Chapter Four

Training and Development

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

• Learning/Education
• Learning is the means by which a person acquires and
develops new knowledge, skills, capabilities, behaviors
and attitudes.
• Learning has happened when people can demonstrate
that they know something that they did not know before
and when they can do something they could not do
before (skills).
• Learning is a continuous process that not only enhances
existing capabilities but also leads to the development of
the skills, knowledge and attitudes that prepare people
for enlarged or higher-level responsibilities in the future.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

Learning and development defined
• Learning and development is the process of
acquiring and developing knowledge, skills,
capabilities, behaviours and attitudes through
learning or developmental experiences.
• It is concerned with ensuring that the
organization has the knowledgeable, skilled,
engaged and committed workforce it needs.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Learning and Development Strategy

• Learning and development strategy represents

the approach an organization adopts to ensure
that now and in the future, learning and
development activities support the
achievement of its goals by developing the
skills and capacities of individuals and teams.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Approaches to learning and development

• Learning and development can be formal or

informal and can use computer, networked
and web-based technology (e-learning).
• Its effectiveness is increased by joining up
different methods of learning and
development (blended learning) and by
encouraging self-directed learning

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Informal and formal learning
• Formal learning is planned and systematic. It
makes use of structured training programmes
consisting of instruction and practice that may
be conducted on-or off the job.
• Informal learning is experienced learning. It
takes place while people are learning on the
job as they go along.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

• E-Learning
• E-learning provides for learning via computer, networked and
web-based technology.
• Blended learning
• Blended learning is the use of a combination of learning methods
to increase the overall effectiveness of the learning process.
• Self-directed learning.
• Self-directed or self managed learning involves encouraging
individuals to take responsibility for their own learning needs,
either to improve their performance or satisfy their career
aspiration.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

Planning and delivering learning program

The action required are:

• 1. Establish the learning needs
• 2. Define the learning objectives
• 3. Decide on content
• 4. Decide on methods of delivery
• 5. Decide on location and facility, budget required
• 6. Prepare the information on the program and event
• 7. Deliver learning
• 8. Evaluate the learning

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

• Training
• Training involves teaching organizational members
how to perform current jobs and helping them to
acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be
effective performers.
• Training is a systematic process through which an
organization’s human resources gain knowledge and
develop skills by instruction and practical activities
that result in improved corporate performance.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

• Development
• Building the knowledge and skills of
organizational members to enable them to take
on new responsibilities and challenges.
• Development is concerned with ensuring that a
person’s ability and potential are grown and
realized through the provision of learning
experiences or through self-directed (self-
managed) learning.
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Training & Development
• Training & Development is any attempt to improve current or
future employee performance by increasing an employee’s
ability to perform , usually by changing the employee’s
attitude or increasing his or her skills and knowledge.”
– Training used more often at lower levels of firm,
development is common with managers.

• The need for Training and Development is determined by the

employee’s performance deficiency, computed as follows.
• Training & Development Need =
Standard Performance – Actual Performance

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

• Training and Development is an investment in
a person
• An organization can use training and
development to try to overcome deficiencies
in employees.
• Training and development is especially
important in industries with rapidly changing
technologies.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Comparing Training and Development
• Training and development difference in terms of
their objectives and content
• Training programs are directed toward maintaining
and improving current job performance. Eg. New
equipment requires workers new way.
• Development programs seek to develop skills for
future jobs. It focus both on current and future
• Training used more often at lower levels of firm,
development is common with managers.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Difference between Training and
Development
Training Development

Training is skills focused Development is creating learning abilities

Training is presumed to have a formal

Development is not education dependent
Education

Training needs depend upon lack or Development depends on personal drive

deficiency in skills and ambition

Trainings are generally need based Development is voluntary

Training is a narrower concept focused Development is a broader concept

on job related skills focused on personality development

Development includes training wherever

Training may not include development
necessary

Training is aimed at improving job Development aims at overall personal

related efficiency and performance effectiveness including job efficiencies

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

• Training is short term, task oriented and
targeted on achieving a change of attitude, skills
and knowledge in a specific area. It is usually
job related.
• Learining/Education is a lifetime investment. It
tends to be initiated by a person in the area of
his/her interest
• Development is a long term investment in
human resources.
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Training

• Training is an aspect of HR capacity building which

emphasizes immediate changes in job
performance.
- It is planned based on specific goals
- Focus on specific job/task
- Relatively short time
- Aims to improve present KSA for better
performance
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Conditions for the need of Training
There are certain conditions that will serve as pointers to the need for training. These
symptoms manifest themselves in a variety of ways. The most common ones are listed
below:
(1) Lack of interest in one's job
(2) Negative attitude to work
(3) Low productivity
(4) Tardiness /lateness/ delay
(5) Excessive absenteeism
(6) Excessive complaints
(7) low quality output
(8) High incidence of accidents
(9) Technological advances
(10) Change in the job assignment
When a company starts experiencing some of these signs, it should consider training.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Justifying training
Training can be justified when:
• The work requires skills that are best developed by formal
instruction.
• Different skills are required by a number of people, which
have to be developed quickly to meet new demands and
cannot be acquired by relying on experience.
• The tasks to be carried out are specialized or complex
• Critical information must be imparted to employees to ensure
they meet their responsibilities.
• A learning need common to a number of people has to be
met.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Objectives of Training
• Student Reflection
• Discuss this issue for individual employees
and organization as a whole?

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Objectives of Training
• Some of the main objectives of training employees include
the following.
• For Organization
- Increase Productivity/organizational performance
- Lower turnover rate
- Higher morale
- Better coordination and relationship
- Improve moral of workforce
- Help employee to understand organizational goal
- Help to adjust to change
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Objectives of Training
• For employees
- Employee make better decision and problem
solving
- Self development and self confidence
- Handle stress and conflict
- Increase job satisfaction and recognition
- Eliminate fear of new task

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Systematic training
• Training should be systematic in that it is specifically designed,
planned and implemented to meet defined needs. It is provided
by people who know how to train and the impact of training is
carefully evaluated.

Systematic training consists of a simple four-stage model:

1. Identify training needs.
2. Decide what sort of training is required to satisfy these
needs.
3. Use experienced and trained trainers to implement training.
4. Follow up and evaluate training to ensure that it is effective.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Nine steps in Training Process
1. Assessing training needs
2. Preparing training plan
3. Specifying training objectives
4. Designing the training program(s)
5. Selecting the instructional methods
6. Completing the training plan
7. Implementing the training program
8. Evaluating the training
9. Planning future training
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Training Needs Assessment
• Before any training programme is undertaken,
the need for training has to be identified
• An assessment of which employees need
training or development and what type of skills
or knowledge they need to acquire.
• The need for training increases as a result of
new technology, new products, variety of new
customers and other factors such as
competitive strategy of competitors.
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Formula to identify training need
• D = M–I
• D = inefficiency in the employee
• M = complete list of behaviour necessary for
mastery of the job
• I = the knowledge of behaviour necessary for the job
which the employee already possesses

• By identifying the behaviour or traits required to perform

a job and finding out what an employee lacks, training
can then be concentrated in areas of deficiency.
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Training need identification
Managers can use four procedures to determine training needs:
• 1. Performance appraisal. Each employee’s work is measure
against standards
• 2. Analysis of job requirements. The skills and knowledge
specified in the job description are examined
• 3. Organizational analysis. The effectiveness of the
organization and its success in meeting its goals are analyzed
to determine where differences exist.
• 4. Employee survey. Managers and non managers are asked to
describe what problems they are experiencing in their work
actions they believe are necessary to solve them.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

The gap may be from three themes
• Easy
• Attitude

• Skills • Moderately difficult

• Knowledge
• Most difficult

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

• Once the organization’s training needs have
been identified, the human resource manager
must indicate the appropriate training effort.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Who Should Do The Training?
• It is very important in all organisations to identify
people who can carry out-training in the
organisation. The arrangement for training is
generally the function of the Human Resource
Department.
• In an organisation, resource personnel for
training can be drawn from:
(1) the company’s regular line executives
(2) external specialists or consultants.
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
Selecting Instructional Methods /Methods of
Training
• There is no hard and fast rule as to how to
select methods and techniques of training.
• Based on where to conduct training
1. on the job training
2. off the job training

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 On the Job Training
• It conducted at work place (Unlike class room)
• Learning by actually doing
• Worker to worker training
• Highly skilled focused

Benefits
- Provide immediate feed back
- Helps to learn organizational methods
- Immediate application
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Kinds of On the Job Training methods
On the Job Trainings: These methods are generally applied on the
workplace while employees is actually working. Following are the on-the-
job methods.
• 1. Job Rotation: this is a training device that makes it necessary to move
the trainee from one department or unit to another to master what
goes on in that section
• 2. Job Coaching: The supervisor provides feedback to the trainee on
his/her performance and offers him/her some suggestions for
improvement
• 3. Job Instruction: procedures used by the trainer to train employees
while they work in their assigned job
• 4. Apprenticeships: this method of training is employed when extensive
practice or technical knowledge is required to perform a job.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Off the Job Trainings
Off the Job Trainings: These are used away from work places while employees are
not working like classroom trainings, seminars etc. Following are the off-the-job
methods;
• 1. Classroom Lectures: The instructor organizes the material and gives it to a
group of trainees in the form of a talk.
• 2. Vestibule training: this is a training device that trains the employee off his
regular work area, but in an environment similar to his work place. He practices
his skill with identical equipment that he uses at his regular workplace.
• 3. Programmed Instructions: The subject matter to be learned is presented in
series of carefully planned sequential units. These units are arranges from simple
to more complex levels of instruction. The trainee goes through these units by
answering questions or filling the blanks. This method is expensive and time
consuming.
• 4. Computer Aided Instructions: ,

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Selection of the Appropriate Training Methods

• Several factors should be considered:

- The objectives of the program
- Time and money available
- Availability of other resources
- Trainees characteristics

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Evaluating Training Program
• Student Reflection
• Why we do evaluation?
• Practically have you come across any
organization in our country who do training
evaluation program?

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

 Purpose of Evaluating Training Program
• The purpose of evaluating a training programme is to determine its
effectiveness. A training programme is effective if it has achieved the
purpose for which it was designed. The information collected in the
evaluation process should enable the company to improve on the
programme for future trainees, and enable the trainers appraise
themselves in terms of method and content.
• The most objective way of evaluating a programme is to:
• (1) obtain the honest and unbiased assessment from the trainees;
• (2) determine if, in fact, learning occurred by administering tests – oral
or written;
• (3) determine if the company has benefited by it through reduction in
costs, better morale, and increased productivity, reduced absenteeism
rate or of staff reduced rate turnover.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

Basic criteria of evaluation training
• Reaction - Do the trainees like the programme and
feel it was useful?
• Learning - Did the trainees learn the facts,
principles, techniques and concepts presented?
• Behaviour - Did their job behaviour change
because of the programme?
• Result - What tangible results were
achieved (reduction in staff turnover,
better quality, and increased production)?
HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi
 Evaluation of learning
Approach to evaluation
• The areas that need to be evaluated are:
– Planning – the extent to which needs were
properly evaluated and objectives set.
– Conduct – how well the program or event was
organized and managed, the degree to which the
inputs and methods were appropriate and
effective, and its cost compared with the budget.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

– Reactions – what participants felt about the
event.
– Outcomes – the impact the event made on
individual, departmental and organizational
performance.

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi

Return on investment as a method of evaluation

Return on investment (RoI) is advocated by

some commentators as a means of assessing
the overall impact of training on
organizational performance. It is calculated
as:

HRM, 2019 Set By Dr. Habtamu Dadi