MGT 340 CH 7-8 Training Employees and Developing Employees for Success

CHAPTER 7

Discuss how to link training programs to organizational needs

• org needs to establish effective training in other words, programs that (1) teach what they are designed to teach and (2) teach skills and behaviors that will help the organizations achieve its goals

• orgs create such programs through instructional design

• the steps in this process are to conduct a needs assessment, ensure readiness for training (including employee characteristics and organizational support), plan a training program, implement the program, and evaluate the results

Explain how to assess the need for training

• Readiness for training is a combination of employee characteristics and positive work environment that permit training.

• The necessary employee characteristics include ability to learn the subject matter, favorable attitudes toward the training, and motivation to learn.

• A positive work environment avoids situational constraints such as lack of money and time. In a positive environment, both peers and management support training.

LO 7-4 Describe how to plan an effective training program.

• Planning begins with establishing training objectives, which should define an expected performance or outcome, the desired level of performance, and the conditions under which the performance should occur.

• Based on the objectives, the planner decides who will provide the training, what topics the training will cover, what training methods to use, and how to evaluate the training.

• Even when organizations purchase outside training, someone in the organization, usually a member of the HR department, often is responsible for training administration.

• The training methods selected should be related to the objectives and content of the training program.

• Training methods may include presentation methods, hands-on methods, or group-building methods.

LO 7-5 Compare widely used training methods.

• Classroom instruction is most widely used and is one of the least expensive and least time-consuming ways to present information on a specific topic to many trainees. It also allows for group interaction and may include hands-on practice.

• Audiovisual techniques and computer-based training (often called e-learning) need not require that trainees attend a class, so organizations can reduce time and money spent on training. Computer-based training may be interactive and may provide for group interaction.

• On-the-job training methods such as apprenticeships and internships give trainees firsthand experiences.

• A simulation represents a real-life situation, enabling trainees to see the effects of their decisions without dangerous or expensive consequences.

• Business games and case studies are other methods for practicing decision-making skills. Participants need to come together in one location or collaborate online.

• Behavior modeling gives trainees a chance to observe desired behaviors, so this technique can be effective for teaching interpersonal skills.

• Experiential and adventure learning programs provide an opportunity for group members to interact in challenging circumstances but may exclude members with disabilities.

• Team training focuses a team on achievement of a common goal.

• Action learning offers relevance, because the training focuses on an actual work-related problem.

Summarize how to implement a successful training program.

• Implementation should apply principles of learning and seek transfer of training.

• In general, effective training communicates learning objectives, presents information in distinctive and memorable ways, and helps trainees link the subject matter to their jobs.

• Employees are most likely to learn when training is linked to job experiences and tasks. Employees learn best when they demonstrate or practice what they have learned and when they receive feedback that helps them improve.

• Trainees remember information better when it is broken into small chunks, presented with visual images, and practiced many times. Written materials should be easily readable by trainees.

• Transfer of training is most likely when there is social support (from managers and peers), technical support, and self-management.

LO 7-7 Evaluate the success of a training program.

• Evaluation of training should look for transfer of training by measuring whether employees are performing the tasks taught in the training program.

• Assessment of training also should evaluate training outcomes, such as change in attitude, ability to perform a new skill, and recall of facts or behaviors taught in the training program.

• Training should result in improvement in the group’s or organization’s outcomes, such as customer satisfaction or sales. An economic measure of training success is return on investment.

LO 7-8 Describe training methods for employee orientation and onboarding and for diversity management.

• Employee orientation is training designed to prepare employees to perform their jobs effectively, learn about the organization, and establish work relationships.

• Because success in today’s work environment requires more than following rules, employers have begun supplementing basic orientation programs with an onboarding process, aimed at preparing new employees for full participation in the organization.

• Onboarding is an ongoing process that addresses social as well as task-related aspects of work in order to prepare employees for complying with policies and rules, clarifying job requirements, understanding the organization’s culture, and connecting with co-workers.

• Orientation programs may combine several training methods, from printed materials to on-the-job training to e-learning.

• Diversity training is designed to change employee attitudes about diversity and/or develop skills needed to work with a diverse workforce.

• Evidence regarding these programs suggests that diversity training is most effective if it is part of management’s long-term commitment to managing diversity as an opportunity for people to learn from one another and acquire teamwork skills.

CHAPTER 8

Discuss how development is related to training and careers.

• Employee development is the combination of formal education, job experiences, relationships, and assessment of personality and abilities to help employees prepare for the future of their careers.

• Training is more focused on improving performance in the current job, but training programs may support employee development.

• In modern organizations, the concept of a career is fluid—a protean career that changes along with changes in a person’s interests, abilities, and values and changes in the work environment. To plan and prepare for a protean career requires active career management, which includes planning for employee development.

Identify the methods organizations use for employee development.

• Organizations may use formal educational programs at the workplace or off-site, such as workshops, university courses and degree programs, company-sponsored training, or programs offered by independent institutions.

• An assessment process can help employees identify strengths and areas requiring further development. Assessment can help the organization identify employees with managerial potential or areas in which teams need to develop.

• Job experiences help employees develop by stretching their skills as they meet new challenges.

• Interpersonal relationships with a more experienced member of the organization—often in the role of mentor or coach—can help employees develop their understanding of the organization and its customers.

LO 8-3 Describe how organizations use assessment of personality type, work behaviors, and job performance to plan employee development.

• Organizations collect information and provide feedback to employees about their behavior, communication style, and skills.

• The information may come from the employees, their peers, managers, and customers.

• Many organizations use performance appraisals as a source of assessment information. Appraisals may take the form of 360-degree feedback.

• Some organizations use psychological tests designed for this purpose, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the DiSC assessment.

• Assessment centers combine a variety of methods to provide assessment information.

• Managers must share the assessments, along with suggestions for improvement.

LO 8-4 Explain how job experiences can be used for developing skills.

• Job experiences contribute to development through a combination of relationships, problems, demands, tasks, and other features of an employee’s job.

• The assumption is that development is most likely to occur when the employee’s skills and experiences do not entirely match the skills required for the employee’s current job, so employees must stretch to meet the demands of the new assignment.

• The impact varies according to whether the employee views the experience as a positive or negative source of stress.

• Job experiences that support employee development may include job enlargement, job rotations, transfers, promotions, downward moves, and temporary assignments with other organizations.

LO 8-5 Summarize principles of successful mentoring programs.

• A mentor is an experienced, productive senior employee who helps develop a less-experienced employee.

• Although most mentoring relationships develop informally, organizations can link mentoring to development goals by establishing a formal mentoring program. A formal program provides a basis for ensuring that all eligible employees are included.

• Mentoring programs tend to be most successful when they are voluntary and participants understand the details of the program.

• The organization should reward managers for employee development, carefully select mentors based on interpersonal and technical skills, train them for the role, and evaluate whether the program has met its objectives.

LO 8-6 Tell how managers and peers develop employees through coaching.

• A coach is a peer or manager who works with an employee to motivate the employee, help them develop skills, and provide reinforcement and feedback.

• Coaches should be prepared to take on one or more of three roles: working one-on-one with an employee, helping employees learn for themselves, and providing resources, such as mentors, courses, or job experiences.

Identify the steps in the process of career management.

• The process begins with data gathering. Employees use information to determine their career interests, values, aptitudes, and behavioral tendencies, looking for opportunities and areas needing improvement. Data-gathering tools often include psychological tests or exercises that ask about career status and plans.

• The organization then provides feedback by communicating information about the employee’s skills and knowledge and how these fit into the organization’s plan.

• The employee sets goals and discusses them with his or her manager, who ensures that the goals are specific, challenging, and attainable.

• Finally, the employee works with their manager to create an action plan and follow-up for development activities that will help the employee achieve the goals.

LO 8-8 Discuss how organizations are meeting the challenges of the “glass ceiling,” succession planning, and dysfunctional managers.

• The glass ceiling is a barrier that has been observed preventing women and other minorities from achieving top jobs in an organization. Development programs can ensure that these employees receive access to development resources, such as coaches, mentors, and developmental job assignments.

• Succession planning ensures that the organization prepares qualified employees to fill management jobs as managers retire. It focuses on applying employee development to high-potential employees. Effective succession planning includes methods for selecting these employees, providing them with developmental experiences, and getting the CEO actively involved with employees who display qualities associated with success as they participate in the developmental activities.

• For dysfunctional managers who have the potential to contribute to the organization, the organization may offer development targeted at correcting the areas of dysfunction. Typically, the process includes collecting information about the manager’s personality, skills, and interests; providing feedback, training, and counseling; and ensuring that the manager can apply new, functional behaviors on the job.