Training Need Analysis For Amazon: Addressing Employee Engagement And Knowledge Management Issues

Issues with Amazon’s Employee Engagement and Knowledge Management

The paper will discuss the training need analysis of Amazon. Based on the current situation of the company it can be argued that the company is current problems related to three specific areas. These are – effects of automation, employee engagement and knowledge management. Though the organization have been able to maintain its position as the largest retail e-commerce platform of the world for the last two decades, it is also important to note that Amazon is facing issues related to employee engagement and knowledge management (Amazon, 2022). It is not enough for the business to indulge into automation and artificial intelligence, it is also important for Amazon (Amazon workers, 2022). Most people in Amazon have a habit of criticising one another in order to disprove the viewpoints of others. Former Amazon employees have frequently stated that people were pushed to attack each other in formal meetings in order to close with a more critical idea. However, the process of obtaining a vital concept has resulted in a toxic atmosphere within the company. On the other hand from the start of their business, Amazon has strived to understand how its customers interact with its products and services. Amazon has also attempted to comprehend its clients’ abilities to research what they want. Throughout history, Amazon has embraced knowledge management to improve customer experience by providing the appropriate service at the right time. This was insufficient for Amazon, which attempted to assist customers in achieving their goals in a personalised manner (Gilbert, 2021). The issues with Amazon’s inventory management have been displayed here so that you may obtain a better understanding of the issues with inventory management (Davidekova, & Hvorecky, 2016). Unlike Walmart, the corporation has begun selling its goods in many parts of the globe. The corporation needed a significant number of workers and managers to handle the corporate offices, operational factories, hubs, and warehouses while maintaining a global business (Orenga-Rogla, & Chalmeta, 2019). Over time, the company began to hire workers or personnel on a contract basis as well. Amazon will be able to hire more people as a result of this system. Employees, on the other hand, had begun to depart the organisation with short notice (Chaffey, Edmundson-Bird, & Hemphill, 2019). Amazon was caught in a vicious cycle of high recruiting and high turnover.

When developing a training strategy, we begin by doing a training need analysis (TNA), and while doing so, we prefer to focus on three things: organisational, operational, and person analysis (Haugen, et al., 2019). As a result, it is possible to assert that training strategy and organisational strategy are inextricably linked. The organisational analysis will identify any systemic impediments that inhibit appropriate conduct that has a significant impact on crucial outcomes. Other barriers to a negative attitude will have been found throughout the organisational study. It is critical to eliminate the elements that contribute to this attitude and to add forces that will help to shift the attitude to a more positive one (Natek, & Zwilling, 2016). It will be easier to discover what barriers the system is creating and the general performance gaps as a result of the organisational study. The organisation must decide what training limits will be imposed. This information should be gathered via firm materials and top management interviews; this is also part of the organisational study (Armstrong, & Landers, 2018). The management structure, the organisation, the environment, and the trainee population all impose constraints on training. They take into account things like how much time will be available to provide the training, what style of delivery is appropriate for the learners, the organization’s level of technology, and the facilities available (Smith, Wollan, & Zhou, 2011).

The Importance of Training Strategy and Organizational Strategy

The main intended audience will be the employees of the organization. It is important to address the issues concerning the employees as they are the ones who need the training most to overcome the gaps. As there are issues related to employee retention, employee engagement and knowledge management thus it is important for the company to focus on the employees, especially those who are mostly dealing with customer service directly and operational activities (Matthews, Habrin, & Daidle, 2018). It is undeniable that the organisation has a toxic culture. Ex-amazon employees claim that they were frequently humiliated in meetings, and that bosses were encouraged to verbally attack one another (Turban, et al., 2012). On Amazon, there is a culture of criticising one another in order to disprove the viewpoints of others. Former Amazon employees have frequently stated that people were pushed to attack each other in formal meetings in order to close with a more critical idea (North, & Kumta, 2018). However, the process of obtaining a vital concept has resulted in a toxic atmosphere within the company. Former employees have also said that after a discussion, several staff would break down in tears. What was supposed to be a professional attack turned into a personal one.

The main aim of this paper is to identify the gaps in organizational activities that have resulted in the productivity of the company. In this case, the chosen company is amazon. It has already been discussed that amazon is facing issues related to employee engagement and knowledge management (Martinez, et al., 2015). It is important to note here that this paper will specifically focus on these two aspects and it will try to understand what needs to be done to overcome the gaps in these areas. Certain methods will be applied to provide the training to the employees. For example on the job training is one of the most common and effective that will be provided to the employees (Acemoglu, & Restrepo, 2019). A detailed study of the required resources will be provided in this solution also. As some of the resources will be used thus a cost analysis plan will be presented in this solution also. At the end of the discussion, the paper will provide the theoretical structure of the given solution. Along with that the paper will also provide the justification for choosing the applied methods and other processes. There are mainly two issues that will be covered through training. These are – problems related to employee engagement and knowledge management.

The main methods of the training will be on the job training and sensitivity training. TNA (Training Needs Analysis) is a method for finding the reasons for the discrepancy between expected and actual performance (Cohen, 2017). When developing a training strategy, we start by analysing the training requirements (TNA). The goal of TNA is to boost staff productivity. TNA is generally good since it aids in increasing the relevance and efficacy of training. When actual organisational performance (AOP) falls short of intended organisational performance (EOP), a requirements analysis is triggered. The organisational performance gap (OPG) is the term we use to describe this disparity. A TNA is significant since it aids in determining whether training will be effective in resolving the performance issue. If done correctly, OJT has several clear financial benefits. At the job site, both trainees and trainers are doing their jobs. Even though neither the student nor the trainer will be able to produce at full capacity, they will be able to produce something. Sensitivity training is a process in which group members learn how others see them and how to deal with people more sensitively with the help of a facilitator (Cohen, 2017). Sensitivity training began as a way for teaching more successful work practises in groups and with others, with three key elements: fast feedback, here-and-now orientation, and an emphasis on the group process. The training will be provided on a face to face basis.

Main Audience and Focus of the Training

Unlike simulators, games, or computer-based training modules, OJT does not necessitate the purchase of costly training resources. All of the materials are standard office supplies. The pace of learning is also accelerated with OJT. Training and its application to the workplace are not separated by any time constraints (Mohanty, et al., 2019). Furthermore, some evidence suggests that one-on-one instruction leads to faster, more durable learning. More efficient training is less expensive. The expense of training the trainers is one factor to consider when putting OJT in place (Mohanty, et al., 2019). In contrast to existing approaches, most, if not all, of the trainers in a new OJT system will need to be trained. Furthermore, this method employs one-on-one teaching, whereas other systems employ a single trainer for a large number of learners. The sharing of each group member’s unique perceptions of everyone else there is an important aspect of sensitivity training (Wajcman, 2017). As a result, information about his or her personal qualities, problems, emotional issues, and things in common with other members of the group becomes available. The trainer for a group does not operate as the group’s leader or lecturer, instead of seeking to clarify the group’s processes by using occurrences to illustrate general principles or provide feedback.

Cost benefit analysis of the proposed plan will be calculated on the basis of return on investment. Because Amazon has spent a significant amount of money on employee development, it is critical for the corporation to determine the value of training (West, 2019). Various studies have been carried out to assess the efficiency of training programmes. According to several research, both on-the-job training and sensitivity training had a higher return on investment than managerial training programmes. For example, Ford weighs all of its training initiatives against the profitability of a certain product line.

Cost benefit analysis will be calculated through the following formula –

Return on investment = (Program benefits/ costs) * 100

The cost of the training will be $ 60000, and the productivity increase and employee retention cost is $ 300000. Thus the cost benefit will be –

$ 300000/$ 60000 * 100 = 500 %

Therefore it can be said that the cost benefit of $ 1 dollar invested is $ 5. 

The following activities will be executed through the specified timeline –

The training is based on two basic theories. These are – on job training and sensitivity training. OJT has a lot of clear financial benefits when done effectively. Both trainees and trainers are on the job at the same time. Even if neither the student nor the trainer is capable of producing at full capacity, they will be able to generate something. Sensitivity training is a process in which group members, with the help of a facilitator, learn how others see them and how to deal with people more sensitively (Kwek, & Cheung, 2015). With three important elements: fast feedback, here-and-now orientation, and an emphasis on the group process, sensitivity training began as a technique of teaching more successful work practises in groups and with people. Unlike other techniques, a start-up OJT system will require training for the majority, if not all, of the trainers (Cohen, 2017). Furthermore, although other systems use a single trainer for a large number of students, this method employs one-on-one training. The cost must account for the loss of production caused by having more skilled staff conduct training. The goal of sensitivity training is to become more aware of and sensitive to others’ feelings and attitudes. Each member of the group shares his or her unique perceptions of everyone else there, which is an important aspect of sensitivity training.

Proposed Solutions: On-the-Job Training and Sensitivity Training

From the above discussion, there is no doubt that both on the job training method and sensitivity training will be helpful for amazon employees. To capitalise on the customer’s degree of experience, Amazon discovered through knowledge management that each product need its gateway (Haugen, et al., 2019). More clients have been attracted by the one point of contact. Customers have the same experience when they use the same portal. This isn’t just a customer’s experience. For the client, this develops a habit, and as a result, it becomes a platform for social interaction. Customers do not directly communicate with merchants, but they do learn about them through the purchase process (Kattepur, 2019). This process will be supported by on the job training methods. On the job training method will help the employees to understand the necessity of gaining knowledge about the ways through which they can retain the customers (Cohen, 2017). Customers form an important part of the business of Amazon, thus it is essential to understand the ways customers interact with sellers and talk about their preferences. Other strategies include neither the teacher nor the trainee working on the organization’s products or services while training is taking place. As a result, the interaction between the buyer and the vendor will be disrupted. OJT also does not necessitate the acquisition of costly training tools like simulators, games, or computer-based training modules (Das, et al., 2015). This will save money since there will be fewer expenditures associated with managing client information. All of the materials are standard work equipment. OJT also helps to accelerate the learning process. There is no time delay between training and its use in the workplace. On the other hand, sensitivity training will help in employee engagement. As the process helps employees to learn about others, thus superiors and peers will learn about their colleagues and subordinates. They learn about their emotions and in this way, they will not get diverted from the fact that there is a great of emotional intelligence in the workplace. Personal experience inside the group was also crucial, intending to make people aware of themselves, how their actions affect others, and how others affect them. Trainers felt that by reducing the number of fixed reactions to others and increasing social sensitivity, they could significantly improve social sensitivity. Each member of the group shares his or her unique perceptions of everyone else there, which is an important aspect of sensitivity training.

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