EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Employee Training and Development

Employee Training and Development

Introduction

Training is the systematic process by which employees learn the knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes (KSAs) necessary to do their jobs. Because training is systematic, it is distinct from other ways in which employees acquire new KSAs, such as through experience or serendipitous learning.

Training is different than employee development. Training addresses KSAs in one's current job, whereas developmental efforts enable employees to target KSAs that may be useful in some future job (Noe, 2007). This distinction, though, is sometimes fuzzy. A training course on basic supervisory skills may be both a training experience for new supervisors and a developmental experience for entry-level employees seeking promotion.

Employee Training and Development

In words of Noe (2007) training is ubiquitous. Whenever a new employee is hired, that individual is likely to go through some form of orientation, formal training on core job responsibilities, and informal training to learn the ropes from a supervisor or more proficient coworkers. All of these activities are considered training. Several professional organizations, including the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), publish periodic reports on training-related activities by U.S. employers. According to their reports, the average number of hours of formal learning by employees ranges from 25 to 30 for smaller organizations to 35 to 40 for larger organizations. These organizations typically spend about $800 to $1,300 per employee (depending on the size of the organization).

According to Noe (2007) the other important factor in developing an effective blended or e-learning solution is the learning method. Making this shift from expert and in-person training to adult-based, collaborative learning within an e-learning or blended learning environment is a challenge for corporate trainers and educators. Because most of the corporate workforce consists of adults, it is important to design and offer courses or programs that are built on the foundational principles of adult learning, or what is called the androgogical model. These principles include using real-world problems and issues as the starting point for engaging the adult learner, experiential learning opportunities such as case studies and role playing, and partnering with employees to assist in developing learning objectives and outcomes, content modules, and performance evaluation indicators that are meaningful to both the employee and the business. Blending or e-learning programs that rely on the traditional expert or lecture-based model are typically less effective in their out-comes and do more harm than good in terms of promoting e-learning as a viable learning model for employees (Noe, 2007).

Training Activities

Classic models of training development generally include four steps in the training process:

Needs assessment: During this step, the organizational need and support for training is identified and the training content is defined.

Training development: During this step, the training content is determined and decisions are made about the appropriate training method (e.g., how should material be conveyed? How long should the training last?).

Training delivery: During this step, trainees complete the training program (Noe, 2007). Training may be on-the-job, in a classroom, online, or through workbooks, or ...