TRAINING

TRAINING METHODS

Training methods are usually classified by the location of instruction. On the job training is provided when the workers are taught relevant knowledge, skills and abilities at the actual workplace, off the job training, requires that trainees learn at a location other than the real workspot. Some of the widely used training methods are listed below.

1. Job instruction training(JIT)

The JIT method is a four step instructional process involving preparation, performance try out and follows up. It is used primarily to teach workers how to do their current jobs. A trainer, supervisor or co-worker acts as the coach. The four steps followed in the JIT methods are:

· The trainee receives an overview of the job, its purpose and its desired outcomes, with a clear focus on the relevance of training.

· The trainer demonstrates the job in order to give the employee a model to copy. The trainer shows a right way to handle the job.

· The employee is permitted to copy the trainer’s way. Demonstrations by the trainer and practice by the trainee are repeated until the trainee masters the right way to handle the job.

· Finally, the employee does the job independently without supervision.

2. Coaching

The trainee is placed under a particular supervisor who functions as a coach in training the individual. The supervisor provides feedback to the trainee on his performance and offers him some suggestions for improvement. Often the trainee shares some of the duties and responsibilities of the coach and relives him of his burden. A limitation of this method of training is that the trainee may not have the freedom or opportunity to express his own ideas.

3. Mentoring

Mentoring is a relationship in which a senior manager in an organization assumes the responsibility for grooming a junior person. Technical, interpersonal and political skills are generally conveyed in such a relationship from the more experienced person. A mentor is a teacher, spouse, counsellor, developer of skills and intellect, host, guide, exemplar, and most importantly, supporter. The main objective of mentoring is to help an employee attain psychological maturity and effectiveness and get integrated with the organization. In a work place such mentoring can be in formal and informal levels depending upon the organization culture. The important features of mentoring may be presented thus

• Career functions: career functions are those aspects of the relationship that enhance career advancement. These include

i. Sponsorship: where mentors actively nominate a junior person for promotions or desirable positions.

ii. Exposure and Visibility: where mentors offer opportunities for mentees to interact with senior executives, demonstrate their abilities and exploit their potential.

iii. Coaching: mentors help mentees how they are doing their work and to define and redefine their aspirations.

iv. Protection: mentors shield the junior person from harmful situations/ seniors.

v. Challenging assignments: mentors help mentees develop necessary competencies through challenging job assignments and appropriate feedback.

• Psychological functions: they are those aspects that enhance the mentees sense of competence, and identify effectiveness in a professional role. These include:

i. Role modeling: mentors offer mentees a pattern of values and behavior to imitate.

ii. Acceptance and confirmation: mentors offer support, guidance and encouragement to mentees so that they can solve the problems independently and gain confidence in course of time. Mentors also help people to learn about the organization’s culture and understand why things are done in certain ways.

iii. Counselling:Mentors help mentees work out their personal problems, learn about what to do and what not to do, offer advice on what works and what doesn’t and do everything to demonstrate improved performance and prepare themselves for greater responsibility.

iv. Friendship: Mentors offer practical help and support to mentees so that they can indulge in mutually satisfying social interactions.

4. Job rotation:

His kind of training involves the movement of trainee from one job to another. The purpose of job rotation is to provide trainees with a larger organizational perspective and greater understanding of different functional areas as well as a better sense of their own career objectives and interests. Job rotation may pose several problems, especially when the trainees are rolled on various job at frequent intervals. Trainees can become confused when they are exposed to rotating managers, with contrasting styles of operation. Job rotation can be quite expensive. A substantial amount of time is lost when trainees change position, because they must be acquit anted with different people and techniques in each department. Development cost can go up and productivity is reduced by moving a trainee into a new position when his efficiency levels begin to improve at the prior job. Inexperienced trainees may fail to handle new task in a efficient way. Intelligent and aggressive trainees, on the offer hand, may find the system to be thoroughly boring as they continue to perform more or less similar jobs without any stretch, pull and challenge. To get the best results out of the system, it should be tailored to the needs, interest and capabilities of the individual trainee, and not to be a standard sequence that all trainees undergo.

5. Apprenticeship training

Apprentices are trainees who spend a prescribed amount of time working with an experienced guide, coach or trainer. Assistantship and internship are similar to apprenticeship because they also demand high level of participation from the trainee. An internship is a kind of on-the-job training that usually combines job training with classroom instruction in trade schools, colleges and universities. One important disadvantage of apprenticeship method is the uniform period of training offered to trainees slow learners may need additional time.

6. Committee assignments

In this method, trainees are asked to solve an actual organization problem. The trainees have to work together and fine solution to the problem. Assigning talented employees to important committees can give these employees a broadening experience and can help them to understand the personalities, issues and processes governing the organization. It helps them to develop team sprit and work unitedly towards common goals. However managers should very well understand that committee assignments could become notorious time wasting activities.

OFF THE JOB METHODS

Under this method of training, the trainee is separated from the job situation and his attention is focused upon learning the material related to his future job performance. Since the trainee is not distracted by job requirements, he can focus his entire concentration on learning the job rather than spending his time in performing it. There is an opportunity for freedom of expression for the trainees. Off the job training methods are as follows:

Vestibule training:

In this method, actual work conditions are simulated in a class room. Material, files and equipment those that are used in actual job performance are also used in the training. This type of training is commonly used for training personnel for clerical and semi skilled jobs.

Role playing:

It is defined as a method of human interaction that involves realistic behavior in imaginary situations. This method of training involves action, doing and practice. The participants play the role of certain characters, such as the production manager, mechanical engineer, superintendents, maintenance engineer, quality control inspector, foreman, workers.

Lecture method:

The lecture is a traditional and direct method of instruction. The instructor organizes the material and gives it to a group of trainees in the form of a talk. To be effective, the lecture must motivate and create interest among the trainees.

Conference/discussion approach:

In this method, the trainer delivers a lecture and involves the trainee in a discussion so that his doubts about the job get clarified. When big organizations use this method, the trainer uses audio visual aids such as blackboards, mockups and slides: in some cases the lectures are videotaped or audio taped.

Programmed instruction:

This method has become popular in recent years. The subject matter to be learned is presented in a series of carefully planned sequential units. These units are arranged from simple to more complex levels of instruction. The trainee goes through units by answering questions or filling the blanks. This method is expensive and time consuming.

ADVANTAGES OF TRAINING

Training offers innumerable benefits to both employees and employers. It makes the employee more productive and more useful to an organization.

Benefits to business:

· Trained workers can work more efficiently.

· They use machines, tools materials in a proper way.Wastage is thus eliminated to a large extend.

· There will be fewer accident. Training improves the knowledge regarding the use of machines and equipment. Hence trained workers need not be put under close supervision, as they know how to handle equipment properly.

· Trained workers can show superior performance. They can turn out better quality goods by putting materials, tools and equipment to good use.

· Training makes employees more loyal to an organization. They will be less inclined to leave the unit where there are growth opportunities.

Benefits to employees:

· Training makes employees more useful .

· Training makes employees more efficient and effective. By combining materials, tools and equipment in a right way, they can produce more with minimum effort.

· Training enables employees to secure promotions easily. They can realize their career goals comfortably. Training helps employee to move from one organization to another easily. He can be more mobile and pursue career goals actively.

· Employees can avoid mistakes, accidents on the job. They can handle jobs with confidence. They will be more satisfied on their jobs. Their morale would be high.

· Thus, training can contribute to higher production, fewer mistakes, greater job satisfaction and lower labour turnover. Also it can enable employees to cope with organizational, social and technological changes. Effective training is an invaluable investment in the human resources of an organization.

EVALUATION OF A TRAINING PROGRAMME

The specification of values forms a basis of evaluation and the mode of collection of information necessary for evaluation should be determined at the planning stage. The process of training evaluation has been defined as “any attempt to obtain information on the effects of training performance and to assess the value of training in the light of that information.” Evaluation helps in controlling and correcting the training programme. Hamblin suggested five levels at which evaluation of training can take place, it is given below.

· Reactions: Trainee’s reactions to the overall usefulness of the training including the coverage of the topics, the method of presentation, the techniques used to clarify things, often throw light on the effectiveness of the programme. Potential questions to trainees might include :

· What were your learning goals for the programme?

· Did you achieve them?

· Did you like this programme?

· Would you recommend it to others who have similar learning goals?

· What suggestions do you have for improving the programme?

· Should the organisation continue to offer it?

· Learning: Training programme, trainee’s ability are evaluated on the basis of quantity of content learned and time in which it is learned and learner’s ability to use or apply the content learned.

· Satisfaction Job: This evaluation includes the manner and extent to which the trainee has applied his learning to job.

· Organisation: This evaluation measures the use of training, learning and change in the job behaviour of the department/organisation in the form of increased productivity, quality, morale, sales turnover and the like.

· Ultimate Value: It is the measurement of ultimate result of the contribution of the training programme to the company goals like survival, growth, profitability, etc., and to the individual goals like development of personality and social goals kike maximising social benefit.

METHODS OF EVALUATION

Various methods can be used to collect data on the outcomes of training. Some of these are:

· Questionnaires: Comprehensive questionnaires could be used to obtain opinions, reactions, views of trainees.

· Tests: Standard tests could be used to find out whether trainees have learnt anything during and after the training.

· Interviews: Interviews could be conducted to find the usefulness of training offered to operatives.

· Studies: Comprehensive studies could be carried out eliciting the opinions and judgements of trainers, superiors and peer groups about the training.

· Human Resource Factors: Training can also be evaluated on the basis of employee satisfaction, which in turn can be examined on the basis of decrease in employee turnover, absenteeism, accidents, grievances, discharges, dismissals, etc.,

· Cost Benefit Anaylysis: The costs of training (cost of hiring trainees) could be compared with its value (in terms of reduced learning time, improved learning, superior performance) in order to evaluate a training programme.

· Feedback: After the evaluation, the situation should be examined to identify the probable causes for gaps in performance. The training evaluation information (about costs, time spent, outcomes, etc.,) should be provided to the instructors, trainees and other parties concerned for control, correction and improvement of trainee’s activities. The training evaluator should follow it up sincerely so as to ensure effective implementation of the feedback report at every stage.

Bibliography:

Rao V.S.P. (2005), Human Resource Managenent, Text & Cases, Excel Books, New Delhi.