2. What this topic is about
• What is training?
• Why a business needs
training
• Main methods of training
• How a business can assess
the effectiveness of
training
3. Training has costs and benefits
Training costs can be significant in
any business. Most employers are
prepared to incur these costs
because they expect their business
to benefit from employees'
development and progress
4. Benefits of Training to a Business
• Better productivity
• Higher quality
• More flexibility through better skills
• Less supervision required
• Improved motivation - through greater
empowerment
• Better recruitment and employee retention
• Easier to implement change in the business
5. Why businesses need training
• To support new employees
• Improve productivity
• Increase marketing effectiveness
• Support high standards of customer service
and production quality
• Introduction of new technology, systems or
other change
• Address changes in legislation
• Support employee progression and
promotion
6. Steps in a Training Strategy
• Identify the skills and abilities needed by
employees
• Draw up an action plan to show how
investment in training and development
will help meet business goals and
objectives
• Implement the plan, monitoring progress
and training effectiveness
7. Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
• Systematic gathering of data to find out
where there are gaps in the existing skills,
knowledge and attitudes of employees
• Involves the gathering of data about
existing employees’ capabilities and
business demands for skills
• Link with business strategy – aim is to
ensure that there is sufficient capability
for the business to meet its objectives
8. What Training Cannot Solve
• Poor management (although
management training might help!)
• Poor job design
• Ineffective or inefficient equipment
• Poor production organisation
• Recruitment
9. Reasons why businesses don’t do enough
training
• They fear employees will be poached by
competitors (who will then benefit from the
training)
• A desire to minimise short-term costs
• They cannot make a justifiable investment
case
• Training takes time to have the desired effect
• Sometimes the benefits of training are more
intangible (e.g. morale) than tangible
10. Induction training
• What it involves
– Introducing new employees to job, their new
colleagues, premises and to values, and aims of
business
• Length and type depends on:
– Size and type of business
– Complexity of job
– Level or position of job within business
11. A Typical Induction Programme
• Learning about duties of job
• Meeting new colleagues
• Seeing layout premises
• Learning values and aims of business
• Learning about internal workings and
policies of business
12. On-the-job training
An employee receives
training whilst remaining
in the workplace
13. Methods of On-the-job Training
• Demonstration / instruction - showing the trainee
how to do the job
• Coaching - a more intensive method of training that
involves a close working relationship between an
experienced employee and the trainee
• Job rotation - where the trainee is given several jobs
in succession, to gain experience of a wide range of
activities (e.g. a graduate management trainee might
spend periods in several different departments)
• Projects - employees join a project team - which gives
them exposure to other parts of the business and
allow them to take part in new activities. Most
successful project teams are "multi-disciplinary"
14. On-the-job training + / -
Advantages Disadvantages
Generally most cost-effective Quality depends on ability of
trainer and time available
Employees are actually
productive Bad habits might be passed on
Opportunity to learn whilst Learning environment may not
doing be conducive
Training alongside real Potential disruption to
colleagues production
16. Methods of Off-the-Job Training
• Day or part-time
attendance at college
• Professional
development courses or
conferences
• Online training /
distance learning
17. Off-the-job training + / -
Advantages Disadvantages
A wider range of skills or More expensive – e.g. transport
qualifications can be obtained and accommodation
Can learn from outside Lost working time and potential
specialists or experts output from employee
Employees can be more New employees may still need
confident when starting job some induction training
Employees now have new
skills/qualifications and may
leave for better jobs
18. Main Types of Off the Job Training
• Day release (employee takes time off work to
attend a local college or training centre)
• Distance learning / evening classes
• Block release courses - which may involve
several weeks at a local college
• Sandwich courses - where the employee
spends a longer period of time at college (e.g.
six months) before returning to work
• Sponsored courses in higher education
• Self-study, computer-based training
19. Training and Job Appraisal
• An important part of managing people is
to let them know how they are
performing
• Appraisal systems should identify an
employee’s strengths and weaknesses
– Collecting information and assessing performance
of individual
– An interview
– Setting targets and evaluating training needs
20. Link between Training and Motivation
• Assuming training is effective: then…
• Employees feel more loyal to firm
• Shows that business is taking an interest in its
workers
• Provide employees with greater promotional
opportunities
• Enables employees to achieve more at work –
perhaps gaining financially from this
21. A business should measure training so it can…
• Track the development of staff knowledge
and skills
• Find out if the learning is being applied in the
workplace
• Identify training gaps and future training
needs
• Establish if the investment was worthwhile
• Inform future training plans and strategy
