Training Programs for new employees
Research has shown that a large number of current organisations have excellent procedures for recruiting and selecting employees (Grossman & Salas, 2011). Nevertheless, they do not have an organised system through which they can offer continuous training to their workforce in order to enhance competence. In most cases, once an employee is offered a job, the human resource department takes over the role of training to ensure that the new employee gains necessary skills in reference to the assigned tasks. There are numerous training models for new employees. These include orientation (induction training), on-the-job training and off-the-job training programs. It is important to note that these training models are suitable for both virtual and on-location employees as discussed below.
How to decide on the type of training that address the employees needs in an organisation
Numerous criteria can be used to determine the suitability of a training program. Some of the criteria include time, employees’ experience and organisation’s targets (Grossman & Salas, 2011). It is worth to note that time is a very crucial factor when choosing a training program. For instance, it is unreasonable to introduce on-the-job training before orientation is done to new employees (Snell & Bohlander, 2013).
Besides, employees’ experience and level of competence matter a lot. If employees are inexperienced, they are supposed to be subjected to job-specific training that comes after orientation. Later on, they are exposed to off-the-job training in order to sharpen their skills and boost competence (Grossman & Salas, 2011). The organisation’s target will determine the preference of a training program. Organisations that target high performance are keen to implement job-specific and off-the-job training programs in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of employees’ skills (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). In most cases, organisations with average performance tend to implement the induction training only and ignore the rest.
Orientation/Induction training
This is one of the most crucial training programs since it enables new employees to become productive during their initial stages of employment (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). Research has shown that new employees often make costly mistakes in their first few days at work. Induction entails introducing workers to their new tasks (Knight, 2013). It also exposes them to the layout of an organisation’s values, aims, mission and culture.
How training addresses employees’ needs
New employees are less acquainted with organisational policies and internal operations (Knight, 2013). Therefore, they need to know their responsibilities, nature of the business and interaction with their new peers. This exposure helps an organisation to reduce costly mistakes that are likely to occur since employees familiarise themselves with the new working environment in advance (Nadler & Nadler, 2012).
Methods of assessment
One of the most appropriate methods of assessment at this stage is direct observation (Knight, 2013). The employer can frequently observe how employees are interacting with old staff members when performing their tasks. One can use introspection method to assess how well a new employee is able to cope with a new task. Some employees will openly talk about their experiences during their first day at work. It is also important to use feedback from other employees to gauge the performance of new workers (Knight, 2013). Managers can inquire from the old employees to see how well the new workers are able to cope at workplace environment. The responses will help in assessing the effectiveness of the training method.
Implementation strategies
The induction training should be done promptly and systematically to ensure that new employees learn the basic tasks and concepts in an organisation. Moreover, it should be done continuously within a specified period to ensure that they understand the culture, values, aims and mission of an organisation (Knight, 2013).
Evaluation techniques
One can use a checklist to examine the effectiveness of the program. For instance, it is important to check the type of errors committed by employees during their initial days at work. It is also necessary to examine the rate of recurrence of mistakes. The outcomes will determine whether to maintain or improve the adopted training program.
On-the-job training (Job-specific training)
This program entails training employees on specific skills when they are still at workplace (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). In this case, employees learn and acquire specific skills as they work. This training program targets both new and inexperienced workers. Cunningham and Hillier (2013) postulate that the above training method may entail hands-on application embedded with classroom-type instructions. However, most organisations prefer the unstructured program.
It is important to note that the program can disrupt the workflow or even slow the production of a trainer. Nevertheless, it boosts specialisation and helps in determining employees who are suitable for specific roles.
On-the-job training can be executed through numerous methods (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). For instance, one-to-one training method like coaching can be applied. In the latter case, the trainer identifies specific weaknesses in employees and deal with them individually. Mentoring is another approach whereby the facilitator focuses on the general behavioural patterns of workers. It is widely used for workers who are the management position and implemented through a one-on-one interaction.
Job rotation is also another on-the-job training technique. It involves rotating staff members through series of related tasks to ensure that they are well acquainted with diverse skills. The etchnique alleviates boredom and facilitates development of rapport between new employees and their peers (Grossman & Salas, 2011). It is evident that instructional techniques can also be used to train employees who have already been enrolled in job-specific training. This method is more structured since the trainer exposes the employees to the overview of the job, purpose and desired results. Therefore, the trainer demonstrates the skill and allows the trainees to do the same on their own (Cunningham & Hillier 2013).
How this training method addresses employees’ needs
After going through the orientation program, some workers might not be able to perform their duties as expected (Nadler & Nadler, 2012). Therefore, the employer may require an immediate feedback on their performance. This training method provides an opportunity for swift remedial action whenever duties are not performed as per the expected standards (Snell & Bohlander, 2013).
Methods of assessment
Assessment method used for this program will depend on the technique applied to train employees. Usually, formative assessment can be done where the trainer closely monitors the trainees and give feedback whenever they perform specific roles (Tynjälä, 2013). Contrastingly, the trainer will also rectify trainees whenever a task is not done appropriately. The trainer should observe trainees and examine their performance in order to obtain relevant feedback.
Implementation of the strategies
To implement this program, there is need to identify specific areas of focus. In this case, the trainer must come up with a list of the skills that trainees are expected to develop by the end of the training period. It is also important to identify some of the weaknesses portrayed by new employees (Nadler & Nadler, 2012). This will help to determine appropriate technique to be used for a particular individual. For instance, there are those staff members who will require mentorship, coaching, job rotation or job instructional training.
Evaluation techniques
Performance of workers should be assessed regularly. After the assessment process, the trainer will be able to examine performance scores in order to determine the effectiveness of the training.
Off-the-job training
This is a training program facilitated outside the workplace environment (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). It provides an opportunity for employees to learn away from their work area. However, the employer chooses and designs the training program. Therefore, it can be done through e-learning or in a physical classroom. It is worth to note that learning materials are supplied to the respective learning stations. This program allows employees to concentrate on learning rather than performance (Cunningham & Hillier 2013).
E-learning program is self-driven by workers who are undergoing the training process. Some of the techniques used in this program include lectures, conferences, simulation exercise, vestibule training and transactional analysis. Most of the training tasks commence with lectures and conferences (Tynjälä, 2013). However, if this technique must be used to train employees, the trainer has to allocate convenient time and venue. Most conferences and lectures may take a few days or weeks.
Vestibule training refers to a near-the-job training whereby an environment similar to the workplace is created (Tynjälä, 2013). Employees are trained in a prototype environment such as a workshop. Workers learn to avoid costly mistakes in the actual organisational setup. Besides, transactional analysis is important because it helps new employees to analyse and understand the behaviours of their peers.
How this program addresses the training needs of employees
Gradual changes occur in organisations due to technological advancement and globalisation (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). At some point, employees’ initial skills might become obsolete. However, this cannot disqualify them from working. Therefore, this program enables workers to take temporary breaks to be trained in order to enhance their skills. Competition at workforce also triggers the quest for knowledge, new skills and experience (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). For these reasons, this program provides an opportunity for enhancing and developing competitive skills.
Methods of assessment
Assessment for this training can be tricky especially when employees attend workshops, conferences and lectures as individuals. It might be difficult to make a clear follow-up and monitor staff members as they train through this program. However, one can still assess the performance to examine if there are positive changes. In most cases, the off-the-job training is formal hence; performance results are readily available (Tynjälä, 2013). For instance, employees can be given certificates of completion after the training process.
Implementation strategies
One of the most crucial things is to check the workload in an organisation in order to determine the most appropriate time to be set aside for the program. Moreover, it is worth to provide the necessary resources for facilitating the training program. Employees should be aware of the organisational expectations before they start the training program.
Evaluation techniques
A checklist and feedback from employees’ performance can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Feedback will entail any positive or negative changes when performing specific tasks.
References
Cunningham, J., & Hillier, E. (2013). Informal learning in the workplace: key activities and processes. Education+ Training, 55(1), 37-51.
Grossman, R., & Salas, E. (2011). The transfer of training: what really matters. International Journal of Training and Development, 15(2), 103-120.
Knight, E. J. M. (2013). Strategic Human Resources Management practice, “are we there yet”? A study of the Incorporation of a Strategic Plan. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 7(1), 2104-2111.
Nadler, Z., & Nadler, L. (2012). Designing training programs. New York: Routledge, Inc.
Snell, S., & Bohlander, G. (2013). Managing human resources. Boston: Cengage Learning, Inc.
Tynjälä, P. (2013). Toward a 3-P model of workplace learning: a literature review. Vocations and learning, 6(1), 11-36.