HUman resource managemenr 2e s keiman chapter7

Chapter 7
Training and Developing Employees

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


Chapter Outline
•

7-1 Gaining Competitive Advantage

•

7-2 HRM Issues and Practices

•

7-3 The Manager’s Guide

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-1a Opening Case: Gaining Competitive
Advantage at Tesco
•

Problem: Getting new employees properly oriented to
their jobs.

•

Solution: Providing an effective employee orientation
training program.

•

How the orientation program enhanced competitive
advantage




Employees understand their role in customer service,
helping meet the company’s goals, and improving their
motivation levels.
Good relationships forge between managers and staff.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-1b Linking Training and Development
to Competitive Advantage
•

Training focuses on current jobs.

•

Development prepares employees for future jobs.

•

Training and development contribute to competitive
advantage by:




Enhancing recruitment.
Increasing worker competence.
Reducing the likelihood of unwanted turnover.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-1b Linking Training and Development
to Competitive Advantage (cont.)
•

Increasing the competence of new employees






Technical training: Provide technical knowledge and
skills needed to perform a job.
Orientation training: Learn about the job, the company,
and its policies and procedures.
Literacy training: Improve basic skills in such areas as

writing, basic arithmetic, listening/following oral
instructions, speaking, and understanding manuals,
graphs, and schedules.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-1b Linking Training and Development
to Competitive Advantage (cont.)
•

Increasing the competence of current workers






Remedial training: Implemented when workers are
deficient in some skills.
Change-related training: Used to keep up-to-date with
various changes including technology, laws or
procedures, or the organization’s strategic plan.
Developmental programs: Provide employees with the
appropriate skills needed for higher level positions.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-1b Linking Training and Development

to Competitive Advantage (cont.)
•

Reducing the likelihood of unwanted turnover


Training can prevent unnecessary terminations by:
-



Building employee job skills, improving job performance.
Improving supervisors' capabilities for managing
“underperforming” workers.
Reeducating people whose skills have become
obsolete, allowing the organization to assign them to
new job responsibilities.

Effective training programs can reduce turnover by
strengthening employee loyalty.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-1b Linking Training and Development
to Competitive Advantage (cont.)
•

The cost efficiency of training and development
practices







Most organizations spend a great deal of time and
money on training and development.
Training and development practices in many
organizations fail to result in any real benefit to
employees or to the company itself.
Poor programs contribute to low morale and low
productivity.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process
•

Steps in the instructional process are:






Step 1: Deciding what to teach
Step 2: Deciding how to maximize participant learning
Step 3: Choosing the appropriate training method

Step 4: Ensuring that training is used on the job
Step 5: Determining whether training programs are
effective

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Step 1: Deciding what to teach



Assessing training needs
Determining training objectives

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7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Assessing training needs


A training need exists when:
-



Employees’ job behavior is somehow inappropriate.
Their level of knowledge or skill is less than that
required by the job.
Such problems can be corrected through training.

Training needs are prioritized based on these criteria:
-

Number of employees experiencing deficiency in a skill.
The severity of the deficiency.
The importance of the skill for meeting organizational
goals.
The extent to which skill improvement can be achieved
through training.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Determining training objectives





Describe what the trainee should be able to do as a
result of the training.

Provide input for designing the training program.
Help identify the measures of success used to judge
the effectiveness of the training program.

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7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Step 2: Deciding how to maximize participant
learning


To maximize learning, the program should be
presented in a way that:
-

Gains and maintains the trainees’ attention.
Provides the trainees with an opportunity to practice the
skills being taught.
Provides the trainees with feedback on their
performance.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Learner attention: To gain trainees’ attention, trainers
must:





•

Relay the importance and relevance of the training.
Demonstrate how the content of the program relates to
their jobs.
How attendance will benefit the trainee.

To maintain trainees’ attention, trainers must:





Avoid using prolonged lectures and other passive
learning methods.
Present the program in short segments.
Provide frequent opportunities for audience
participation.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)

•

Practice is essential to effective learning because it
strengthens the stimulus–response bond.

•

Trainers must address two practice-related issues
when designing an instructional program.




Whether the practice sessions should be distributed or
massed.
The relative effectiveness of practicing the whole task
or practicing one part at a time.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Distributed practice: Dividing the practice into
segments or sessions; it is preferred because it leads
to better long-term retention.

•

Massed practice: Providing all the practice in one
longer session.

•

“Whole method” is used when the material is simple.

•

“Part method” is used when the material is more
complex; it divides the material into parts.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Feedback




Give positive feedback to trainees whenever they
perform the task correctly; this can be very
encouraging to the trainee and thus serve as a
motivator.
When trainees perform incorrectly, provide corrective
feedback regarding what the trainee is doing wrong
and how this behavior can be corrected.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Step 3: Choosing appropriate instructional methods











On-the-job training
Job instruction training
Lecture
Case method
Role playing
Behavior modeling
Computer-based instruction
Video training
Interactive video training
Web-based

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


Exhibit 7-3 Training Methods
Training
Method

Description

Pros

Cons

OJT (onthe-job
training)

On-the-job training
involves one employee
showing a newer one
the skills and tasks that
are needed for the job.
Usually, a short amount
of time is set aside for
OJT.

OJT allows trainees to
watch more experienced
workers and ask them
questions as they
perform the job.

OJT is often conducted
haphazardly, and new
employees may feel
unprepared to go out on
their own. Trainees are
shown tasks but do not
actually do them, impeding
learning.

JIT (job
instruction
training)

Job instruction training
involves trainers
showing trainees each
step of a job, talking
over the key points at
each juncture, and
guiding the trainee’s
practice.

JIT is a good method for
teaching tasks that can
be broken down into
step-by-step procedures.
Learners practice under
the watchful eye of more
experienced workers and

gain confidence.

JIT is not the best method
for intuitive tasks or those in
which case-by-case
decisions and alterations
need to be made.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


Lecture

A lecture is just that—
a speaker presenting
material, usually to a
large group of
workers.

Lectures are ideal for giving
simple knowledge—the
history of a company, for
example, or a company’s
new vacation policy.

The downside to lectures is
that the communication
flows in just one way, and
listeners may become bored
or impatient, resulting in not

paying attention and not
acquiring the knowledge
presented.

Cases

Cases ask trainees to
read sample
scenarios of events
and situations they
may encounter on the
job and then analyze
the circumstances.

Cases allow trainees to
learn through guided
discovery and teach them to
think critically about
problems.

Because trainers who use
the case method to train shy
away from insisting on right
and wrong answers,
trainees may not always
receive the best guidance.
In addition, case study does
not provide direct practice.

Roleplaying

In role-playing,
trainees act out a
situation and its
resolution and receive
feedback from the
trainer and other
trainees.

Role-playing is a good
method for teaching better
communication and
interaction skills.

Role-players may make
mistakes without being able
to correct them, causing
embarrassment and loss of
self-confidence. Shy or
quiet trainees may feel
uncomfortable acting in a
group situation.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


Behavior
modeling

Behavior modeling is

based on the idea that
workers should observe
a task, practice it, and
receive constant
feedback until they are
competent. Trainees
learn the “right way” to
do something the first
time.

Behavior modeling
captures the attention of
the learner; provides
clear, correct instruction;
and monitors progress
toward competency.

Critics of behavior modeling
cite the amount of time it
takes to train workers using
this method.

CBI
(computerbased
instruction)

Computer-based
instruction uses a
computer to take
students through

tutorials, drills, games,
and simulations.

The high level of
interactivity in CBI
results in higher levels of
trainees’ acquisition and
retention of the materials
taught, offers self-paced
learning, and can be
cost-saving, especially
in terms of simulations.

CBI can be very expensive,
and some workers may be
frustrated by working with a
computer instead of a live
person.

Video

Video training uses
video to demonstrate
tasks or to present
material.

With video training,
users can skip over
material they already
know or watch a

procedure several times
in order to better grasp
it.

Some users will find the
lack of personal contact in a
video training session
boring, leading to a lack of
paying attention and thus a
lack of knowledge
acquisition.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


IVT
(interactive
video
training)

Interactive video
training combines video
and computer
technology. Trainees
watch a video segment
and respond via the
computer.

IVT allows trainees to
repeat sections until they

respond to training
questions correctly.
Learners can replay
situations that end badly
until they are able to
succeed. Learners can
be at remote locations,
and large numbers of
workers can be trained
at once.

IVT can be somewhat
expensive and requires
setup in training locations.

Web-based

Through the web, using
computer software such
as WebCT or
Blackboard, the
instructor can provide
information in a number
of ways, such as audio,
interactive video, typed
notes, and PowerPoint
slides. Moreover,
students can interact
with the instructor and
other students via the

use of chat rooms.

Companies cite
convenience and lower
cost as their primary
reasons for
implementing webbased programs.

Certain subject matter, such
as contract negotiations,
customer service, sales,
and interpersonal skills
training, does not lend itself
to web-based methods.
Moreover, web-based
training makes some
participants feel isolated
and out of touch.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Step 4: Ensuring that training is used on the job






Overlearning: Provide trainees with continued practice
far beyond the point when the task has been
performed successfully.
Matching course content to the job: Ensure a close link
between the training and job settings so that the
trainees will understand how the learned material can
be applied to the job setting.
Action plans: Indicate the steps employees plan to
take to apply the new skills when they return to the job.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Multiphase programming: Trainees are given
“homework,” that requires them to apply lessons
back on the job; results are shared with others in the
next session to identify better ways to apply what
they have learned.

•

Performance aids: Such as checklists, decision
tables, charts, and diagrams trigger trainees’
responses when they attempt to apply their newly
learned behaviors on the job.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.


7-2a The Instructional Process (cont.)
•

Post-training follow-up procedures: Include a hot-line
number and instructor visits.

•

Building a supportive work environment: Trainees are
encouraged to apply what they have learned to their
jobs, increasing retention and proficiency.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. Atomic Dog is a trademark used herein under license. All rights reserved.