Since the advent of the industrial revolution, personnel located at all points of a company needed to be trained in the handling of new discoveries and the different forms of serial work. Then he had to do it for the most complex administrative work and today we are faced with a similar task but with different characteristics.
Technological development in machines, tools and implements of greater complexity, in all areas, requires specialized personnel. In our era, the distinctive signs are specialization and professionalism at work.
Every organization must specify what knowledge and skills the employees holding the positions must have and what standards they must demand; once the requirements are specified, the staff is selected.
Both the selection process and the training of personnel depend largely on factors such as job analysis, the human resources plan, and the supply and quality of the labor market.
Training is so important in the workplace that society's refusal to invest resources to obtain a highly skilled workforce is reflected in the presence of large population groups that are neither employable nor able to find their place in the modern market for job.
What is training?
It is the set of activities aimed at providing knowledge, developing skills and modifying attitudes of staff at all levels for the best job performance.
What is training?
It is the activity that is carried out within an organization, tending to cause a further change in Mental Attitude, Knowledge, Skills and Behavior.
Training benefits
The reasons for providing training to employees are numerous, since thanks to this benefits are obtained, not only for the organization, but also for the development of individuals and the improvement of labor interrelations.
Organizational benefits
• leads to higher profitability and positive attitudes
• improves job knowledge at all levels
• increases the morale of the workforce
• helps staff identify with the objectives of the organization
• creates a better image
• helps to keep down the costs in many areas
• communication is promoted throughout the organization
Benefits for the individual that favor the organization
• helps the individual to make decisions and solve problems
• increases the level of satisfaction with the position
• allows the achievement of individual goals
• eliminates fears of incompetence or individual ignorance
Benefits in human relationships
• improves communication between groups and individuals
• helps in the orientation of new employees
• converts the company into a better quality environment to work and live in it
Determination of needs (when)
The needs assessment allows a diagnosis to be made of current problems and future challenges that must be faced through long-term development. Changes in the external environment can become sources of new challenges; Facing them effectively makes training needs possible.
Sometimes a change in organizational strategy can create a need for training. Launching new products or services generally requires learning new procedures. The same is true of the company's globalization process. Training can also be used when problems of high level of waste, unacceptable rates of workplace accidents, low levels of motivation, etc. are detected.
Training and development methods (how)
There are several methods of training and development, but it is important to know that any of these can be used for both training and development.
When selecting a technique, several factors must be considered. No technique is ideal, the best method depends on:
• Cost effectiveness
• Desired program content
• Preferences and capacity of the people who will receive the course
• Suitability of the facilities available
• Learning principles to use
Methods
a) Direct instruction on the position is given during working hours. It is basically used to teach workers and employees to carry out their current job. Instruction is delivered by an experienced trainer, supervisor, or coworker.
The person receiving the training is given an overview of the position, its objective, and the expected results of it. The trainer then provides a model that can be copied. Demonstrations and practices are repeated until the person has mastered the techniques.
b) Job Rotation In order to provide your employees with experience in various positions, staff rotation from one role to another is encouraged. Each position move is preceded by a direct instruction session. This technique helps the organization in the period of vacations, absences, resignations, etc.
c) expert apprentice relationship in this type of techniques, there are clear advantages for a group of qualified workers since very high levels of participation and job transfer are observed, therefore feedback is acquired practically immediately.
d) conference, videos, films, audiovisuals, online, via the Internet tend to depend more on mass communication and less on active participation, generally allowing time and resource savings.
The practice of displaying an audiovisual on special occasions, such as the first contact of a new employee with the organization, has become popular in many companies. Others lean toward movies, videos, and professional exhibitors. Computer simulations are also used, this method often takes the form of games, where players make a decision and the computer determines the outcome. It is widely used to train managers in decision making.
Currently, the type of online training is also used, which allows the development of techniques to specialize in your position through an interactive system.
e) simulation of real conditions is used in order to avoid that the instruction interferes with the normal operations of the organization, notable examples are airlines, banks and large hotel chains.
This technique allows for transfer, repetition, and participation, as well as meaningful organization of materials and feedback.
f) acting or drama partner participants aim to improve their human relations skills by better understanding themselves and other people.
The process is based on participation, feedback and repetition.
A common form of laboratory training, proposes the development of the ability to perceive the feelings and attitudes of other people.
g) study of cases through the study of a specific real or simulated situation, the person in training learns about the actions that it is desirable to undertake in analogous circumstances, with their own suggestions and those of others. The person develops decision-making skills by resembling daily or routine circumstances. An advantage is obtained by participating in the discussion of the case.
h) reading, individual studies and programmed instruction the instructional materials for individual learning are very useful in circumstances of geographical dispersion. In this case, learning is used interactively.
It may include readings, recordings, scheduled instruction booklets, and computer programs.
They provide elements of participation, repetition, relevance, and feedback.
i) Laboratory training They are a form of group training. It is used primarily to develop personal skills.
Training and development objectives (so that)
A good assessment of training needs leads to the determination of training and development objectives. The main objectives are:
a) Productivity: Instruction can help employees increase performance in their current positions.
b) quality: they contribute to raising the quality of workforce production.
c) Planting Human Resources: it can help the organization and the future needs of the personnel.
d) indirect benefits: many workers, especially managers consider that educational opportunities are a total part of the employee's remuneration. They expect the company to pay for programs that increase the necessary knowledge and skills.
e) Health and Safety: Employee mental health and physical safety are often directly related to an organization's training and development efforts. They help prevent industrial accidents and create a stable environment.
f) Obsolescence prevention: Employee obsolescence can be defined as the discrepancy between the skill of a worker and the demand of his job. This can be controlled through constant attention to the forecasting of needs by human resources, the control of technological changes and the adaptation of individuals.
Evaluation of Results
It allows to measure the fulfillment of the established objectives. The evaluation gives us information about:
• The quality of the organization's design and the development of the course.
• Fulfillment of the expectations of the participants.
• Degree of knowledge acquired, increase in the level of activities and / or generation of changes in behavior and attitudes.
These data constitute the feedback system, or feedback, to make the necessary adjustments.
There are four basic categories of training outcomes or effects that can be evaluated:
a) reaction: first, the reactions of the employees to the program should be evaluated (do they like it? Do they think it is valuable?)
b) learning: second, it is possible to evaluate employees through tests to determine if they learned the principles, skills and facts that they should have assimilated
c) conduct: afterwards, it should be observed if the behavior at work of the people in training changed due to the training program
d) results: in the end, you should ask “what final results were achieved in terms of the training objectives previously set? The number of customer complaints regarding employees decreased? Did the rejection rate improve? the cost of the waste ?, is the production goals met?
