Effective Training and Development

Effective Training and Development

Introduction

Continuous Training and Development is considered as integral to the success of any organization. It is imperative to constantly upgrade the skill set of employees; job related as well as general, through training, to have competent work force. This training adds up to the development of an employee and increases his career prospects as well. Despite the importance of Training and Development (T&D) department, it is overlooked in most of the organizations and if it is there, it is for the most part involved in works other than the training and development of its employees. Recently, the concept of training and development has started to gain prominence. But the firms that want to implement effective and efficient T&D departments sometimes fail to find the definite path to follow in the quagmire because despite being of immense importance, relevant practices are not seen as executed in the mainstream corporate world.

Discussion

It is important to implement practices that directly add to the training and development of employees. The practices should be so designed and there should be indicators using which impact on performance of employees can be gauged. This counter-checking indicator is important as it points whether the strategy implemented is registering returns and if the resources are utilized efficiently. The top of the line strategy conforming to such needs of an organization are discussed below.

Tying T&D to Competitive Strategy

Training and Development Department is formed with the aim to influence the bottom line and the main route towards that is to consider the value chain; the functions and processes of business. Value Chain Analysis is the analysis that is needed to be undertaken as it provides insight into the loopholes that might have plagued entire operations of the business, creating hindrance to efficient executions (Reynolds, 2005, pp. 12). The problems in the system are needed to be known because Training and Development Department is designed to train employees around those problems that they might be having in carrying out their job tasks.

Primary function of Training and Development is to support business activities in a way so as to impact profit positively by impacting learning curve and instilling cost-cutting (Tracey et al., 1995, pp. 247). Business support activities are usually given second priority, but their impact is higher than business activity itself. They directly influence cost as constant training can make employees learn the efficient, effective and economical practice to carry out any operation. Many firms tend to invest a lot on such activities when economy is booming, but as soon as recession hits and economy slows, managers resist investing in such programs to induce cost cutting as such programs are generally considered as the investments for lavish times. This is where they go wrong because they do exactly opposite of what they should be doing in bad times. Recession is the time where more investments in the T&D department should be done because it is directly related to cost-cutting as identified ...