Employee Training and Development Process - Training Methods for Employees Employee Training and Development.......... .......................................................
The quality of employees and their development through training and education are major factors in determining long-term profitability of a small business. If you hire and keep good employees, it is good policy to invest in the development of their skills, so they can increase their productivity.
Training often is considered for new employees only. This is a mistake because ongoing training for current employees helps them adjust to rapidly changing job requirements.
Purpose of Employee Training and Development Process
Reasons for emphasizing the growth and development of personnel include * Creating a pool of readily available and adequate
replacements for personnel who may leave or move up in the organization. * Enhancing the company's ability to adopt and use advances in technology because of a sufficiently knowledgeable staff. * Building a more efficient, effective and highly motivated team, which enhances the company's competitive position and improves employee morale. * Ensuring adequate human resources for expansion into new programs.
Research has shown specific benefits that a small business receives from training and developing its workers, including: * * * * Increased productivity. Reduced employee turnover. Increased efficiency resulting in financial gains. Decreased need for supervision.
Employees frequently develop a greater sense of selfworth, dignity and well-being as they become more valuable to the firm and to society. Generally they will receive a greater share of the material gains that result from their increased productivity. These factors give them a sense of satisfaction through the achievement of personal and company goals.
The Training Process
The model below traces the steps necessary in the training process: * * * * * * * * * Organizational Objectives Needs Assessment Is There a Gap? Training Objectives Select the Trainees Select the Training Methods and Mode Choose a Means of Evaluating Administer Training Evaluate the Training
Your business should have a clearly defined strategy and set of objectives that direct and drive all the decisions made especially for training decisions. Firms that plan their training process are more successful than those that do not. Most business owners want to succeed, but do not engage in training designs that promise to improve their chances of success. Why? The five reasons most often identified are:
Time - Small businesses managers find that time demands do not allow them to train employees.
Getting started - Most small business managers have not practiced training employees. The training process is unfamiliar.
Broad expertise - Managers tend to have broad expertise rather than the specialized skills needed for training and development activities.
Lack of trust and openness - Many managers prefer to keep information to themselves. By doing so they keep information from subordinates and others who could be useful in the training and development process.
Skepticism as to the value of the training - Some small business owners believe the future cannot be predicted or controlled and their efforts, therefore, are best centered on
current activities i.e., making money today.
A well-conceived training program can help your firm succeed. A program structured with the company's strategy and objectives in mind has a high probability of improving productivity and other goals that are set in the training mission.
For any business, formulating a training strategy requires addressing a series of questions.
* Who are your customers? Why do they buy from you? * Who are your competitors? How do they serve the market? What competitive advantages do they enjoy? What parts of the market have they ignored? * What strengths does the company have? What weaknesses? * What social trends are emerging that will affect the firm?
The purpose of formulating a training strategy is to answer two relatively simple but vitally important questions: (1)
What is our business? and (2) What should our business be? Armed with the answers to these questions and a clear vision of its mission, strategy and objectives, a company can identify its training needs.
Identifying Training Needs
Training needs can be assessed by analyzing three major human resource areas: the organization as a whole, the job characteristics and the needs of the individuals. This analysis will provide answers to the following questions:
* Where is training needed? * What specifically must an employee learn in order to be more productive? * Who needs to be trained? To Employee Training and Development Process - Training Methods for Employees - Top
Begin by assessing the current status of the company how it does what it does best and the abilities of your employees to do these tasks. This analysis will provide some benchmarks against which the effectiveness of a
training program can be evaluated. Your firm should know where it wants to be in five years from its long-range strategic plan. What you need is a training program to take your firm from here to there.
Second, consider whether the organization is financially committed to supporting the training efforts. If not, any attempt to develop a solid training program will fail.
Next, determine exactly where training is needed. It is foolish to implement a companywide training effort without concentrating resources where they are needed most. An internal audit will help point out areas that may benefit from training. Also, a skills inventory can help determine the skills possessed by the employees in general. This inventory will help the organization determine what skills are available now and what skills are needed for future development.
Also, in today's market-driven economy, you would be remiss not to ask your customers what they like about your business and what areas they think should be improved. In summary, the analysis should focus on the
total organization and should tell you (1) where training is needed and (2) where it will work within the organization.
Once you have determined where training is needed, concentrate on the content of the program. Analyze the characteristics of the job based on its description, the written narrative of what the employee actually does. Training based on job descriptions should go into detail about how the job is performed on a task-by-task basis. Actually doing the job will enable you to get a better feel for what is done.
Individual employees can be evaluated by comparing their current skill levels or performance to the organization's performance standards or anticipated needs. Any discrepancies between actual and anticipated skill levels identifies a training need.
Selection of Trainees
Once you have decided what training is necessary and where it is needed, the next decision is who should be trained? For a small business, this question is crucial. Training an employee is expensive, especially when he or she leaves your firm for a better job. Therefore, it is important to carefully select who will be trained.
Training programs should be designed to consider the ability of the employee to learn the material and to use it effectively, and to make the most efficient use of resources possible. It is also important that employees be motivated by the training experience. Employee failure in the program is not only damaging to the employee but a waste of money as well. Selecting the right trainees is important to the success of the program.
Training Goals The goals of the training program should relate directly to the needs determined by the assessment process outlined above. Course objectives should clearly state what
behavior or skill will be changed as a result of the training and should relate to the mission and strategic plan of the company. Goals should include milestones to help take the employee from where he or she is today to where the firm wants him or her in the future. Setting goals helps to evaluate the training program and also to motivate employees. Allowing employees to participate in setting goals increases the probability of success.
Training Methods
There are two broad types of training available to small businesses: on-the-job and off-the-job techniques. Individual circumstances and the "who," "what" and "why" of your training program determine which method to use.
On-the-job training is delivered to employees while they perform their regular jobs. In this way, they do not lose time while they are learning. After a plan is developed for what should be taught, employees should be informed of the details. A timetable should be established with periodic
evaluations to inform employees about their progress. Onthe-job techniques include orientations, job instruction training, apprenticeships, internships and assistantships, job rotation and coaching.
Off-the-job techniques include lectures, special study, films, television conferences or discussions, case studies, role playing, simulation, programmed instruction and laboratory training. Most of these techniques can be used by small businesses although, some may be too costly.
Orientations are for new employees. The first several days on the job are crucial in the success of new employees. This point is illustrated by the fact that 60 percent of all employees who quit do so in the first ten days. Orientation training should emphasize the following topics: * The company's history and mission. * The key members in the organization. * The key members in the department, and how the department helps fulfill the mission of the company. * Personnel rules and regulations.
Some companies use verbal presentations while others have written presentations. Many small businesses convey these topics in one-on-one orientations. No matter what method is used, it is important that the newcomer understand his or her new place of employment.
To Employee Training and Development Process - Training Methods for Employees - Top
Lectures present training material verbally and are used when the goal is to present a great deal of material to many people. It is more cost effective to lecture to a group than to train people individually. Lecturing is one-way communication and as such may not be the most effective way to train. Also, it is hard to ensure that the entire audience understands a topic on the same level; by targeting the average attendee you may undertrain some and lose others. Despite these drawbacks, lecturing is the most cost-effective way of reaching large audiences.
Role playing and simulation are training techniques that attempt to bring realistic decision making situations to the trainee. Likely problems and alternative solutions are presented for discussion. The adage there is no better trainer than experience is exemplified with this type of training. Experienced employees can describe real world
experiences, and can help in and learn from developing the solutions to these simulations. This method is cost effective and is used in marketing and management training.
Audiovisual methods such as television, videotapes and films are the most effective means of providing real world conditions and situations in a short time. One advantage is that the presentation is the same no matter how many times it's played. This is not true with lectures, which can change as the speaker is changed or can be influenced by outside constraints. The major flaw with the audiovisual method is that it does not allow for questions and interactions with the speaker, nor does it allow for changes in the presentation for different audiences.
Job rotation involves moving an employee through a series of jobs so he or she can get a good feel for the tasks that are associated with different jobs. It is usually used in training for supervisory positions. The employee learns a little about everything. This is a good strategy for small businesses because of the many jobs an employee may be asked to do.
Apprenticeships develop employees who can do many different tasks. They usually involve several related groups of skills that allow the apprentice to practice a particular trade, and they take place over a long period of time in which the apprentice works for, and with, the senior skilled worker. Apprenticeships are especially appropriate for jobs requiring production skills.
Internships and assistantships are usually a combination of classroom and on-the-job training. They are often used to train prospective managers or marketing personnel.
Programmed learning, computer-aided instruction and interactive video all have one thing in common: they allow the trainee to learn at his or her own pace. Also, they allow material already learned to be bypassed in favor of material with which a trainee is having difficulty. After the introductory period, the instructor need not be present, and the trainee can learn as his or her time allows. These methods sound good, but may be beyond the resources of some small businesses.
Laboratory training is conducted for groups by skilled trainers. It usually is conducted at a neutral site and is used by upper- and middle management trainees to develop a spirit of teamwork and an increased ability to deal with management and peers. It can be costly and usually is offered by larger small businesses.
Trainers Who actually conducts the training depends on the type of training needed and who will be receiving it. On-the-job training is conducted mostly by supervisors; off-the-job training, by either in-house personnel or outside instructors.
In-house training is the daily responsibility of supervisors and employees. Supervisors are ultimately responsible for the productivity and, therefore, the training of their subordinates. These supervisors should be taught the techniques of good training. They must be aware of the knowledge and skills necessary to make a productive
employee. Trainers should be taught to establish goals and objectives for their training and to determine how these objectives can be used to influence the productivity of their departments. They also must be aware of how adults learn and how best to communicate with adults. Small businesses need to develop their supervisors' training capabilities by sending them to courses on training methods. The investment will pay off in increased productivity.
There are several ways to select training personnel for offthe-job training programs. Many small businesses use inhouse personnel to develop formal training programs to be delivered to employees off line from their normal work activities, during company meetings or individually at prearranged training sessions.
There are many outside training sources, including consultants, technical and vocational schools, continuing education programs, chambers of commerce and economic development groups. Selecting an outside source for training has advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is that these organizations are well versed in training techniques, which is often not the case
with in-house personnel.
The disadvantage of using outside training specialists is their limited knowledge of the company's product or service and customer needs. These trainers have a more general knowledge of customer satisfaction and needs. In many cases, the outside trainer can develop this knowledge quickly by immersing himself or herself in the company prior to training the employees. Another disadvantage of using outside trainers is the relatively high cost compared to in-house training, although the higher cost may be offset by the increased effectiveness of the training.
Whoever is selected to conduct the training, either outside or in-house trainers, it is important that the company's goals and values be carefully explained.
Training Administration Having planned the training program properly, you must now administer the training to the selected employees. It is important to follow through to make sure the goals are
being met. Questions to consider before training begins include: * * * * * * Location. Facilities. Accessibility. Comfort. Equipment. Timing.
Careful attention to these operational details will contribute to the success of the training program. An effective training program administrator should follow these steps: * * * * * * * * Define the organizational objectives. Determine the needs of the training program. Define training goals. Develop training methods. Decide whom to train. Decide who should do the training. Administer the training. Evaluate the training program.
Following these steps will help an administrator develop an effective training program to ensure that the firm keeps qualified employees who are productive, happy workers.
This will contribute positively to the bottom line.
Evaluation of Training Training should be evaluated several times during the process. Determine these milestones when you develop the training. Employees should be evaluated by comparing their newly acquired skills with the skills defined by the goals of the training program. Any discrepancies should be noted and adjustments made to the training program to enable it to meet specified goals. Many training programs fall short of their expectations simply because the administrator failed to evaluate its progress until it was too late. Timely evaluation will prevent the training from straying from its goals.
Comprehensive Hardware and Software Training Prepares Pharmaceutical Sales Force for Improved Productivity Profile: Pharmaceutical Company A US-based pharmaceutical company has established franchises in therapeutic areas of the central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.
Situation: Dual Implementation - Hardware and Software Training for a Large Pharmaceutical Sales Force
Being a pharmaceutical sales representative gets tougher every day. Regulatory guidelines require detailed records of every meeting and transaction, and signatures for pharmaceutical sample distribution, which can take valuable time away from what sales people do best - sell. Sales force automation tools and customer relationship management software applications are helping to streamline this extra work, but they require a significant time investment to learn and deploy.
That's why when a major pharmaceutical company decided to arm all of its 2,800 sales reps with new Toshiba Tablet PCs and implement SAP's CRM and Sample Management software applications, the company's training team knew the task was too large to handle internally. The company issued two requests for proposals (RFPs) to support the rollout of (1) the Toshiba Tablet PC hardware; and (2) the SAP CRM software application. It was their hope that a training organization would respond with the vision and expertise required to successfully launch these two distinct initiatives.
Shared Vision: Finding the Right Partner
The RFP outlined the need for a phased approach to the two implementations, beginning with the Toshiba Tablet PC rollout in February 2005, to be soon followed with a comprehensive SAP CRM software implementation, targeted for September 2005.
Global Knowledge, well-known for deploying successful hardware training initiatives, had implemented similar programs for large customers such as Nortel and Cisco. For this reason, Global Knowledge was identified as the partner of choice to help train the pharmaceutical sales force on the Toshiba Tablet PC.
Competition became fierce when the time came to select a training partner for the CRM rollout. Several candidates responded with bids, but only Global Knowledge demonstrated an understanding of the nuances of the pharmaceutical industry and the comprehensive nature of the proposed training solution. Global Knowledge successfully secured both the Tablet PC and CRM application rollout training program contracts.
The pharmaceutical company noted that the Global Knowledge solution complemented its vision of the project and that our expertise, pricing, and ability to manage the project uniquely met their needs.
The Solution: Hardware First, Then Software Hardware Training - Toshiba Tablet PC
With 2,800 reps to train, the customer wanted Global Knowledge to implement a 'train the trainer' program to get the sales force up-to-speed on the new hardware. This approach allowed us to train the sales management team on the hardware, who would then teach the 2,800 enduser sales reps.
Global Knowledge quickly set to work, and spent January 2005 developing a comprehensive training curriculum designed to teach the management team-comprised of Regional Sales Trainers (RSTs) and District Managers (DMs)-how to operate and care for their new Tablet PCs, as well as how to utilize the software loaded onto the device.
A week prior to the train the trainer program, Global Knowledge and the customer gathered for a 'dry run' working session to ensure the training would run smoothly during a four-hour training course scheduled for the following week in Scottsdale, Arizona. On February 16, 2005, Global Knowledge delivered 14 concurrent
instructor-led training sessions to approximately 330 RSTs and DMs.
Global Knowledge also developed two hours of self-paced e-learning courses that were made available to all 2,800 end-users on the sales force after they were trained by the DMs and RSTs. Delivered through Global Knowledge's learning management system (LMS), these courses could be taken at the convenience of individual sales reps.
Detailed learning materials were developed to complement the training program, including a user reference guide and quick reference card. Comprehensive evaluations for both the management team and the endusers were also provided, offering valuable feedback to the customer on the success of the training.
Software Training - SAP CRM
Organizations that have implemented a CRM software application are well aware of what a challenge it can be. Promises of improving sales force effectiveness and optimizing product launches fail to address the challenges associated with teaching the new application to thousands of users. Fortunately, both Global Knowledge and the customer understood that the often overlooked key to a successful CRM implementation is training.
By February 2005, while simultaneously working on the Tablet PC training program, Global Knowledge began working on a comprehensive CRM training curriculum for the September rollout. An unanticipated change in the timeline came when the customer learned of a setback related to a pending FDA approval on a new product indication. In preparation for the new indication, all 2,800 sales reps planned to travel to Anaheim, California for a national sales meeting in June 2005. To avoid a wasted sales conference, senior management decided to fasttrack the software implementation so the sales meeting could be used to train the reps on the new application.
With only five months to develop and deploy a comprehensive CRM training program, Global Knowledge quickly accelerated its timeline and applied the appropriate level of resources to get the job done.
The Global Knowledge team developed custom pre- and post-training e-learning courses and training reference materials to support the initiative. Distinct learning tracks were developed to meet the individual needs of various groups within the sales organization such as district managers and diverse sales rep groups, including primary care, hospital, and senior care sales representatives. The training was designed to teach sales reps how to use the CRM application, including how to search for physicians in their territory, record sales calls and speaker program calls, manage and track sample distribution, maintain and update calendars, and review and share call history.
To deploy the training, Global Knowledge selected more than 150 talented instructors who would teach concurrent sessions during the two-day sales rep meeting in Anaheim. The customer was quite impressed with the quality and consistency of the instructors, which helped alleviate concerns that there would be discrepancies in the level of training each rep received.
With course materials finalized and instructors selected, the training program was ready for implementation. In April, key players gathered for a 'dry run' session to validate the content prior to the sales meeting. In May and June, Global Knowledge hosted pilot training sessions for all curriculum tracks with a select group of end-users to test timing and get feedback. The feedback from the pilot training was incorporated into the curriculum and then finalized and shared with the instructor team at the train the trainer session. The five-day training course, held in mid-June, required all 150 instructors to complete a comprehensive certification process administered by key project team members from Global Knowledge and the customer. Prior to the full sales field rollout, Global Knowledge also hosted sales management team training, which included 16 concurrent sessions for approximately 330 management team members.
Results: Seamlessly Training Sales Force
By the national sales meeting in Anaheim on June 27, 2005, Global Knowledge was fully prepared for what turned out to be an extremely successful two-day training session for all 2,800 end users. Following the training, Global Knowledge concluded the project with training course evaluations and the deployment of the post-training e-learning course. Delivered through the company's LMS, all course materials were available after the rollout for new hires or for reps that needed refresher training.
The customer felt that delivering more than 100 concurrent training sessions to 2,800 people in just two days constituted a monumental effort by Global Knowledge. We received high praise for our ability to seamlessly manage two major training initiatives, which significantly contributed to the success of the customer's sales force
Start training to boost productivity.
A well trained staff magnifies the power of your IT investment, but training tends to get short shrift when time and money get tight. That often means a lower return on your technology investment. A flexible program of
ongoing education can help you meet the demands of your workforce and your business.
Infor Education provides multi-faceted learning opportunities that allow your company to grow as your people grow. Through our subscription or multi-discount education programs, we make a wide selection of online courses and classroom sessions available worldwide. Options include self-paced online courses, live virtual classes via the web, as well as face-to-face classes onsite at your location or at our regional education centers. These delivery options help reduce your travel costs and downtime.
Infor Education helps companies like yours:
• • • • •
Maximize performance and productivity. Reduce training expenses. Reduce employee downtime. Access our resource library 24 x 7. Maximize skills retention.
Infor's domain expertise, knowledge of best practices, and experience in using our solutions to solve business challenges ensure that our education programs offer real value to your workforce. Our subscription-based or multi-discount programs offer you a big return on a small investment.
Through our flexible format and our training website, KnowledgeZone, we can add classes quickly to reflect new releases, products, and advanced learning concepts. And all participants can tap into our library of learning resources, including training guides, PowerPoint presentations, PDF files, and other materials.
Start here to start improving productivity.
When you want to get thStart training to boost productivity.
A well trained staff magnifies the power of your IT investment, but training tends to get short shrift when time and money get tight. That often means a lower return on your technology investment. A flexible program of ongoing education can help you meet the demands of your workforce and your business.
Infor Education provides multi-faceted learning opportunities that allow your company to grow as your people grow. Through our subscription or multi-discount education programs, we make a wide selection of online courses and classroom sessions available worldwide. Options include self-paced online courses, live virtual classes via the web, as well as face-to-face classes onsite at your location or at our regional education centers.
These delivery options help reduce your travel costs and downtime.
Infor Education helps companies like yours:
• • • • •
Maximize performance and productivity. Reduce training expenses. Reduce employee downtime. Access our resource library 24 x 7. Maximize skills retention.
Infor's domain expertise, knowledge of best practices, and experience in using our solutions to solve business challenges ensure that our education programs offer real value to your workforce. Our subscription-based or multidiscount programs offer you a big return on a small investment. Through our flexible format and our training website, KnowledgeZone, we can add classes quickly to reflect new releases, products, and advanced learning concepts. And all participants can tap into our library of learning resources, including training guides, PowerPoint presentations, PDF files, and other materials.
Start here to start improving productivity. When you want to get the most from your Infor software, Infor Education is the best source for all your product train e most from your Infor software, Infor Education is the best source for all your product train
doc_411553454.doc
The quality of employees and their development through training and education are major factors in determining long-term profitability of a small business. If you hire and keep good employees, it is good policy to invest in the development of their skills, so they can increase their productivity.
Training often is considered for new employees only. This is a mistake because ongoing training for current employees helps them adjust to rapidly changing job requirements.
Purpose of Employee Training and Development Process
Reasons for emphasizing the growth and development of personnel include * Creating a pool of readily available and adequate
replacements for personnel who may leave or move up in the organization. * Enhancing the company's ability to adopt and use advances in technology because of a sufficiently knowledgeable staff. * Building a more efficient, effective and highly motivated team, which enhances the company's competitive position and improves employee morale. * Ensuring adequate human resources for expansion into new programs.
Research has shown specific benefits that a small business receives from training and developing its workers, including: * * * * Increased productivity. Reduced employee turnover. Increased efficiency resulting in financial gains. Decreased need for supervision.
Employees frequently develop a greater sense of selfworth, dignity and well-being as they become more valuable to the firm and to society. Generally they will receive a greater share of the material gains that result from their increased productivity. These factors give them a sense of satisfaction through the achievement of personal and company goals.
The Training Process
The model below traces the steps necessary in the training process: * * * * * * * * * Organizational Objectives Needs Assessment Is There a Gap? Training Objectives Select the Trainees Select the Training Methods and Mode Choose a Means of Evaluating Administer Training Evaluate the Training
Your business should have a clearly defined strategy and set of objectives that direct and drive all the decisions made especially for training decisions. Firms that plan their training process are more successful than those that do not. Most business owners want to succeed, but do not engage in training designs that promise to improve their chances of success. Why? The five reasons most often identified are:
Time - Small businesses managers find that time demands do not allow them to train employees.
Getting started - Most small business managers have not practiced training employees. The training process is unfamiliar.
Broad expertise - Managers tend to have broad expertise rather than the specialized skills needed for training and development activities.
Lack of trust and openness - Many managers prefer to keep information to themselves. By doing so they keep information from subordinates and others who could be useful in the training and development process.
Skepticism as to the value of the training - Some small business owners believe the future cannot be predicted or controlled and their efforts, therefore, are best centered on
current activities i.e., making money today.
A well-conceived training program can help your firm succeed. A program structured with the company's strategy and objectives in mind has a high probability of improving productivity and other goals that are set in the training mission.
For any business, formulating a training strategy requires addressing a series of questions.
* Who are your customers? Why do they buy from you? * Who are your competitors? How do they serve the market? What competitive advantages do they enjoy? What parts of the market have they ignored? * What strengths does the company have? What weaknesses? * What social trends are emerging that will affect the firm?
The purpose of formulating a training strategy is to answer two relatively simple but vitally important questions: (1)
What is our business? and (2) What should our business be? Armed with the answers to these questions and a clear vision of its mission, strategy and objectives, a company can identify its training needs.
Identifying Training Needs
Training needs can be assessed by analyzing three major human resource areas: the organization as a whole, the job characteristics and the needs of the individuals. This analysis will provide answers to the following questions:
* Where is training needed? * What specifically must an employee learn in order to be more productive? * Who needs to be trained? To Employee Training and Development Process - Training Methods for Employees - Top
Begin by assessing the current status of the company how it does what it does best and the abilities of your employees to do these tasks. This analysis will provide some benchmarks against which the effectiveness of a
training program can be evaluated. Your firm should know where it wants to be in five years from its long-range strategic plan. What you need is a training program to take your firm from here to there.
Second, consider whether the organization is financially committed to supporting the training efforts. If not, any attempt to develop a solid training program will fail.
Next, determine exactly where training is needed. It is foolish to implement a companywide training effort without concentrating resources where they are needed most. An internal audit will help point out areas that may benefit from training. Also, a skills inventory can help determine the skills possessed by the employees in general. This inventory will help the organization determine what skills are available now and what skills are needed for future development.
Also, in today's market-driven economy, you would be remiss not to ask your customers what they like about your business and what areas they think should be improved. In summary, the analysis should focus on the
total organization and should tell you (1) where training is needed and (2) where it will work within the organization.
Once you have determined where training is needed, concentrate on the content of the program. Analyze the characteristics of the job based on its description, the written narrative of what the employee actually does. Training based on job descriptions should go into detail about how the job is performed on a task-by-task basis. Actually doing the job will enable you to get a better feel for what is done.
Individual employees can be evaluated by comparing their current skill levels or performance to the organization's performance standards or anticipated needs. Any discrepancies between actual and anticipated skill levels identifies a training need.
Selection of Trainees
Once you have decided what training is necessary and where it is needed, the next decision is who should be trained? For a small business, this question is crucial. Training an employee is expensive, especially when he or she leaves your firm for a better job. Therefore, it is important to carefully select who will be trained.
Training programs should be designed to consider the ability of the employee to learn the material and to use it effectively, and to make the most efficient use of resources possible. It is also important that employees be motivated by the training experience. Employee failure in the program is not only damaging to the employee but a waste of money as well. Selecting the right trainees is important to the success of the program.
Training Goals The goals of the training program should relate directly to the needs determined by the assessment process outlined above. Course objectives should clearly state what
behavior or skill will be changed as a result of the training and should relate to the mission and strategic plan of the company. Goals should include milestones to help take the employee from where he or she is today to where the firm wants him or her in the future. Setting goals helps to evaluate the training program and also to motivate employees. Allowing employees to participate in setting goals increases the probability of success.
Training Methods
There are two broad types of training available to small businesses: on-the-job and off-the-job techniques. Individual circumstances and the "who," "what" and "why" of your training program determine which method to use.
On-the-job training is delivered to employees while they perform their regular jobs. In this way, they do not lose time while they are learning. After a plan is developed for what should be taught, employees should be informed of the details. A timetable should be established with periodic
evaluations to inform employees about their progress. Onthe-job techniques include orientations, job instruction training, apprenticeships, internships and assistantships, job rotation and coaching.
Off-the-job techniques include lectures, special study, films, television conferences or discussions, case studies, role playing, simulation, programmed instruction and laboratory training. Most of these techniques can be used by small businesses although, some may be too costly.
Orientations are for new employees. The first several days on the job are crucial in the success of new employees. This point is illustrated by the fact that 60 percent of all employees who quit do so in the first ten days. Orientation training should emphasize the following topics: * The company's history and mission. * The key members in the organization. * The key members in the department, and how the department helps fulfill the mission of the company. * Personnel rules and regulations.
Some companies use verbal presentations while others have written presentations. Many small businesses convey these topics in one-on-one orientations. No matter what method is used, it is important that the newcomer understand his or her new place of employment.
To Employee Training and Development Process - Training Methods for Employees - Top
Lectures present training material verbally and are used when the goal is to present a great deal of material to many people. It is more cost effective to lecture to a group than to train people individually. Lecturing is one-way communication and as such may not be the most effective way to train. Also, it is hard to ensure that the entire audience understands a topic on the same level; by targeting the average attendee you may undertrain some and lose others. Despite these drawbacks, lecturing is the most cost-effective way of reaching large audiences.
Role playing and simulation are training techniques that attempt to bring realistic decision making situations to the trainee. Likely problems and alternative solutions are presented for discussion. The adage there is no better trainer than experience is exemplified with this type of training. Experienced employees can describe real world
experiences, and can help in and learn from developing the solutions to these simulations. This method is cost effective and is used in marketing and management training.
Audiovisual methods such as television, videotapes and films are the most effective means of providing real world conditions and situations in a short time. One advantage is that the presentation is the same no matter how many times it's played. This is not true with lectures, which can change as the speaker is changed or can be influenced by outside constraints. The major flaw with the audiovisual method is that it does not allow for questions and interactions with the speaker, nor does it allow for changes in the presentation for different audiences.
Job rotation involves moving an employee through a series of jobs so he or she can get a good feel for the tasks that are associated with different jobs. It is usually used in training for supervisory positions. The employee learns a little about everything. This is a good strategy for small businesses because of the many jobs an employee may be asked to do.
Apprenticeships develop employees who can do many different tasks. They usually involve several related groups of skills that allow the apprentice to practice a particular trade, and they take place over a long period of time in which the apprentice works for, and with, the senior skilled worker. Apprenticeships are especially appropriate for jobs requiring production skills.
Internships and assistantships are usually a combination of classroom and on-the-job training. They are often used to train prospective managers or marketing personnel.
Programmed learning, computer-aided instruction and interactive video all have one thing in common: they allow the trainee to learn at his or her own pace. Also, they allow material already learned to be bypassed in favor of material with which a trainee is having difficulty. After the introductory period, the instructor need not be present, and the trainee can learn as his or her time allows. These methods sound good, but may be beyond the resources of some small businesses.
Laboratory training is conducted for groups by skilled trainers. It usually is conducted at a neutral site and is used by upper- and middle management trainees to develop a spirit of teamwork and an increased ability to deal with management and peers. It can be costly and usually is offered by larger small businesses.
Trainers Who actually conducts the training depends on the type of training needed and who will be receiving it. On-the-job training is conducted mostly by supervisors; off-the-job training, by either in-house personnel or outside instructors.
In-house training is the daily responsibility of supervisors and employees. Supervisors are ultimately responsible for the productivity and, therefore, the training of their subordinates. These supervisors should be taught the techniques of good training. They must be aware of the knowledge and skills necessary to make a productive
employee. Trainers should be taught to establish goals and objectives for their training and to determine how these objectives can be used to influence the productivity of their departments. They also must be aware of how adults learn and how best to communicate with adults. Small businesses need to develop their supervisors' training capabilities by sending them to courses on training methods. The investment will pay off in increased productivity.
There are several ways to select training personnel for offthe-job training programs. Many small businesses use inhouse personnel to develop formal training programs to be delivered to employees off line from their normal work activities, during company meetings or individually at prearranged training sessions.
There are many outside training sources, including consultants, technical and vocational schools, continuing education programs, chambers of commerce and economic development groups. Selecting an outside source for training has advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is that these organizations are well versed in training techniques, which is often not the case
with in-house personnel.
The disadvantage of using outside training specialists is their limited knowledge of the company's product or service and customer needs. These trainers have a more general knowledge of customer satisfaction and needs. In many cases, the outside trainer can develop this knowledge quickly by immersing himself or herself in the company prior to training the employees. Another disadvantage of using outside trainers is the relatively high cost compared to in-house training, although the higher cost may be offset by the increased effectiveness of the training.
Whoever is selected to conduct the training, either outside or in-house trainers, it is important that the company's goals and values be carefully explained.
Training Administration Having planned the training program properly, you must now administer the training to the selected employees. It is important to follow through to make sure the goals are
being met. Questions to consider before training begins include: * * * * * * Location. Facilities. Accessibility. Comfort. Equipment. Timing.
Careful attention to these operational details will contribute to the success of the training program. An effective training program administrator should follow these steps: * * * * * * * * Define the organizational objectives. Determine the needs of the training program. Define training goals. Develop training methods. Decide whom to train. Decide who should do the training. Administer the training. Evaluate the training program.
Following these steps will help an administrator develop an effective training program to ensure that the firm keeps qualified employees who are productive, happy workers.
This will contribute positively to the bottom line.
Evaluation of Training Training should be evaluated several times during the process. Determine these milestones when you develop the training. Employees should be evaluated by comparing their newly acquired skills with the skills defined by the goals of the training program. Any discrepancies should be noted and adjustments made to the training program to enable it to meet specified goals. Many training programs fall short of their expectations simply because the administrator failed to evaluate its progress until it was too late. Timely evaluation will prevent the training from straying from its goals.
Comprehensive Hardware and Software Training Prepares Pharmaceutical Sales Force for Improved Productivity Profile: Pharmaceutical Company A US-based pharmaceutical company has established franchises in therapeutic areas of the central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.
Situation: Dual Implementation - Hardware and Software Training for a Large Pharmaceutical Sales Force
Being a pharmaceutical sales representative gets tougher every day. Regulatory guidelines require detailed records of every meeting and transaction, and signatures for pharmaceutical sample distribution, which can take valuable time away from what sales people do best - sell. Sales force automation tools and customer relationship management software applications are helping to streamline this extra work, but they require a significant time investment to learn and deploy.
That's why when a major pharmaceutical company decided to arm all of its 2,800 sales reps with new Toshiba Tablet PCs and implement SAP's CRM and Sample Management software applications, the company's training team knew the task was too large to handle internally. The company issued two requests for proposals (RFPs) to support the rollout of (1) the Toshiba Tablet PC hardware; and (2) the SAP CRM software application. It was their hope that a training organization would respond with the vision and expertise required to successfully launch these two distinct initiatives.
Shared Vision: Finding the Right Partner
The RFP outlined the need for a phased approach to the two implementations, beginning with the Toshiba Tablet PC rollout in February 2005, to be soon followed with a comprehensive SAP CRM software implementation, targeted for September 2005.
Global Knowledge, well-known for deploying successful hardware training initiatives, had implemented similar programs for large customers such as Nortel and Cisco. For this reason, Global Knowledge was identified as the partner of choice to help train the pharmaceutical sales force on the Toshiba Tablet PC.
Competition became fierce when the time came to select a training partner for the CRM rollout. Several candidates responded with bids, but only Global Knowledge demonstrated an understanding of the nuances of the pharmaceutical industry and the comprehensive nature of the proposed training solution. Global Knowledge successfully secured both the Tablet PC and CRM application rollout training program contracts.
The pharmaceutical company noted that the Global Knowledge solution complemented its vision of the project and that our expertise, pricing, and ability to manage the project uniquely met their needs.
The Solution: Hardware First, Then Software Hardware Training - Toshiba Tablet PC
With 2,800 reps to train, the customer wanted Global Knowledge to implement a 'train the trainer' program to get the sales force up-to-speed on the new hardware. This approach allowed us to train the sales management team on the hardware, who would then teach the 2,800 enduser sales reps.
Global Knowledge quickly set to work, and spent January 2005 developing a comprehensive training curriculum designed to teach the management team-comprised of Regional Sales Trainers (RSTs) and District Managers (DMs)-how to operate and care for their new Tablet PCs, as well as how to utilize the software loaded onto the device.
A week prior to the train the trainer program, Global Knowledge and the customer gathered for a 'dry run' working session to ensure the training would run smoothly during a four-hour training course scheduled for the following week in Scottsdale, Arizona. On February 16, 2005, Global Knowledge delivered 14 concurrent
instructor-led training sessions to approximately 330 RSTs and DMs.
Global Knowledge also developed two hours of self-paced e-learning courses that were made available to all 2,800 end-users on the sales force after they were trained by the DMs and RSTs. Delivered through Global Knowledge's learning management system (LMS), these courses could be taken at the convenience of individual sales reps.
Detailed learning materials were developed to complement the training program, including a user reference guide and quick reference card. Comprehensive evaluations for both the management team and the endusers were also provided, offering valuable feedback to the customer on the success of the training.
Software Training - SAP CRM
Organizations that have implemented a CRM software application are well aware of what a challenge it can be. Promises of improving sales force effectiveness and optimizing product launches fail to address the challenges associated with teaching the new application to thousands of users. Fortunately, both Global Knowledge and the customer understood that the often overlooked key to a successful CRM implementation is training.
By February 2005, while simultaneously working on the Tablet PC training program, Global Knowledge began working on a comprehensive CRM training curriculum for the September rollout. An unanticipated change in the timeline came when the customer learned of a setback related to a pending FDA approval on a new product indication. In preparation for the new indication, all 2,800 sales reps planned to travel to Anaheim, California for a national sales meeting in June 2005. To avoid a wasted sales conference, senior management decided to fasttrack the software implementation so the sales meeting could be used to train the reps on the new application.
With only five months to develop and deploy a comprehensive CRM training program, Global Knowledge quickly accelerated its timeline and applied the appropriate level of resources to get the job done.
The Global Knowledge team developed custom pre- and post-training e-learning courses and training reference materials to support the initiative. Distinct learning tracks were developed to meet the individual needs of various groups within the sales organization such as district managers and diverse sales rep groups, including primary care, hospital, and senior care sales representatives. The training was designed to teach sales reps how to use the CRM application, including how to search for physicians in their territory, record sales calls and speaker program calls, manage and track sample distribution, maintain and update calendars, and review and share call history.
To deploy the training, Global Knowledge selected more than 150 talented instructors who would teach concurrent sessions during the two-day sales rep meeting in Anaheim. The customer was quite impressed with the quality and consistency of the instructors, which helped alleviate concerns that there would be discrepancies in the level of training each rep received.
With course materials finalized and instructors selected, the training program was ready for implementation. In April, key players gathered for a 'dry run' session to validate the content prior to the sales meeting. In May and June, Global Knowledge hosted pilot training sessions for all curriculum tracks with a select group of end-users to test timing and get feedback. The feedback from the pilot training was incorporated into the curriculum and then finalized and shared with the instructor team at the train the trainer session. The five-day training course, held in mid-June, required all 150 instructors to complete a comprehensive certification process administered by key project team members from Global Knowledge and the customer. Prior to the full sales field rollout, Global Knowledge also hosted sales management team training, which included 16 concurrent sessions for approximately 330 management team members.
Results: Seamlessly Training Sales Force
By the national sales meeting in Anaheim on June 27, 2005, Global Knowledge was fully prepared for what turned out to be an extremely successful two-day training session for all 2,800 end users. Following the training, Global Knowledge concluded the project with training course evaluations and the deployment of the post-training e-learning course. Delivered through the company's LMS, all course materials were available after the rollout for new hires or for reps that needed refresher training.
The customer felt that delivering more than 100 concurrent training sessions to 2,800 people in just two days constituted a monumental effort by Global Knowledge. We received high praise for our ability to seamlessly manage two major training initiatives, which significantly contributed to the success of the customer's sales force
Start training to boost productivity.
A well trained staff magnifies the power of your IT investment, but training tends to get short shrift when time and money get tight. That often means a lower return on your technology investment. A flexible program of
ongoing education can help you meet the demands of your workforce and your business.
Infor Education provides multi-faceted learning opportunities that allow your company to grow as your people grow. Through our subscription or multi-discount education programs, we make a wide selection of online courses and classroom sessions available worldwide. Options include self-paced online courses, live virtual classes via the web, as well as face-to-face classes onsite at your location or at our regional education centers. These delivery options help reduce your travel costs and downtime.
Infor Education helps companies like yours:
• • • • •
Maximize performance and productivity. Reduce training expenses. Reduce employee downtime. Access our resource library 24 x 7. Maximize skills retention.
Infor's domain expertise, knowledge of best practices, and experience in using our solutions to solve business challenges ensure that our education programs offer real value to your workforce. Our subscription-based or multi-discount programs offer you a big return on a small investment.
Through our flexible format and our training website, KnowledgeZone, we can add classes quickly to reflect new releases, products, and advanced learning concepts. And all participants can tap into our library of learning resources, including training guides, PowerPoint presentations, PDF files, and other materials.
Start here to start improving productivity.
When you want to get thStart training to boost productivity.
A well trained staff magnifies the power of your IT investment, but training tends to get short shrift when time and money get tight. That often means a lower return on your technology investment. A flexible program of ongoing education can help you meet the demands of your workforce and your business.
Infor Education provides multi-faceted learning opportunities that allow your company to grow as your people grow. Through our subscription or multi-discount education programs, we make a wide selection of online courses and classroom sessions available worldwide. Options include self-paced online courses, live virtual classes via the web, as well as face-to-face classes onsite at your location or at our regional education centers.
These delivery options help reduce your travel costs and downtime.
Infor Education helps companies like yours:
• • • • •
Maximize performance and productivity. Reduce training expenses. Reduce employee downtime. Access our resource library 24 x 7. Maximize skills retention.
Infor's domain expertise, knowledge of best practices, and experience in using our solutions to solve business challenges ensure that our education programs offer real value to your workforce. Our subscription-based or multidiscount programs offer you a big return on a small investment. Through our flexible format and our training website, KnowledgeZone, we can add classes quickly to reflect new releases, products, and advanced learning concepts. And all participants can tap into our library of learning resources, including training guides, PowerPoint presentations, PDF files, and other materials.
Start here to start improving productivity. When you want to get the most from your Infor software, Infor Education is the best source for all your product train e most from your Infor software, Infor Education is the best source for all your product train
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