Training And

Development
By: Kashif Ali
Comsats institution of information technology Islamabad

TRAINING DEFINED:
It is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge,
sharpening of skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes
and behaviors to enhance the performance of employees.
Training is activity leading to skilled behavior.
Its not what you want in life, but its knowing how to reach it
Its not where you want to go, but its knowing how to get there
Its not how high you want to rise, but its knowing how to take off
It may not be quite the outcome you were aiming for, but it will
be an outcome
Its not what you dream of doing, but its having the knowledge to do
it
It's not a set of goals, but its more like a vision
Its not the goal you set, but its what you need to achieve it
Training is about knowing where you stand (no matter how good or
bad the current situation looks) at present, and where you will
be after some point of time.

Contd
Training is about the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities
(KSA) through professional development.
Information:
At its most basic form, a piece of information about something is a
"unit of awareness" about that thing. Some people think that this
awareness occurs only in the brain and, therefore, usually comes
from some form of thought. Other people also accept information
as a form of realization from other forms of inquiry, e.g., intuition.
Knowledge:
Knowledge is gleaned by organizing information. Typically,
information evolves to knowledge by the learner's gaining context,
perspective and scope about the information.

Contd
Skills:

Skills are applying knowledge in an effective and efficient manner to

get something done. One notices skills in an employee by their
behaviors

Task:

A task is a typically defined as a unit of work, that is, a set of

activities needed to produce some result, e.g., vacuuming a carpet,
writing a memo, sorting the mail, etc. Complex positions in the
organization may include a large number of tasks, which are
sometimes referred to as functions.

Job:

A job is a collection of tasks and responsibilities that an employee is

responsible to conduct. Jobs have titles.
Role
A role is the set of responsibilities or expected results associated
with a job. A job usually includes several roles.

Contd
Learning:
Typically, learning is viewed as enhancing one's knowledge,
understanding or skills. Some people see learning as enhancement to
one's knowledge, awareness and skills. Some professionals view
learning as enhancing one's capacity to perform. Some view learning
as a way of being that includes strong value on receiving feedback
and increasing understanding. It's important to note that learning
is more than collecting information -- more than collecting
unreferenced books on a shelf. Depending on the needs of the
learner, knowledge is converted to skills, that is, the learner knows
how to apply the knowledge to get something done. Ideally, the
skills are applied to the most appropriate tasks and practices in the
organization, thereby producing performance -- results needed by
the organization. Here's Another Perspective,

Continuous Learning

Simply put, continuous learning is the ability to learn to learn. Learning need
not be a linear event where a learner goes to a formal learning program, gains
areas of knowledge and skills about a process, and then the learning ceases.
If the learner can view life (including work) as a "learning program", then the
learner can continue to learn from almost everything in life. As a result, the
learner continues to expand his or her capacity for living, including working.
(See Continuous Learning.)

Education:

This term seems to be the most general of the key terms in employee
training. Some professionals view education as accomplishing a personal
context and understanding of the world, so that one's life and work are
substantially enhanced, e.g., "Go get an education." Others view the term as
the learning required to accomplish a new task or job. Here's Another
Perspective,

Contd

Development:
This term is often viewed as a broad, ongoing multi-faceted set of
activities (training activities among them) to bring someone or an
organization up to another threshold of performance.
This development often includes a wide variety of methods, e.g.,
orienting about a role, training in a wide variety of areas, ongoing
training on the job, coaching, mentoring and forms of selfdevelopment. Some view development as a life-long goal and
experience. Here's Another Perspective,

Contd
Click to edit the
outline text format
Second Outline
Level
Third Outline
Level
Fourth
Outline
Level
Fifth
Outline

Learning Principles: The Philosophy of training:

Training is essential for job success. It can lead to higher production,
fewer mistakes, greater job satisfaction and lower turnover. These
benefits accrue to both the trainee and the organization, if managers
understand the principles behind the training process. To this end,
training efforts must invariably follow certain learning oriented
guidelines.

Modeling:

Modeling is simply copying someone elses behavior. Passive classroom

learning does not leave any room for modeling. If we want to change
people, it would be a good idea to have video tapes of people showing
the desired behavior. The selected model should provide the right kind
of behavior to be copied by others. A great deal of human behavior is
learned by modeling others. Children learn by modeling parents and
older children, they are quite comfortable with the process by the
time they grow up. As experts put it managers tend to manage as
they were managed.

Contd

Motivation
For learning to take place, intention to learn is important. When the
employee is motivated, he pays attention to what is being said, done and
presented. Motivation to learn is influenced by the answer to question such
as: How important is my job to me? How important is the information? Will
learning help me progress in the company? Etc. people learn more quickly
when the material is important and relevant to them. Learning is usually
quicker and long-lasting when the leaner participates actively. Most people,
for example, never forgot how to ride a bicycle because they took an active
part in the learning process.

Contd
Reinforcement:
If a behavior is rewarded, it probably will be repeated. Positive
reinforcement consists of rewarding desired behaviors. People avoid
certain behavior that invites criticism and punishment. A bank officer
would want to do a postgraduate course in finance, if it earns him
increments and makes him eligible for further promotions. Both the
external rewards and the internal rewards associated with desired
behavior only. If he rewards poor performance, the result may be
disastrous: good performance may quite in frustration, accident may go
up, and productivity may suffer. The reinforcement principle is also
based on the premise that punishment is less effective in learning than
reward. Punishment is a pointer to undesirable behaviors. When
administered, it causes pain to the employee. He mayor may not repeat
the mistakes. The reactions may be mild or wild. Action taken to repeal
a person from undesirable action is punishment. If administered
properly, punishment may force the trainee to modify the undesired or
incorrect behavior.

Contd

Feedback:
People learn best if reinforcement is given as soon as possible after training.
Every employee wants to know what is expected of him and how well he is doing.
If he is off the track, somebody must put him back on the rails. The errors in
such cases must be retified immediately. The trainee after learning the right
behavior is motivation to do things in a right way and earn the associated
rewards. Positive feedback is to be preferred to negative feedback when we
want to change behavior.

Contd
Spaced Practice:
Learning takes place easily if the practice sessions are spread over a
period of time. New employees learn better if the orientation
program is spread over a 2 r 3 days period, instead of covering it all
in one day. For memorizing tasks, masses practice is usually more
effective. Imagine the way school ask the kids to say the Lord s
Prayer aloud. Can you memories a long poem by learning only one line
per day? You tend to forgot the beginning of the poem by the time
you reach the last stanza. For acquiring skills as stated by Mathis
and Jackson, spaced practice is usually the best. This incremental
approach to skill acquisition minimizes the physical fatigue that
deters learning.

Contd

Whole learning:
The concept of whole learning suggests that employee learn better if the
job information is explained as an entire logical process, so that they can
see how the various action fit together into the big picture. A broad
overview of what the trainee would be doing on the job should be given top
priority, if learning has to take place quickly. Research studies have also
indicated that it is more efficient to practice a whole task all at once rather
than trying to master the various components of the task at different
intervals.

Contd
Whole learning:
The concept of whole learning suggests that employee learn better if the
job information is explained as an entire logical process, so that they can
see how the various action fit together into the big picture. A broad
overview of what the trainee would be doing on the job should be given top
priority, if learning has to take place quickly. Research studies have also
indicated that it is more efficient to practice a whole task all at once
rather than trying to master the various components of the task at
different intervals.

Active practice:
Practise makes a man perfect so said Bacon. To be a swimmer, you should
plunge into water instead of simply reading about swimming or looking at
films of the worlds best swimmers. Learning is enhanced wahen trainees
are provided ample opportunities to repeat the task. For maximum
benefits, practice sessions should be distributed overtime.
4/20/12

Contd

Applicability of Training:
Training should be as real as possible so that trainees can
successfully transfer the new knowledge to their jobs. The
training situations should be set up so that trainees can visualise and identify with - the types of situations they can come across
on the job.

Environment:
Finally, environment plays a major role in training. It is natural
that workers who are exposed to training in comfortable
environments with adequate, well spaced rest periods are more
likely to learn than employees whose training conditions are less
than ideal. Generally speaking, learning is very fast at the
beginning. Thereafter, the pace of learning slows down as
opportunities for improvement taper off.
4/20/12

ROLE OF TRAINING:
Importance Of Training and Development:
Optimum Utilization of Human Resources Training and

Development helps in optimizing the utilization of human resource that

further helps the employee to achieve the organizational goals as well as
their individual goals.

Development of Human Resources Training and Development

helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development

of human resources technical and behavioral skills in an organization. It
also helps the employees in attaining personal growth.

Development of skills of employees Training and Development

helps in increasing the job knowledge and skills of employees at each
level. It helps to expand the horizons of human intellect and an overall
personality of the employees.

4/20/12

Contd
Productivity

Training and Development helps in increasing the

productivity of the employees that helps the Organization further to
achieve its long-term goal.

Team spirit Training and Development helps in inculcating the

sense of team work, team spirit, and inter-team collaborations. It
helps in inculcating the zeal to learn within the employees.

Organization Culture Training and Development helps to

develop and improve the organizational health culture and

effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the
organization.

Organization Climate

Training and Development helps

building the positive perception and feeling about the organization. The
employees get these feelings from leaders, subordinates, and peers.
4/20/12

Contd

Training and Development helps in improving upon the

quality of work and work-life.

Quality

Healthy work environment Training & Development helps in

creating the healthy working environment. It helps to build good

employee, relationship so that individual goals aligns with
organizational goal.

Health and Safety Training and Development helps in

improving the health and safety of the organization
thus preventing obsolescence.
Morale Training and Development helps in improving the morale of
the work force.

4/20/12

Contd
Image Training and Development helps in creating a better
corporate image.

Training and Development leads to improved

profitability and more positive attitudes towards profit
orientation.

Profitability

Training and Development aids in organizational development i.e.

Organization gets more effective decision making and problem solving. It
helps in understanding and carrying out organizational policies
Training and Development helps in developing leadership skills, motivation,
loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that successful workers and
managers usually display

4/20/12

REASONS FOR EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Training and development can be initiated for a variety of reasons for an

employee or group of employees, e.g.,:
1.

When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is

needed

2.

To "benchmark" the status of improvement so far in a performance

improvement effort

3.

As part of an overall professional development program

4.

As part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a

planned change in role in the organization

5.

To "pilot", or test, the operation of a new performance management

system

6.

To train about a specific topic (see below)

4/20/12

TYPICAL TOPICS OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING

Communications: The increasing diversity of today's
workforce brings a wide variety of languages and
customs.
Computer skills: Computer skills are becoming a necessity for
conducting administrative and office tasks.

Customer service: Increased competition in today's global

marketplace makes it critical that employees understand and
meet the needs of customers.

Diversity: Diversity training usually includes explanation about

how people have different perspectives and views, and includes

techniques to value diversity

Ethics: Today's society has increasing expectations about

corporate social responsibility. Also, today's diverse workforce

brings a wide variety of values and morals to the workplace.

4/20/12

Contd
Human relations:
The increased stresses of today's workplace can include
misunderstandings and conflict. Training can people to get along in
the workplace.
Quality initiatives:
Initiatives such as Total Quality Management, Quality Circles,
benchmarking, etc., require basic training about quality concepts,
guidelines and standards for quality, etc.
Safety: Safety training is critical where working with heavy
equipment , hazardous chemicals, repetitive activities, etc., but
can also be useful with practical advice for avoiding assaults, etc.
Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment training usually includes
careful description of the organization's policies about sexual
harassment, especially about what are inappropriate behaviors.

4/20/12

GENERAL BENEFITS FROM EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND

DEVELOPMENT
There are numerous sources of online information about training and
development. Several of these sites (they're listed later on in this
library) suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training among
employees. These reasons include:
1. Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees
2. Increased employee motivation
3. Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain
4. Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods
5. Increased innovation in strategies and products
6. Reduced employee turnover
7. Enhanced company image, e.g., conducting ethics training (not a good
reason for ethics training!)
8. Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity
training
4/20/12

IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING OBJECTIVES

Training objective is one of the most important parts of training

program. While some people think of training objective as a waste
of valuable time. The counterargument here is that resources are
always limited and the training objectives actually lead the design
of training. It provides the clear guidelines and develops the
training program in less time because objectives focus specifically
on needs. It helps in adhering to a plan.
Training objectives tell the trainee that what is expected out of him
at the end of the training program. Training objectives are of
great significance from a number of stakeholder perspectives.

4/20/12

Contd

1. Trainer
2. Trainee
3. Designer
4. Evaluatoe

4/20/12

Contd
Trainer The training objective is also beneficial to trainer because it helps
the trainer to measure the progress of trainees and make the required
adjustments. Also, trainer comes in a position to establish a relationship
between objectives and particular segments of training.
Trainee The training objective is beneficial to the trainee because it helps
in reducing the anxiety of the trainee up to some extent. Not knowing
anything or going to a place which is unknown creates anxiety that can
negatively affect learning. Therefore, it is important to keep the
participants aware of the happenings, rather than keeping it surprise.
Secondly, it helps in increase in concentration, which is the crucial factor to
make the training successful. The objectives create an image of the
training program in trainees mind that actually helps in gaining attention.
Thirdly, if the goal is set to be challenging and motivating, then the
likelihood of achieving those goals is much higher than the situation in
which no goal is set. Therefore, training objectives helps in increasing
the probability that the participants will be successful in training.

4/20/12

Contd
Designer
The training objective is beneficial to the training designer because if the
designer is aware what is to be achieved in the end then hell buy the
training package according to that only. The training designer would then
look for the training methods, training equipments, and training content
accordingly to achieve those objectives. Furthermore, planning always
helps in dealing effectively in an unexpected situation. Consider an
example; the objective of one training program is to deal effectively with
customers to increase the sales. Since the objective is known, the
designer will Design a Training Programe that will include ways to improve
the interpersonal skills, such as verbal and non verbal language, dealing in
unexpected situation i.e. when there is a defect in a product or when a
customer is angry. Therefore, without any guidance, the training may not
be designed appropriately.
Evaluator
It becomes easy for the training evaluator to measure the progress of the
trainees because the objectives define the expected performance of
trainees. Training objective is an important to tool to judge the
performance of participants
4/20/12

Areas of Training
The Areas of Training in which training is offered may be
classified into the following categories.
Knowledge
Here the trainee learns about a set of rules and
regulations about the job, the staff and the products
or services offered by the company. The aim is to make
the new employee fully aware of what goes on inside and
outside the company.
Technical Skills
The employee is taught a specific skill (e.g., operating a
machine, handling computer etc.) so that he can acquire
that skill and contribute meaningfully.
4/20/12

Contd
Social Skills
The employee is made to learn about himself and others, and to
develop a right mental attitude towards the job, colleagues and
the company. The principal focus is on teaching the employee how
to be a team member and get ahead.
Techniques
This involves the application of knowledge and skill to various on-thejob situations.
In addition to improving the skills and knowledge of employees,
training aims at moulding employee attitudes: When administered
properly, a training programme will go a long way in obt8ining
employee loyalty, support and commitment to company activities.

4/20/12

Types of Training

There are many approaches to training. We focus here on the types of

training that are commonly employed in present-day organisations.

Skills training:
This type of training is most common in organisations. The process here is
fairly simple. The need for training in basic skills (such as reading,
writing, computing, speaking, listening, problem solving, managing oneself,
knowing how to learn, working as part of a team, leading others) is
identified through assessment. Specific training objectives are set and
training content is developed to meet those objectives. Several methods
are available for imparting these basic skills in modern organisations
(such as lectures, apprenticeship, on-the-job, coaching etc.). Before
employing these methods, managers should:

4/20/12

Contd
explain how the training will help the trainees in their jobs.

relate the training to the trainees' goals.

respect and consider participant responses and use these as a
resource.

encourage trainees to learn by doing.

give feedback on progress toward meeting learning objectives

Refresher training: Rapid changes in technology may force

companies to go in for this kind of training. By organizing shortterm courses which incorporate the latest developments in a
particular field, the company may keep its employees up-to-date
and ready to take on emerging challenges.
It is conducted at regular intervals by taking the help of outside
consultants who specialize in a particular descriptive.
4/20/12

Contd
Cross-functional Training: Cross-functional Training involves training
employees to perform operations in areas other than their assigned job.
There are many approaches to cross functional training. Job rotation can
be used to provide a manager in one functional area with a broader
perspective than he would otherwise have. Departments can exchange
personnel for a certain period so that each employee understands how
other departments are functioning. High performing workers can act as
peer trainers and help employees develop skills in another area of
operation. Cross functional training provides the following benefits to an
organisation (and the workers as well) (1) Workers gain rich experience in
handling diverse jobs; they become more adaptable and versatile (2) they
can better engineer their own career paths (3) they not only know their
job well but also understand how others are able to perform under a
different set of constraints (4) A broader perspective increases
workers' understanding of the business and reduces the need for
supervision (5) when workers can fill in for other workers who are
absent, it is easier to use flexible scheduling, which is increasingly in
demand as more employees want to spend more time with their families.
Eli Lilly and Company (India), for example, encourages cross-functional
movements to make the organisation equally attractive to both specialists
and generalists.
4/20/12

Contd
Team Training:
Team training generally covers two areas; content tasks and group
processes. Content tasks specify the team's goals such as cost control
and problem solving. Group processes reflect the way members function
as a team - for example how they interact with each other, how they sort
out differences, how they participate etc. Companies are investing heavy
amounts, nowadays, in training new employees to listen to each other and
to cooperate. They are using outdoor experiential training techniques to
develop teamwork and team spirit among their employees (such as scaling
a mountain, preparing recipes for colleagues at a restaurant, sailing
through uncharted waters, crossing a jungle etc.). The training basically
throws light on (i) how members should communicate with each other (ii)
how they have to cooperate and get ahead (iii) how they should deal with
conflict-full situations (iv) how they should find their way, using
collective wisdom and experience to good advantage.
4/20/12

Contd
Creativity training:
Companies like Mudra Communications, Titan Industries, Wipro
encourage their employees to think unconventionally, break the
rules, take risks, go out of the box and devise unexpected
solutions.
Postpone judgment: Don't reject any idea
Create alternative frames of reference
Break the boundary of thinking
In creativity training, trainers often focus on three things:
(a) Breaking away: In order to break away from restrictions, the
trainee is expected to (i) identify the dominant ideas influencing
his own thinking (ii) define the boundaries within which he is
working (iii) bring the assumptions out into the open and challenge
everything
4/20/12

Contd
(b) Generate new ideas:
To generate new ideas, the trainee should open up his mind; look at the
problem from all possible angles and list as many alternative approaches
as possible. The trainee should allow his mind to wander over alternatives
freely. Expose himself to new influences (people, articles, books,
situations), switch over from one perspective to another, -arrange cross
fertilization of ideas with other people and use analogies to spark off
ideas.

(c) Delaying judgement:

To promote creative thinking, the trainee should not try to kill off ideas too
quickly; they should be held back until he is able to generate as many
ideas as possible. He should allow ideas to grow a little. Brainstorming
(getting a large number of ideas from a group of people in a short time)
often helps in generating as many ideas as possible without pausing to
evaluate them. It helps in releasing ideas, overcoming inhibitions, cross
fertilising ideas and getting away from patterned thinking.

4/20/12

Contd

Diversity Training: Diversity training considers all of the diverse

dimensions in the workplace race, gender, age, disabilities, lifestyles,

culture, education, ideas and backgrounds - while designing a training
programme. It aims to create better cross-cultural sensitivity with the
aim of fostering more harmonious and fruitful working relationships
among a firm's employees.

The programme covers two things: (i) awareness building, which helps
employees appreciate the key benefits of diversity, and (ii) skill building,
which offers the knowledge, skills and abilities required for working with
people having varied backgrounds.

4/20/12

Contd

Literacy Training:
Inability to write, speak and work well with others could often come in
the way of discharging duties, especially at the lower levels. Workers, in
such situations, may fail to understand safety messages, appreciate the
importance of sticking to rules, and commit avoidable mistakes.
Functional illiteracy (low skill level in a particular content area) may be a
serious impediment to a firm's productivity and competitiveness.
Functional literacy programmes focus on the basic skills required to
perform a job adequately and capitalise on most workers' motivation to
get help in a particular area. Tutorial programmes, home assignments,
reading and writing exercises, simple mathematical tests, etc., are
generally used in all company in-house programmes meant to improve the
literacy levels of employees with weak reading, writing or arithmetic
skills.
4/20/12

4/20/12