Training and development concepts :

In simple terms, training and development refers to the imparting of specific skills, abilities and
knowledge to an employee. A formal definition of training & 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 attitude or increasing his or her skills and knowledge. The
need for training & development is determined by the employee’s performance deficiency, computed as
follows:

Training & Development need = Standard performance – Actual performance.

Training and development:

We can make a distinction among training, education and development. Such distinction enables us to
acquire a better perspective about the meaning of the terms. Training, as was stated earlier, refers to
the process of imparting specific skills. Education, on the other hand, is confined to theoretical learning
in classrooms.

Training refers to the process of imparting specific skills.

*Development refers to the learning opportunities & designed to help employees grow.

*Education is theoretical learning in classroom.

Though training and education differ in nature and orientation, they are complementary. An employee,
for example, who undergoes training is presumed to have had some formal education. Furthermore, no
training programme is complete without an element of education. In fact, the distinction between
training and education is getting increasingly blurred nowadays. As more and more employees are called
upon to exercise judgments and to choose alternative solutions to the job problems, training
programmes seek to broaden and develop the individual through education. For instance, employees in
well-paid jobs and/or employees in the service industry may be required to make independent decision
regarding there work and their relationship with clients. Hence, organization must consider elements of
both education and training while planning there training programmed.
Development refers to those learning opportunities designed to help employees grow. Development is
not primarily skill-oriented. Instead, it provides general knowledge and attitudes which will be helpful to
employees in higher positions. Efforts towards development often depend on personal drive and
ambition. Development activities, such as those supplied by management developmental programmers,
are generally voluntary.

Human intellect and an overall personality of the employees.

Productivity – Training and Development helps in increasing the productivity of the employees that
helps the organization further to achieve its long-term goal.

Team spirit – Training and Development helps in inculcating the sense of team work, team spirit, and
inter-team collaborations. It helps in inculcating the zeal to learn within the employees.

Organization Culture – Training and Development helps to develop and improve the organizational
health culture and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the organization.

Organization Climate – Training and Development helps building the positive perception and feeling
about the organization. The employees get these feelings from leaders, subordinates, and peers.

Quality – Training and Development helps in improving upon the quality of work and work-life.

Healthy work environment – Training and Development helps in creating the healthy working
environment. It helps to build good employee, relationship so that individual goals aligns with
organizational goal.

Health and Safety – Training and Development helps in improving the health and safety of the
organization thus preventing obsolescence

Morale – Training and Development helps in improving the morale of the work force.
Image – Training and Development helps in creating a better corporate image.

Profitability – Training and Development leads to improved profitability and more positive attitudes
towards profit orientation.

Training and Development aids in organizational development i.e. Organization gets more effective
decision making and problem solving. It helps in understanding and carrying out organizational policies.

Training and Development helps in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty, better attitudes, and
other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display

Some of the benefits of training employees for an organization are as follows:

(i) Economy in Operations:

Trained personnel will be able to make better and economical use of materials and equipment’s.
Wastage will be low.

In addition, the rate of accidents and damage to machinery and equipment will be kept to the minimum
by the well- trained employees. These will lead to less cost of production per unit.

(ii) Greater Productivity:

A well trained employee usually shows greater productivity and higher quality of work-output than an
untrained employee. Training increases the skills of the employees in the performance of a particular
job. An increase in the skills usually helps to increase both quantity and quality of output.

(iii) Uniformity of Procedures:

With the help of training, the best available methods of work can be standardised and made available to
all employees. Standardisation will make high levels of performance rule rather than the exception.
(iv) Less Supervision:

If the employees are given proper training, the responsibility of supervision is lessened. Training does
not eliminate the need for supervision, but it reduces the need for detailed and constant supervision.

(v) Systematic Imparting of Skills:

A systematic training programme helps to reduce the learning time to reach the acceptable level of
performance. The employees need not learn by trial and error or by observing others and waste time if
the formal training programme exists in the organization.

(vi) Creation of Inventory of Skills:

When totally new skills are required by an organization, it has to face great difficulties in employment.
Training can be used in spotting out promising men and in removing defects in the selection process. It is
better to select and train employees from within the organization rather than seek the skilled employees
from outside sources.

(vii) Higher Morale:

The morale of employees is increase if they are given proper training. A good training programme will
mould employees’ attitude to achieve support for organisational activities and to obtain greater
cooperation and loyalty. With the help of training, dissatisfaction, complaints, absenteeism and turnover
can be reduced among the employees.

Difference Between Training and Development:

Employee training and development is an indispensable part of human resource function and
management. Both the activities aim at improving the performance and productivity of the employees.
Training is a program organized by the organization to develop knowledge and skills in the employees as
per the requirement of the job. Conversely, Development is an organized activity in which the
manpower of the organization learn and grow; it is a self-assessment act.
In training, the employees are imparted technical knowledge and skills related to the particular job and
stresses on improving the abilities of each worker. In contrast, development is a sort of educational
process which focuses on the growth and maturity of the managerial personnel.

Definition of Training

Training is a process in which the trainees get an opportunity to learn the key skills which are required to
do the job. Learning with earning is known as training. It helps the employees to understand the
complete job requirements.

Nowadays, many organisations organise a training program for the new recruits just after their selection
and induction, to let them know about the rules, policies and procedures for directing their behaviour
and attitude as per the organisational needs. Training also helps the employees to change the conduct
towards their superior, subordinates and colleagues. It helps to groom them for their prospective jobs.

Induction training, vestibule training, apprenticeship training, job training,

promotional training, internship training are some of the major types of training. The merits of the
training are given as under:

It results in higher productivity both quantitatively and qualitatively.

It develops a number of skills in the employees.

Improved performances.

The cooperative environment of the organisation.

It builds confidence in the employees for doing a job.

Decreased employee turnover.

Lesser chances of accidents.

Definition of Development

The training for the top level employees is considered as development, also known as management or
executive development. It is an on-going systematic procedure in which managerial staff learns to
enhance their conceptual, theoretical knowledge. It helps the individual to bring efficiency and
effectiveness in their work performances.

Development is not only limited to a particular task, but it aims to improve their personality and attitude
for their all round growth which will help them to face future challenges. It changes the mindset of the
employees and makes them more challenging or competing.

As the technology needs updating, the manpower of the organisation also needs to be updated, so the
development is a must. Development is an educational process which is unending, as education has no
visible end. It involves training a person for higher assignments. It digs out the talents of the managerial
staff and helps in applying the new knowledge, which is a requirement of the organisation.

Coaching, mentoring, counselling, job-rotation, role playing, case study, conference training, special
projects are some of the methods of development.

The performance of an organisation is based on the quality of its employees, and so the greater the
quality of employees, the greater will be their performance. The primary purpose of development is that
the second list of managers or executives is prepared for future replacement.
Needs Analysis: How to determine training needs:

Introduction

Today's work environment requires employees to be skilled in performing complex tasks in an efficient,
cost-effective, and safe manner. Training (a performance improvement tool) is needed when employees
are not performing up to a certain standard or at an expected level of performance. The difference
between actual the actual level of job performance and the expected level of job performance indicates
a need for training. The identification of training needs is the first step in a uniform method of
instructional design.

A successful training needs analysis will identify those who need training and what kind of training is
needed. It is counter-productive to offer training to individuals who do not need it or to offer the wrong
kind of training. A Training Needs Analysis helps to put the training resources to good use.

Types of Needs Analyses

Many needs assessments are available for use in different employment contexts. Sources that can help
you determine which needs analysis is appropriate for your situation are described below.

Organizational Analysis. An analysis of the business needs or other reasons the training is desired. An
analysis of the organization's strategies, goals, and objectives. What is the organization overall trying to
accomplish? The important questions being answered by this analysis are who decided that training
should be conducted, why a training program is seen as the recommended solution to a business
problem, what the history of the organization has been with regard to employee training and other
management interventions.

Person Analysis. Analysis dealing with potential participants and instructors involved in the process. The
important questions being answered by this analysis are who will receive the training and their level of
existing knowledge on the subject, what is their learning style, and who will conduct the training. Do the
employees have required skills? Are there changes to policies, procedures, software, or equipment that
require or necessitate training?

Work analysis / Task Analysis. Analysis of the tasks being performed. This is an analysis of the job and
the requirements for performing the work. Also known as a task analysis or job analysis, this analysis
seeks to specify the main duties and skill level required. This helps ensure that the training which is
developed will include relevant links to the content of the job.

Performance Analysis. Are the employees performing up to the established standard? If performance is
below expectations, can training help to improve this performance? Is there a Performance Gap?
Content Analysis. Analysis of documents, laws, procedures used on the job. This analysis answers
questions about what knowledge or information is used on this job. This information comes from
manuals, documents, or regulations. It is important that the content of the training does not conflict or
contradict job requirements. An experienced worker can assist (as a subject matter expert) in
determining the appropriate content.

Training Suitability Analysis. Analysis of whether training is the desired solution. Training is one of
several solutions to employment problems. However, it may not always be the best solution. It is
important to determine if training will be effective in its usage.

Cost-Benefit Analysis. Analysis of the return on investment (ROI) of training. Effective training results in a
return of value to the organization that is greater than the initial investment to produce or administer
the training.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Today's workplace often requires employees to be independent thinkers responsible for making good
decisions based on limited information. This kind of work may require training if the employee does not
have these skills. Below is a list of various competencies that employees may be required to posess in
order to perform their jobs well.

Adaptability

Analytical Skills

Action Orientation

Business Knowledge/Acumen

Coaching/Employee Development

Communication

Customer Focus

Decision Making

Fiscal Management

Global Perspective

Innovation

Interpersonal Skills

Leadership
Establishing Objectives

Risk Management

Persuasion and Influence

Planning

Problem Solving

Project Management

Results Orientation

Self-Management

Teamwork

Technology

Are any of these KSA's required before the employee is hired? Are the required KSA's included in any job
postings or advertisements? Do they need to be?

Techniques

Several basic Needs Assessment techniques include:

direct observation

questionnaires

consultation with persons in key positions, and/or with specific knowledge

review of relevant literature

interviews

focus groups

assessments/surveys

records & report studies

work samples

Conducting an Organizational Analyses

Determine what resources are available for training. What are the mission and goals of the organization
in regards to employee development? What support will te senior management and managers give
toward training? Is the organization supportive and on-board with this process? Are there adequate
resources (financial and personnel)?

Conducting a Work / Task Analysis

Interview subject matter experts (SME's) and high performing employees. Interview the supervisors and
managers in charge. Review job descriptions and occupational information. Develop an understanding of
what employees need to know in order to perform their jobs.

Important questions to ask when conducting a Task Analysis:

What tasks are performed?

How frequently are they performed?

How important is each task?

What knowledge is needed to perform the task?

How difficult is each task?

What kinds of training are available?

Observe the employee performing the job. Document the tasks being performed. When documenting
the tasks, make sure each task starts with an action verb. How does this task analysis compare to
existing job descriptions? Did the task analysis miss any important parts of the job description? Were
there tasks performed that were omitted from the job description?

Organize the identified tasks. Develop a sequence of tasks. Or list the tasks by importance.

Are there differences between high and low performing employees on specific work tasks? Are there
differences between Experts and Novices? Would providing training on those tasks improve employee
job performance?
Most employees are required to make decisions based on information. How is information gathered by
the employee? What does the employee do with the information? Can this process be trained? Or, can
training improve this process?

Cognitive Task Analysis

Develop a model of the task. Show where the decision points are located and what information is
needed to make decisions and actions are taken based on that information. This model should be a
schematic or graphic representation of the task. This model is developed by observing and interviewing
the employees. The objective is to develop a model that can be used to guide the development of
training programs and curriculum.

Since the training is based on specific job tasks, employees may feel more comfortable taking the effort
to participate in training.

Gather information about how the task is performed so that this can be used to form a model of the
task. Review job titles and descriptions to get an idea of the tasks performed. Observe the employee
performing the job. Review existing training related to the job. Make sure you observe both experts and
novices for comparison.

Conducting a Performance Analysis

This technique is used to identify which employees need the training. Review performance appraisals.
Interview managers and supervisors. Look for performance measures such as benchmarks and goals.

Sources of performance data:

Performance Appraisals

Quotas met (un-met)

Performance Measures

Turnover

Shrinkage

Leakage

Spoilage
Losses

Accidents

Safety Incidents

Grievances

Absenteeism

Units per Day

Units per Week

Returns

Customer Complaints

Are there differences between high and low performing employees on specific competencies? Would
providing training on those competencies improve employee job performance?

Checklist for Training Needs Analysis

It is helpful to have an organized method for choosing the right assessment for your needs. A checklist
can help you in this process. Your checklist should summarize the kinds of information discussed above.
For example, is the assessment valid for your intended purpose? Is it reliable and fair? Is it cost-
effective? Is the instrument likely to be viewed as fair and valid by the participants? Also consider the
ease or difficulty of administration, scoring, and interpretation given available resources.

Methods of Training: On-the-job Training Method and Off-the-Job Methods!

Management development is a systematic process of growth and development by which the managers
develop their abilities to manage. It is concerned with not only improving the performance of managers
but also giving them opportunities for growth and development.

There are two methods through which managers can improve their knowledge and skills. One is through
formal training and other is through on the job experiences. On the job training is very important since
real learning takes place only when one practices what they have studied.

But it is also equally important in gaining knowledge through classroom learning. Learning becomes
fruitful only when theory is combined with practice. Therefore on the job methods can be balanced with
classroom training methods (off-the-job methods).
1. On-the-job Training (OJT) Methods:

This is the most common method of training in which a trainee is placed on a specific job and taught the
skills and knowledge necessary to perform it.

The advantages of OJT are as follows:

1. On the job method is a flexible method.

2. It is a less expensive method.

3. The trainee is highly motivated and encouraged to learn.

4. Much arrangement for the training is not required.

On-the-job training methods are as follows:

1. Job rotation:

This training method involves movement of trainee from one job to another gain knowledge and
experience from different job assignments. This method helps the trainee understand the problems of
other employees.

2. Coaching:
Under this method, the trainee is placed under a particular supervisor who functions as a coach in
training and provides feedback to the trainee. Sometimes the trainee may not get an opportunity to
express his ideas.

3. Job instructions:

Also known as step-by-step training in which the trainer explains the way of doing the jobs to the trainee
and in case of mistakes, corrects the trainee.

4. Committee assignments:

A group of trainees are asked to solve a given organizational problem by discussing the problem. This
helps to improve team work.

5. Internship training:

Under this method, instructions through theoretical and practical aspects are provided to the trainees.
Usually, students from the engineering and commerce colleges receive this type of training for a small
stipend.

2. Off-the-job Methods:

On the job training methods have their own limitations, and in order to have the overall development of
employee’s off-the-job training can also be imparted. The methods of training which are adopted for the
development of employees away from the field of the job are known as off-the-job methods.

The following are some of the off-the-job techniques:

1. Case study method:

Usually case study deals with any problem confronted by a business which can be solved by an
employee. The trainee is given an opportunity to analyse the case and come out with all possible
solutions. This method can enhance analytic and critical thinking of an employee.

2. Incident method:

Incidents are prepared on the basis of actual situations which happened in different organizations and
each employee in the training group is asked to make decisions as if it is a real-life situation. Later on,
the entire group discusses the incident and takes decisions related to the incident on the basis of
individual and group decisions.

3. Role play:

In this case also a problem situation is simulated asking the employee to assume the role of a particular
person in the situation. The participant interacts with other participants assuming different roles. The
whole play will be recorded and trainee gets an opportunity to examine their own performance.

4. In-basket method:

The employees are given information about an imaginary company, its activities and products, HR
employed and all data related to the firm. The trainee (employee under training) has to make notes,
delegate tasks and prepare schedules within a specified time. This can develop situational judgments
and quick decision making skills of employees.

5. Business games:

According to this method the trainees are divided into groups and each group has to discuss about
various activities and functions of an imaginary organization. They will discuss and decide about various
subjects like production, promotion, pricing etc. This gives result in co-operative decision making
process.
6. Grid training:

It is a continuous and phased programme lasting for six years. It includes phases of planning
development, implementation and evaluation. The grid takes into consideration parameters like concern
for people and concern for people.

7. Lectures:

This will be a suitable method when the numbers of trainees are quite large. Lectures can be very much
helpful in explaining the concepts and principles very clearly, and face to face interaction is very much
possible.

8. Simulation:

Under this method an imaginary situation is created and trainees are asked to act on it. For e.g.,
assuming the role of a marketing manager solving the marketing problems or creating a new strategy
etc.

9. Management education:

At present universities and management institutes gives great emphasis on management education. For
e.g., Mumbai University has started bachelors and postgraduate degree in Management. Many
management Institutes provide not only degrees but also hands on experience having collaboration with
business concerns.

10. Conferences:

A meeting of several people to discuss any subject is called conference. Each participant contributes by
analyzing and discussing various issues related to the topic. Everyone can express their own view point.
Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Training Evaluation Model

Analyzing Training Effectiveness

If you deliver training for your team or your organization, then you probably know how important it is to
measure its effectiveness. After all, you don't want to spend time or money on training that doesn't
provide a good return.

This is where Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Training Evaluation Model can help you objectively analyze the
effectiveness and impact of your training, so that you can improve it in the future.

In this article, we'll look at each of the four levels of the Kirkpatrick model, and we'll examine how you
can apply the model to evaluate training. We'll also look at some of the situations where it may not be
useful.

The Four Levels

Donald Kirkpatrick, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin and past president of the
American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), first published his Four-Level Training
Evaluation Model in 1959, in the US Training and Development Journal.

The model was then updated in 1975, and again in 1994, when he published his best-known work,
"Evaluating Training Programs."

The four levels are:

Reaction.

Learning.

Behavior.

Results.

Let's look at each level in greater detail.

Level 1: Reaction

This level measures how your trainees (the people being trained), reacted to the training. Obviously, you
want them to feel that the training was a valuable experience, and you want them to feel good about
the instructor, the topic, the material, its presentation, and the venue.

It's important to measure reaction, because it helps you understand how well the training was received
by your audience. It also helps you improve the training for future trainees, including identifying
important areas or topics that are missing from the training.

Level 2: Learning

At level 2, you measure what your trainees have learned. How much has their knowledge increased as a
result of the training?

When you planned the training session, you hopefully started with a list of specific learning objectives:
these should be the starting point for your measurement. Keep in mind that you can measure learning in
different ways depending on these objectives, and depending on whether you're interested in changes
to knowledge, skills, or attitude.

It's important to measure this, because knowing what your trainees are learning and what they aren't
will help you improve future training.

Level 3: Behavior

At this level, you evaluate how far your trainees have changed their behavior, based on the training they
received. Specifically, this looks at how trainees apply the information.
It's important to realize that behavior can only change if conditions are favorable. For instance, imagine
you've skipped measurement at the first two Kirkpatrick levels and, when looking at your group's
behavior, you determine that no behavior change has taken place. Therefore, you assume that your
trainees haven't learned anything and that the training was ineffective.

However, just because behavior hasn't changed, it doesn't mean that trainees haven't learned anything.
Perhaps their boss won't let them apply new knowledge. Or, maybe they've learned everything you
taught, but they have no desire to apply the knowledge themselves.

Level 4: Results

At this level, you analyze the final results of your training. This includes outcomes that you or your
organization have determined to be good for business, good for the employees, or good for the bottom
line.

How to Apply the Model

Level 1: Reaction

Start by identifying how you'll measure reaction. Consider addressing these questions:

Did the trainees feel that the training was worth their time?

Did they think that it was successful?

What were the biggest strengths of the training, and the biggest weaknesses?

Did they like the venue and presentation style?

Did the training session accommodate their personal learning styles ?

Next, identify how you want to measure these reactions. To do this you'll typically use employee
satisfaction surveys or questionnaires; however you can also watch trainees' body language during the
training, and get verbal feedback by asking trainees directly about their experience.
Once you've gathered this information, look at it carefully. Then, think about what changes you could
make, based on your trainees' feedback and suggestions.

Level 2: Learning

To measure learning, start by identifying what you want to evaluate. (These things could be changes in
knowledge, skills, or attitudes.)

It's often helpful to measure these areas both before and after training. So, before training commences,
test your trainees to determine their knowledge, skill levels, and attitudes.

Once training is finished, test your trainees a second time to measure what they have learned, or
measure learning with interviews or verbal assessments.

Level 3: Behavior

It can be challenging to measure behavior effectively. This is a longer-term activity that should take
place weeks or months after the initial training.

Consider these questions:

Did the trainees put any of their learning to use?

Are trainees able to teach their new knowledge, skills, or attitudes to other people?

Are trainees aware that they've changed their behavior?

One of the best ways to measure behavior is to conduct observations and interviews over time.
Also, keep in mind that behavior will only change if conditions are favorable. For instance, effective
learning could have taken place in the training session. But, if the overall organizational culture isn't set
up for any behavior changes, the trainees might not be able to apply what they've learned.

Alternatively, trainees might not receive support, recognition, or reward for their behavior change from
their boss. So, over time, they disregard the skills or knowledge that they have learned, and go back to
their old behaviors.

Level 4: Results

Of all the levels, measuring the final results of the training is likely to be the most costly and time
consuming. The biggest challenges are identifying which outcomes, benefits, or final results are most
closely linked to the training, and coming up with an effective way to measure these outcomes over the
long term.

Here are some outcomes to consider, depending on the objectives of your training:

Increased employee retention.

Increased production.

Higher morale.

Reduced waste.

Increased sales.

Higher quality ratings.

Increased customer satisfaction.

Fewer staff complaints.

Considerations

Although Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Training Evaluation Model is popular and widely used, there are a
number of considerations that need to be taken into account when using the model.
One issue is that it can be time-consuming and expensive to use levels 3 or 4 of the model, so it's not
practical for all organizations and situations. This is especially the case for organizations that don't have
a dedicated training or human resource department, or for one-off training sessions or programs.

In a similar way, it can be expensive and resource intensive to "wire up an organization" to collect data
with the sole purpose of evaluating training at levels 3 and 4. (Whether or not this is practical depends
on the systems already in place within the organization.)

The model also assumes that each level's importance is greater than the last level, and that all levels are
linked. For instance, it implies that Reaction is less important, ultimately, than Results, and that
reactions must be positive for learning to take place. In practice, this may not be the case.

Most importantly, organizations change in many ways, and behaviors and results change depending on
these, as well as on training. For example, measurable improvements in areas like retention and
productivity could result from the arrival of a new boss or from a new computer system, rather than
from training.

Kirkpatrick's model is great for trying to evaluate training in a "scientific" way, however, so many
variables can be changing in fast-changing organizations that analysis at level 4 can be limited in
usefulness.

5 Steps to Creating Effective Training Programs:

An effective training program is built by following a systematic, step-by step process. Training initiatives
that stand alone (one-off events) often fail to meet organizational objectives and participant
expectations. In today’s post we outline the five necessary steps to creating an effective program.

1) Assess Training Needs: The first step in developing a training program is to identify and assess needs.
Employee training needs may already be established in the organization’s strategic, human resources or
individual development plans. If you’re building the training program from scratch (without
predetermined objectives) you’ll need to conduct training needs assessments.
2) Set Organizational Training Objectives: The training needs assessments (organizational, task &
individual) will identify any gaps in your current training initiatives and employee skill sets. These gaps
should be analyzed and prioritized and turned into the organization’s training objectives. The ultimate
goal is to bridge the gap between current and desired performance through the development of a
training program. At the employee level, the training should match the areas of improvement
discovered through 360 degree evaluations.

3) Create Training Action Plan: The next step is to create a comprehensive action plan that includes
learning theories, instructional design, content, materials and any other training elements. Resources
and training delivery methods should also be detailed. While developing the program, the level of
training and participants’ learning styles need to also be considered.Many companies pilot their
initiatives and gather feedback to make adjustments before launching the program company-wide.

4) Implement Training Initiatives: The implementation phase is where the training program comes to
life. Organizations need to decide whether training will be delivered in-house or externally coordinated.
Program implementation includes the scheduling of training activities and organization of any related
resources (facilities, equipment, etc.). The training program is then officially launched, promoted and
conducted. During training, participant progress should be monitored to ensure that the program is
effective.

5) Evaluate & Revise Training: As mentioned in the last segment, the training program should be
continually monitored. At the end, the entire program should be evaluated to determine if it was
successful and met training objectives. Feedback should be obtained from all stakeholders to determine
program and instructor effectiveness and also knowledge or skill acquisition. Analyzing this feedback will
allow the organization to identify any weaknesses in the program. At this point, the training program or
action plan can be revised if objectives or expectations are not being met.