Training at Pal’s Sudden Service

Training at Pal’s Sudden Service

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Institution

Training at Pal’s Sudden Service

Developing a training program requires one to identify the training needs, goals, and objectives. This will be instrumental in determining the methods used. The management has to establish the objectives in line with the available resources such as time and money as this will make the situation more realistic and the objectives more obtainable. In addition, the identified goals should be specific. The management has to find ways of encouraging employees to participate in the training program. Employees will be more cooperative if they find a reason to attend and the morale to complete the program (Salas et al., 2012). The training should be relevant and be applicable to the job. Once workers have completed training, they should be able to apply the lessons learnt to improve their job performance. Effectiveness of training programs will involve the active participation of the management, trainers, and the employees.

Employees are more likely to participate in training sessions if they are given incentives such as certification, opportunities for promotions, or other forms of recognition (Aamodt, 2009). Workers should be able to attend training while at the same time perform their jobs. Training should not compromise their jobs. Therefore, it is up to the management to ensure that it allocates enough time for the workers to attend training sessions. Successful organizations recognize that employees are responsible for their success. They value the contribution of their workers and implementing training programs should place the workers needs first (Wentland, 2007). The management has to demonstrate the importance of training to the employees by being involved and participating actively. Management involvement includes ensuring that the workers get a chance to practice what they have learnt and this may include changing the way the company does operations. Giving the employees the feedback they need regarding their feedback will act as motivation and it will give the workers a chance to improve their performance.

An effective way of motivating the workers to engage actively in a training program is to ensure that all of them are involved. This works in several ways. First, it demonstrates the seriousness of the training program to the workers. Secondly, it gives the management a chance to show the concern it has for all the workers by encouraging them to take initiatives that will help their careers. In addition, it gives the employees an opportunity to share what they have learnt with each other. The workers can help each other, if one of them does not understand how to apply the lessons learnt. Furthermore, it ensures that all the workers apply what they have learnt and that all of them practice the lessons learnt (Aamodt, 2009). Granted, finding the time to train all the employees is a challenging task, especially in a busy environment. The management has to make certain sacrifices in order to achieve its objectives. It can shorten the hours that the staff has to work so that all the employees go to classes in the evening.

Employees should be active in implementing the lessons learnt. They should set the goals and objectives they intend to realize following the training program. A program that focuses on reducing transaction errors will involve the employees in different ways. To begin with, each employee has to be aware of the transaction errors he makes within a day. He has to record the type of error and identify why it occurs. He should then try to note the reason for the error. This will enable him to set goals that are realistic and achievable. For instance, an employee’s goal can be to reduce the number of errors by ninety percent the first week after training. He will only be able to do this when he realizes the errors he makes within a given period.

It is important for the workers to know the person conducting the training. This is important because knowing the trainers credentials will give the employees more confidence in him and it might improve their motivation and desire for participating in the training. Knowing the basic presentation skills will make the training more effective. For instance, employees will be more interested in a trainer who takes the time to talk with them and not with someone who is only interested in delivering lecture notes. Humor is encouraged while offensive language and jokes should be avoided at all times. Using different methods of presentation will stimulate the trainees’ interest. For instance, interchanging between lectures, visual presentation, and group discussion will make the program more interesting. Training handouts are important because they give the employees a point of reference after the program has ended. They can consult the handouts whenever they are not sure of an issue. The handouts should be comprehensive enough and contain all the details of the program (Aamodt, 2009).

The most effective way to determine the effectiveness of a training program is to conduct a pretest and a posttest. The managers should evaluate the conditions and employee performance before training began, as this will help to identify any changes that have occurred after the training program. In this case, the management should record the frequency of the transaction errors before training and some days after training. The difference will indicate the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the program. Another method would be for the management to conduct a survey among the employees, indicating the effectiveness of the program. The survey will also reveal other information such as the relevance of the program and the feelings that the employees had concerning the program. It should give the employees a chance to state what can be done differently to improve the program.

Employee training is beneficial for the organization because it helps to improve performance. Effective training considers the interests of the workers as well. The management has to show its commitment to the training program by allocating time and giving the workers a chance to practice what they have learnt. Trainers should find ways making the presentation interesting. The management should find ways of motivating the workers to participate in the program.

References

Aamodt, M. (2009). Industrial/organizational psychology. New York, NY: Cengage Learning

Management Study Guide. (2013). Motivation and Employee Development. Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/motivation-and-employee-development.htm

Salas, E., Tannenbaum, I. S., Kraiger, K., & Smith-Jentsch, A. K. (2012). The science of training and development in organizations: What matters in practice. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(2), 74-101

Wentland, D. (2007). Strategic training always puts employees first. Retrieved from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/the-organization/strategic-training-always-puts-employees-first#.VB02jceeYpI