5 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYEES

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the learning experience, students must be able to:

1. Discuss the training process;
2. Identify and discuss the training methods; and
3. Explain the distance learning or e-learning in the Philippines.

EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION

Noe et al. (2007), in the book Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, aptly said that
employees today receive their first training during their first day on the job. This is the orientation of
employees for them to become familiar with assigned tasks, the organization's practices, policies, and
procedures.

This is the procedure for providing new employees with some basic background information about the
firm, its culture, and the job. It is similar to what sociologists refer to as socialization. Socialization is a
process when a new employee learns the norms, values, goals, work procedures, and patterns of
behavior that are expected by the organization.

The initial period in an organization is also a critical point in determining whether a new employee will
become a high performer or simply perform at a minimum or mediocre level.

Regardless of the type of organization, orientation should be conducted at two levels:

1. Organizational/overview orientation - topics discussed include overview of the company, key
policies and procedures, compensation, benefits, safety and accident prevention, employees
and union relation if there is any, physical facilities, and the like.
2. Departmental and job orientation - topics about the department function and the duties and
responsibilities of the newly hired employee, policies, procedures, rules and regulations, tour of
the department, and introduction to department employees.

The HR department and the new employee's immediate supervisor normally share the responsibility for
the orientation.

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.
OBJECTIVES OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

1. Improve productivity and the quality and quantity of output. This can lead to an increase in an
individual's skills in one or more areas of expertise.
2. Effectiveness in the present job. This involves increasing an individuaľ's motivation to perform his/her
job well.
3. Create more favorable attitudes such as loyalty and cooperation.
4. Help employees in their personal development and advancement by helping them acquire additional
qualifications for a better job.
5. Help organization respond to dynamic market conditions and changing customer demands.
6. Satisfy human resource planning requirements.

USING TRAINING TO DEAL WITH COMPETITIVE CHALLENGES

1. Global challenge - In the advent of a borderless society, cross-cultural training is important to prepare
employees and their families for possible overseas assignments.
2. Quality challenge - The emphasis on quality is seen in the establishment of the Malcolm Baldrige
Quality Award and the ISO quality standards. As a result of these, the quality challenge has forced
employers to train their employees to create high-quality products and services.
3. High performance work system challenge - New technology causes changes in skill requirements and
work roles, and often results in redesigning work structures. Through new technology, the information
needed to improve customer service and product quality becomes more accessible to employees.
What role does training play? Employees need job-specific knowledge and basic skills to work with the
equipment created with the new technology. Because technology is often used as a means to achieve
product diversification and customization, employees must have the ability to listen and communicate
with customers.

THE TRAINING PROCESS

1. Training Needs Analysis (TNA)/Needs Assessment

This refers to the process used to determine if training is necessary. It identifies specific job
performance deficiencies and increases productivity. Training is needed when significant differences
exist between actual performance and prescribed standards. It refers to a systematic, objective
identification of training needs. Consulting the supervisor can determine areas of need, revealed
through performance appraisal, as well as the manager's concerns for specific training needs to improve
bottom-line performance. If such needs can be pinpointed by hard data and survey information,
training can lead to an increase in employee efficiency.

Five Methods Used to Gather Needs Assessment Information

a. Interviews - can be used to take note of the problem of the employee in relation to the job, additional
skills or knowledge the employee needs to better perform the job, and what training the employee
believes is needed.
b. Survey questionnaire - involves developing a list of skills required to perform particular jobs
effectively and asking employees to check skills in which they believe they need training on.
C. Observation -specialists in the HR department who have been trained to conduct job analysis are
usually adept at observing to identify training needs.
d. Focus groups - employees from various departments who conduct focus group sessions to determine
skills and knowledge needed by employees for the organization to stay competitive and identify
problems of the organization that can be solved by training
e. Documentation examination - this involves examining records like absenteeism, turnover, accident
rates, and performance appraisal information to determine if problem exists and whether any problems
identified can be addressed through training.

Regardless of the methodology employed, a systematic and accurate need assessment should be
undertaken before any training is conducted.

Needs Assessment Process

a. Organizational analysis involves determining the appropriateness of training, given the company's
business strategy, its resources available for training, and support by managers and peers for training
activities.
b. Person/performance analysis determining the training needs of current employees. This means
verifying that there is a significant performance deficiency and whether that deficiency should be
rectified through training. It involves determining whether performance deficiencies result from a lack
of knowledge, skill, ability, or from a motivational or work design problem. It also involves identifying
who needs training and determining employees' readiness for training.
C. Task analysis - assessing training needs of new employees. This is a detailed study of the job to
determine what specific skills are required. It includes identifying the important tasks and knowledge,
skills, and behaviors that need to be emphasized in training for employees to develop the skills and
knowledge required for effective performance and for the employees to complete their tasks.
Step 1 - Appraise employee performance to determine how employees are doing and how they should
be doing their assigned task to take note of behavior discrepancy or lack of experience.
Step 2 - Determine cost of value of correcting identified behavioral discrepancy to find out if it is worth
the cost, time, and expense involved.
Step 3 - It is important to determine if the employee could do the expected job if he/she wanted to or
he/she cannot do the job because of lack of skills.
Step 4-Performance standards should be clearly communicated to improve performance of those who
cannot do the job. For those who will not do the job, try to motivate them to change their attitude.
Rewards, punishments, sanctions, or some combinati0n may be needed to create a positive climate
that results in the employee utilizing his/her skills optimally.
Step 5 Eliminate obstacles by determining other factors that can hinder performance such as time,
equipment, and other people.
Step 6 Practice can help to improve performance.
Step 7- If performance analysis indicates the need to acquire skills, training is a viable consideration.
Step 8- In redesigning through job enrichment, job simplification may be the best solution.
Step 9- Last resort is either transfer or termination if performance is still a failure after exhausting all
means to help the employee improve his/her performance.
2. Designing the Training Programs/ Training Objectives

After determining training needs, objectives must be established to meet those needs. Effective
training objectives should state the benefit to the different stakeholders in the organization. The
outcome of the training or learning objectives can be categorized as follows:
a. Instructional objectives-What principles, facts, and concepts should be learned in the training
program taking into consideration the positions of the participants?
b. Organizational and departmental objectives - What impact will the training have on
organizational and departmental outcomes such as absenteeism, turnover, reduced costs,
improved productivity, accident rate, and the like?
c. Individual and growth objectives - What impact will the training have on the behavioral and
attitudinal outcomes of the individual trainee and on the personal growth of the trainee?

Importance of Training Objectives

a. Considering that resources are always limited, 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.
b. It tells the trainee what is expected out of him/her at the end of the training program. 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 help in
increasing the probability that the participants will be successful in training.
c. 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 tool
to judge the performance of participants.

Training Design

The design of the training program can be undertaken only when a clear training objective has been
produced. The training objective clarifies what goal has to be achieved by the end of the training
program, i.e., what the trainees are expected to do at the end of their training. Training objectives
assist trainers to design the training program.

A good training design requires close scrutiny of the trainees and their profiles. Age, experience, needs,
and expectations of the trainees are some of the important factors that affect training design."

3. Validation
Introduce and validate the training before a representative audience. Base final revisions on pilot results
to ensure training effectiveness. When clearly defined objectives are lacking, it is impossible to evaluate
a training program efficiently.
4. Implementation of the Training Program

Once the staff, course, content, equipment, and topics are ready, the training is implemented.
Completing the training design does not mean that the work is done because implementation phase
requires continual adjusting, redesigning, and refining.

Preparation is the most important factor to guarantee success. Therefore, the following are factors that
should be kept in mind while implementing a training program:
a. The trainer - The trainer needs to be prepared mentally before the delivery of content. The
trainer prepares materials and activities well in advance. The trainer also set grounds before
meeting with participants by making sure that he/she is comfortable with course content and is
flexible in his/her approach.
b. Physical setup-Good physical setup is a prerequisite for effective and successful training
program because it makes the first impression on participants. The classroom should not be
very small or big but as nearly square as possible. This will bring people together both physically
and psychologically. Also, a right amount of space should be allocated to every participant.
c. Establishing rapport with participants- A trainer can establish good rapport with trainees by:
greeting participants which is the simplest way to ease those initial tense moments;
encouraging informal conversation; remembering their first names; pairing up the learners and
have them get familiarized with one another; listening carefully to trainees comments and
opinions telling the learners by what name the trainer wants to be addressed; getting to class
before the arrival of learners; starting the class promptly at the scheduled time using familiar
examples; varying the instructional techniques; and using the alternate approach if one seems
to bog down.
d. Reviewing the agenda - At the beginning of the training program, it is very important to review
the program objective. The trainer must tell the participants the goal of the program, what is
expected of the trainers, the flow of the program, and how the program will run. The following
information needs to be included:
 Kinds of training activities
 Schedule
 Setting group norms
 Housekeeping arrangements
 Flow of the program
 Handling problematic situations

5. Training Evaluation

This will help check whether training has had the desired effect. Training evaluation ensures that
candidates are able to implement their learning in their respective workplaces, or to the regular work
routines.

Purposes of Training Evaluation

a. Feedback. Giving feedback helps the candidates define the objectives and link them to learning
outcomes.
 b. Research. It helps in ascertaining the relationship between acquired knowledge, transfer of
knowledge at the workplace, and training.

Process of Training Evaluation

Before the Training

The learner's skills and knowledge are assessed before the training because this can help determine
whether the actual outcomes are aligned with the expected outcomes of training.

During the Training

This is the phase at which instruction is started. This usually consists of short tests at regular intervals

After the Training

This phase is designed to determine whether training given had the desired effect at individual
departments and organizational levels. Observation, questionnaire, and interview are some of the
techniques used for evaluation.
One can also measure the success of the training program according to:
a. Reaction of the learner
The learners' immediate reactions to the training can determine if they are already bored while the
training is ongoing. Reaction level should include measuring of trainees' reactions to program content,
format, instructional techniques, abilities and style of trainer, extent to which the training objectives
were met, and the like.
b. Learning level
This refers to how well the trainees understood and absorbed the principles, facts, and skills taught.
To obtain an accurate picture of what was learned, trainees should be tested before and after the
program or through feedback devices using pretests and posttests to measure what learners have
actually learned.
c. Behavior of the learner
Supervisor's reaction to learners' performance following completion of the training should also be
documented. This is to measure the degree to which learners apply newly acquired skills and
knowledge to their jobs. To evaluate behavioral change, a systematic appraisal should made including
statistical analysis of on-the-job performance on a before-and-after basis and to relate changes to the
training program. This should be made at least after six months after the training so that the trainees
will have an opportunity to put what they learned into practice.
d. Results
Determine the level of improvement in job performance and assess needed maintenance to ensure
continuous good performance. This is an attempt to measure changes in variables such as reduced
turnover, reduced costs, improved efficiency, reduction in grievance, and increase in quality and
quantity of production. Pretests, posttests, and controlled groups experimentation are also required to
come up with accurate results in the evaluation of the given training.

Training Options

There are 4 training options that an organization can consider before providing training to their
employees:
 1. Outsourcing: Outsourcing allows organizations to concentrate on their core business. With the
availability of sufficient amount of know-how and proficiency in the market, it does not make
business sense for organizations to have a separate training division. One approach is to tie up
with some reputed training or educational institutes and send employees for training. This way,
a company gets to avail the required expertise and high-quality training programs and saves
money on content development, recruiting, and maintaining training team. The only issue in
outsourcing training is that the quality of training has to be frequently tracked so as to ensure
the trainer’s performance and training effectiveness.
2. Internal Training: A lot of questions has been raised whether to go in for outsource training or
setting up an internal division for training. Some outsource companies recruit external trainers
and call them to the company site to train employees. This alternative is generally for the new
employees who are given the fundamental or job-related training in-house and then send
outside for higher training.
3. Product-related Training: The dealer who delivers the apparatus or installs the system offers
the initial training. The user may negotiate with the dealer for regular updates and upgrades of
product-related know-how or expertise in place of a one-time training. The apparatus dealer
may choose to send their trainers or recruit outside trainers.
4. Independent Professionals: Considering the emerging threats and opportunities, professionals
need to keep themselves updated of the developments. In this option, the responsibility of
training is entirely on the individual and a better-trained professional will always have better
market worth than others.

OUTSOURCING THE TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES

The prospective benefits of outsourcing trainings are well-recognized. Organizations go for outsourcing
to save training costs, gain access to practical and technical proficiency, concentrate on core
competencies, and offer an overall enhanced training to their employees.

Outsourcing also allows companies to deliver the best training to their employees so they can get the
clients to the best of their abilities. With rapid globalization, increase in competition, technological
innovation, increase in access to information, and improved customer services, the customer loyalty
programs have become an integral part of organizations

But if an organization lacks the resources, expertise, and finances, then there is a need to outsource.
Outsourcing is a competent tool that ensures and offers convincing return on investment (ROI).
Outsourcing subtracts the risk in setting a complicated function that is not a core competency. If
outsourced to competitive and right consultancy, then the savings could be as high as 50%. In addition
to that, outsourcing leads to customer retention, customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, and greater
efficiencies on the part of employees.

TRAINING METHODS
There are various methods of training, which can be divided into cognitive and behavioral methods.
Trainers need to understand the pros and cons of each method and its impact on trainees keeping their
background and skills in mind before giving the training.

A. Cognitive methods dwell on giving theoretical training to the trainees. The various methods
under cognitive approach provide the rules on how to do specific tasks such as written or verbal
information and demonstrate relationships among concepts. These methods are associated
with changes in knowledge and attitude by stimulating learning.

The various methods that come under cognitive approach are:

1. Lecture/Discussion Approach
It involves transmitting large amount of factual information to a large number of people at a given time.
It is the traditional method of teaching and it is used in many training programs. It is primarily one way-
from the trainer to the audience.

A good lecture consists of introduction of the topic, purpose of the lecture, and priorities and
preferences or the order in which the topic will be covered.

Main Features:
 Inability to identify and correct misunderstandings
 Less expensive
 Can reach large number of people at once
 Knowledge-building exercise
 Less effective because lectures require long periods of trainee inactivity

Table 3.

Variations of the Lecture Method

Method Description
Standard Lecture Trainer talks while trainees listen and absorb information.
Team Teaching Two or more trainers present different topics or alternative
views of the same topic.
Guest Speakers Speakers visit the sesson for a predetermined time period.
Primary instruction is conducted by the guest speaker.
Panels Two or more speakers presented information and ask questions.
Student Presentations Groups of trainees present topics to the class.

2. Demonstrations/Hands-on Method

This requires the trainee to be actively involved in learning. This is ideal for developing specific skills,
understanding how skills can be transferred to the job, and experiencing all aspects of completing a
task.
This method is a visual display of how something works or how to do something. As an example, a
trainer shows the trainees how to perform or how to do the tasks of the job. In order to be more
effective, demonstration method should be accompanied by discussion or lecture method.

Main Features:
 Demonstrates the task by describing how to do, while doing
 Helps the trainees focus their attention on critical aspects of the task
 Explains why procedures should be carried out in a certain way

The difference between the lecture method and the demonstration method is the level of involvement
of the trainee.

3. Computer-based Training (CBT)

This is an interactive training experience in which the computer provides the learning stimulus where
the trainee must respond. The computer analyzes the responses and provides feedback to the trainee.
CBT was one of the first new technologies to be used in training.

Some of the benefits of computer-based training are shown below.

 Provides the instructional consistency
 Reduces the cost of training
 Reduces trainee's learning time
 Allows the trainee to master learning
 Increases access to training
 Allows learning at an individual pace
 Affords privacy of learning

4. Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is a training method that puts the participant in a 3-D environment. The three
dimensional environment simulates situations and events that are experienced in the job. The
participant interacts with 3-D images to accomplish the training objectives. This type of environment is
created to give the trainee an impression of physical involvement in an environment. To experience
virtual reality, the trainee uses devices like headset, gloves, and treadmills.

One advantage of virtual reality is that it allows the trainee to practice dangerous tasks without putting
himself/herself or others in danger. The virtual reality environment can be identical to the actual work
environment. This method is appropriate in the training of pilots and other airline crews. Devices
include the following:
 Headset- provides audio and visual information
 Gloves - provide tactile information
 Treadmill - used for creating a sense of movement
 Sensory devices - transmit how the trainees are responding in the virtual workplace to the
computer

This allows the virtual reality (VR) system to respond by changing the environment appropriately.
Features of Virtual Reality (VR) System
 It is poorly understood and requires technical understanding.
 It is expensive.
 It is time consuming.
 It is flexible in nature.
 It does not incur traveling, lodging, or food cost.
 It requires excellent infrastructure.

B. Behavioral methods are more of giving practical training to the trainees. These methods are best
used for skills development.

The various methods that come under behavioral approach are:

1. Games and Simulations

This method stimulates learning because participants are actively involved and they mimic the
competitive nature of business. The decisions that participants make in games include all aspects of
management practice: labor relations (agreement in contract negotiation), marketing (the price to
charge for a new product), and finance (financing the purchase of new technology).
A training game is defined as an activity or exercise in which trainees compete with each other
according to the defined set of rules. Simulation is creating computer versions of real-life games. It is
about imitating or making judgment or opining how events might occur in a real situation.

2. Case Studies and Role Playing

In this type of training, participants assume specific characterizations and act out a particular situation
or problem. Rather than simply talking about what the solution should be, the participants attempt to
solve the situation as if they were the real individuals involved. This method facilitates attitude change
since the best procedure 1or changing attitude is to have participants play roles in which they are asked
to express attitudes that are opposite to their own personal feelings.

This is an effective training technique for reducing role conflict between a supervisor and a union
steward. A good training activity can have them reverse roles and allow them to resolve their
differences.

3. On-the-Job Training (OJT)

OJT involves having a person learn a job by actually performing it. The employee is shown how to
perform the job and is allowed to do it under a trainer's supervision. The length of the training will vary
with the complexity of the job and the specific skills to be learned.

Although OJT is simpler and less costly, if it is not handled properly, the costs can be high in terms of
possible damage to machinery, unsatisfied customers; misfiled forms, and poorly taught workers. It is
then a must to carefully select and train the trainer to use the most effective technique.

Advantages of OJT
a. No special space or equipment required
b. Provides immediate transfer of training
c. Allows employee to practice what they are expected to do after their training ends

Techniques for on-the-job development

a. Coaching/Mentoring

The coaches or mentors act as consultants who assist companies to prepare for succession by
identifying and training future top executives. This involves coaching the employee through the use of
periodic reviews of performance. Coaching lets subordinates know what their supervisors think about
how they do their jobs, enables supervisors and employees to work together on ways in which
employees can improve their performance, improves communication and collaboration between
supervisors, and provides framework for establishing short and long- term personal career goals.

b. Job Rotation

Movement from one position to another provides employees with exposure to a number of different
job functions and a broad grasp of the overall purpose of an organization. If directed by a skilled
manager, the trainees can obtain valuable knowledge about diverse operations and can practice the
different management skills that are required.
It is the process of preparing employees at a lower level to replace someone at the next higher level. It is
generally done for designations that are crucial for the effective and efficient functioning of the
organization.

This makes flexibility possible in the department especially when there are unexpected transfers,
absences, promotions, or other replacements. Here, the employee benefits from learning a variety of
skills while the company benefits from having a group of experienced candidates from whom to choose
when vacancies occur.

c. Job Instruction Technique ITD

This technique uses a strategy with focus on knowledge (tactual and procedural), skills, and attitudes
development. Before the actual learning occurs, it requires a careful analysis of the job to be
performed, an assessment of what the trainee knows about the job, and a training schedule. In some
cases, written instruction may be provided to serve as basis in completing a procedure or to operate a
machine. This is effective for repetitive situations.

DISTANCE LEARNING OR E-LEARNING IN THE PHILIPPINES

A study conducted by the group of Arimbuyutan (2007) noted that e-learning can still be regarded as a
new concept in the Philippines although open and distance learning has been documented to be
introduced in the Philippines way back in 1952 through the Farmers' School-on-the-Air program over a
one kilowatt radio station in the province of Iloilo. This, according to them, is due to lack of
infrastructure and access to technology such as computers, internet connection investment, and
propensity of the Filipinos to maintain the status quo instead of implementing changes in training and
learning system and processes.

Based on the study, the first to adopt online corporate training methods in the Philippines as expected
were the multinationals followed by local corporations that include the Philippine Long Distance
Telephone Company (PLDT), Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), the Aboitiz Group, and Unilab.

Findings include an account of how PLDT was able to benefit using distance learning. PLDT used e-
learning techniques to significantly increase its number of certified CISCO network associates and to
train employees across various operational functions. Using their customized solution or Smart force as
its packaged software, they were able to encourage employees to pursue training in any area of the
business they had interest in and blend e-learning with hands-on projects. PLDT estimated that this
kind of "e-cross training has saved the company over US$400,000 in training expenses over the past
five years."

Benefits of E-Learning

Unilab HR and Organizational Development (OD) head Marne Amelia Dioquino enumerated three main
benefits of e-learning, namely:
 reduced logistics and administration cost, compared to training under a conventional class
mode;
 wider variety of program offerings since courses can be recycled or adjusted to form a new
module; and
 availability of courses at all time.
Despite the benefits mentioned, she also emphasized that e-learning is not for all companies because
of the high investment. Unilab has developed and deployed an e-learning facility, called U-learn, a
Web-based system that offers 90 courses for employees. Unilab contracted a global provider of Web-
based training, Skill Soft, to develop the facility, which includes an online library with about 4,000
books.

Employees can access the online library after paying a one-time fee of US$100, which is used to help
maintain the facility. In the case of SGV, the firm offers Web-based courses to constantly retool
employees. These courses cover subjects on the firm's audit methodology like sampling, audit risk
assessment, and substantive testing. Completion of courses forms part of promotion criteria.

Employees can take courses either with supervision 'of an SGV industry specialist or just by themselves
in the comfort of their homes.

Problems in the Use of E-Learning

1. Poor telecommunication infrastructure - Despite the efforts of various ICT- driven government
agencies, a typical Filipino school still does not have enough access to computers and the Internet. The
level of "teledensity" has not reached the stage where the Internet can function efficiently. Coupled to
this is a lack of access to "bandwidth."
2. Cost of appliance-It is said that problems of access to telecommunications are aggravated by lack of
access to a working computer capable of connecting to the Internet. The high student-to-computer
ratio and the limited use of ICT in the public schools are major problems in the widespread
implementation of e-learning.

3. Cost of Services- In the Philippines, the trends include the use of prepaid Internet cards, use of mobile
phones, iPod, and tablet that are all Wi-Fi ready, where the use of Internet is based on usage per
minute.

4. Teachers' fear of the technology because of limited know-how

5. Maintenance of ICT resources and lack of technical staff

6. Limited availability of education software and courseware