strengthening skills, ideas and attitude changing in order to improve employee performance (Brewster, 2017). Effective employee training assists in fostering skills and knowledge, which further aids company to develop in terms of profitability and performance.
Training is all about knowing where an individual is standing at present and where they will reach in future with the help of their abilities. With good training, individuals are able to learn about new ways of conducting old things and stimulate their information and knowledge. Due to the high scope of improvement and need for efficiency in business, the major contribution is provided by training and development to create such positive impact on a long-term basis (Dhar, 2015). By training, the employee gets up-to-date with a new phenomenon. Skill development is offered by training which sets the skill-base of employees.
Training and development tend be highly important, particularly in the era of technology advancement, thereby leading to fierce completion and struggling to provide maximum satisfaction to employees in order to survive or succeed. When it comes to new hires, training and development is the very first aspect which is provided to them in order to prepare. This program is highly needed by rapidly growing industries, for fostering the knowledge of industrial employees (Ford, 2014). For example, in developed countries with big industrial sectors, training is needed not only to enhance necessary abilities but also to prepare them for practical and physical tasks. Employees are trained in each and everything from mandatory skills to working styles.
Significance of Training and Development in Business
Training and development are considered as the most integral aspect of the human resource development, since the advancement in technology has led to cut-throat competition, and increase in customer expectation for quality services and the following requirement for reduced costs. Training and development are also important to prepare new hires for their job post and position.
Figure 1: Importance of training and development in the organization
There are multiple reasons for demonstrating how important training and development is for the organization. Training is especially significant for the new hires; this program is conducted with management while acting as a key platform to the new employee to catch the speed with company procedures and aiding them to cope up with talent gaps (Tracey, Hinkin, Tran, Emigh, Kingra, Taylor and Thorek 2015). Following are the significance of training and development in business:
Dealing with weaknesses: Every employee has a weakness when it comes to workplace expertise and knowledge. In this case, training and development program enables the employee to make a stronger base of skills while it brings employees at peak level, as they have same skills and knowledge. In addition to this, it also assists in eliminating weak points in the companies acting as a barrier to completing daily tasks (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). Offering necessary training programs form a knowledgeable and positive environment, by which employees can work on an independent basis without the assistance and control from others.
Enhanced employee performance: Employee receiving regular and right training is able to conduct their job in a better manner. They become aware of the process, safety and other related aspects engaged in their basic tasks. With a solid base of understanding and responsibility, Confidence is also built by training. Further, confidence forces employees to work even better and in a new way to manage and maintain their work excel. Ongoing training keeps the employee on a top level and makes the employee more competitive with the changing standards of industry (Keep, 2014). Along with this, the company is also able to grasp a position in the market while gaining a competitive edge.
Stability: A planned training and development program helps in ensuring that employee is having the constant and consistent knowledge and experience regarding their job. The stability is especially reliable for the fundamental policies and procedures of the company. Employees must be aware of process and expectation of company from them. This is inclusive of safety, prejudice and administration activities (Cascio, 2018). Giving training to employees in all areas help in ensuring that all the staff members with proper exposure of information.
Factors Contributing to Training and Development Needs
Job Satisfaction: Employees are having the high accessibility of training and development program have to benefit to taking the edge over other employees. Training opportunities must be provided on a regular basis to boost the employee attitude, work and performance. Valuable and competent employees are created when a company makes a high investment in training (Osburn, Hatcher & Zongrone, 2015). Along with this, a supportive and flexible workplace is created by these programs, helping employees to have high accessibility to workplace needs. With training opportunities, employee feels motivated, encouraged, challenged and appreciated thereby more job satisfaction is gained.
Furthermore, training is also vital in improving the performance of overall management; by conducting this weakness as well as shortcoming will be addressed. Along with this, training and development have a key role in strengthening the strengths and obtaining new skills. It is significant for the company to follow training and development and break down the same needs to capture reliable and efficient individuals. These programs also help in increasing productivity, in a rapidly changing environment, productivity is based on the employee performance and the technology used by them (Rodriguez & Walters, 2017). Further, training and development help employees in amending the organizational structure while provides an effective introduction with technologies by giving them a better understanding on the theoretical and practical basis. This also helps in getting employees updated with new technology, aiding them to use the current one in a better manner while eliminating the old ones.
Change: Change is one of the major contributing factors to the needs of training and development. There is a direct link between training & development and change. Further change, results in the immediate need for training and development and on the other side, training and development results in organization and HRM change and this cycle is never-ending.
Development: It is the main rationale for the need and importance of training and development. Motivation cannot be offered with the mere use of money, and this fact is stated as a true particularly 21st century (Hammond & Churchill, 2018). Employees engaged in working with organization seek for information and knowledge for more holistic and effective performance.
Training is a core opportunity to grow knowledge and understanding base of HRM. However these training and development opportunities are relatively expensive. It can be said that training and development plan and programs offer company and HRM multiple benefits
that make the contribution and efforts successful and worthwhile.
Conclusion
Training and development program are based on integrated approaches and are result oriented also as its helps in maintaining a knowledge base within employees. By considering this aspect, positive internal connections will also be stimulated, and employee engagement and innovative solutions will also be fostered. Furthermore, training and development also facilities employee’s learning and knowledge (Jha, 2016). Therefore, effective workings, actions, practices and performance will be ensured by conducting a single program, so it can be said as an all-in-one program facilitating and satisfying the HRM and organization as a whole.
Training and development accelerate efficiencies of HRM, methods such as on-the-job-training and off-the-job training to maximize transmission of helpful and beneficial knowledge to new employees and recruits.
Figure 2: Input and output of training process
(Source: Meaning of Training and Development, 2015)
A training program enables HRM to strengthen and improve their skills, on the other side development program takes the employee performance to another level ensuring that they possess exceptional skills and knowledge. Along with this, these programs also help in overcoming up with weakness and chasing new improvements ways. Training is required to be conducted on a timely basis, as the advancement of new technology can obsolete the skills of an employee so training can help the employees in retaining and advancing their skills in accordance with the new technology, changing environment and expectations (Pollock, Jefferson & Wick, 2015). This is to be done by complying with the systematic procedure.
Training and development is an ongoing process as the work quality, skills and abilities demand continuous mentoring and development. Since conducting business is not an easy task, it is crucial that organization consider on training their employees with ongoing mentoring, monitoring and monitoring.
It can be said that it is vital that employees have the required skills to deliver company expectations, and conduct job in an effective manner, however, mere theory knowledge is not sufficient for them; rather they need technological, practical and analytical skills to do so. This can be achieved through training and development, aiding in improving competence and turning the potential employees into competent employees, this also ensures long-term expertise, knowledge and skills (Wilson, 2014). Good training leads to better performance, thereby leading to job satisfaction and employee engagement. Properly trained employees will be able to get self-esteem and confidence to conduct their work in a cost-effective and successful manner, plus in turn, it will help in deriving job satisfaction.
Conclusion
The present study shows that training and development help the employees to update their skills to overcome new challenges while assisting in updating the mandatory skills to strengthen the workforce. The significance and key role of training and development cannot be overstated or neglected, as these programs act as the strong pillar for the new as well as existing employees. These motivate employees with necessary skills and abilities in order deliver valuable and superior services. Thus, training and development are crucial for any organization, due to its high eligibility to enhance knowledge within the workforce, while making them stronger and competent than before.
References
Bell, B. S., Tannenbaum, S. I., Ford, J. K., Noe, R. A., & Kraiger, K. (2017). 100 years of training and development research: What we know and where we should go. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 305.
Brewster, C. (2017). The integration of human resource management and corporate strategy. In Policy and practice in European human resource management (pp. 22-35). Routledge.
Dhar, R. L. (2015). Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of organizational commitment. Tourism Management, 46, 419-430.
Ford, J. K. (2014). Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. Psychology Press.
Tracey, J. B., Hinkin, T. R., Tran, T. L. B., Emigh, T., Kingra, M., Taylor, J., & Thorek, D. (2015). A field study of new employee training programs: industry practices and strategic insights. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 56(4), 345-354.
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
Keep, E. (2014). Corporate training strategies: the vital component?. New Perspectives, 109-125.
Cascio, W. (2018). Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill Education.
Osburn, H. K., Hatcher, J. M., & Zongrone, B. M. (2015). Training and development for organizational planning skills. The Psychology of Planning in Organizations: Research and Applications, 334.
Rodriguez, J., & Walters, K. (2017). The importance of training and development in employee performance and evaluation.
Hammond, H., & Churchill, R. Q. (2018). The Role of Employee Training and Development in Achieving Organizational Objectives: A Study of Accra Technical University. Archives of Business Research–Vol, 6(2).
Jha, V. (2016). Training and Development Program and its Benefits to Employee and Organization: A Conceptual Study.
Pollock, R. V., Jefferson, A., & Wick, C. W. (2015). The six disciplines of breakthrough learning: How to turn training and development into business results. John Wiley & Sons.
Wilson, J. P. (2014). International human resource development: Learning, education and training for individuals and organisations. Development and Learning in Organizations, 28(2).
Meaning of Training and Development. (2015). [Online]. Retrieved from <https://www.iibmindialms.com/library/management-basic-subjects/human-resources_management/training-and-development/meaning-training-development/>. [Accessed on 14th May 2018].