Training

Introduction:
Training constitutes a basic concept in human resource development. It is concerned with
developing a particular skill to a desired standard by instruction and practice. Training is a highly
useful tool that can bring an employee into a position where they can do their job correctly,
effectively, and conscientiously. Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skill of an
employee for doing a particular job.
Organizational training is the process of transferring practical knowledge within an organization
that boosts employee performance and on-the-job capabilities. Organizational training is a
tactical approach to help employees learn skills that directly impacts their job performance and
compliance obligations.
Definition:
Dale S. Beach defines training as ‘the organized procedure by which people learn knowledge
and/or skill for a definite purpose’. Training refers to the teaching and learning activities carried
on for the primary purpose of helping members of an organization acquire and apply the
knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes needed by a particular job and organization.
According to Edwin Flippo, ‘training is the act of increasing the skills of an employee for doing
a particular job’.

Need for Training:

Every organization should provide training to all the employees irrespective of their
qualifications and skills.
Specifically, the need for training arises because of following reasons:
1. Environmental changes: Mechanization, computerization, and automation have resulted in
many changes that require trained staff possessing enough skills. The organization should train
the employees to enrich them with the latest technology and knowledge.
2. Organizational complexity: With modern inventions, technological upgradation, and diver-
sification most of the organizations have become very complex. This has aggravated the
problems of coordination. So, in order to cope up with the complexities, training has become
mandatory.
3. Human relations: Every management has to maintain very good human relations, and this
has made training as one of the basic conditions to deal with human problems.
4. To match employee specifications with the job requirements and organizational needs:
An employee’s specification may not exactly suit to the requirements of the job and the
organization, irrespective of past experience and skills. There is always a gap between an
employee’s present specifications and the organization’s requirements. For filling this gap
training is required.
5. Change in the job assignment: Training is also necessary when the existing employee is pro-
moted to the higher level or transferred to another department. Training is also required to equip
the old employees with new techniques and technologies.

Importance of Training
Training of employees and mangers are absolutely essential in this changing environment. It is
an important activity of HRD which helps in improving the competency of employees. Training
gives a lot of benefits to the employees such as improvement in efficiency and effectiveness,
development of self confidence and assists every one in self management.
The stability and progress of the organization always depends on the training imparted to the
employees. Training becomes mandatory under each and every step of expansion and
diversification. Only training can improve the quality and reduce the wastages to the minimum.
Training and development is also very essential to adapt according to changing environment.
The importance of training is as follow:
 Optimum utilization of human resources: Training and Development helps in optimizing
the utilization of human resource that further helps the employee to achieve the
organizational and individual goals.

 Development of human resources: It helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure

for the development of human resources’ technical and behavioral skills in an
Organization. It also helps the employees in attaining personal growth.

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

 Productivity: It helps in increasing the productivity of the employees that helps the
Organization further to achieve its long-term goal.

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

 Organization Culture: It helps to develop and improve the organizational health, culture
and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the Organization.
Types of Training:
Various types of training can be given to the employees such as induction training, refresher
training, on the job training, vestibule training, and training for promotions.
Types of Training/ Methods of training:
A. On-the-job training Methods: Under these methods new or inexperienced employees learn
through observing peers or managers performing the job and trying to imitate 3/8 their
behaviour. These methods do not cost much and are less disruptive as employees are always on
the job, training is given on the same machines and experience would be on already approved
standards, and above all the trainee is learning while earning. Some of the commonly used
methods are:
1. Coaching: Coaching is a one-to-one training. It helps in quickly identifying the weak areas and
tries to focus on them. It also offers the benefit of transferring theory learning to practice. The
biggest problem is that it perpetrates the existing practices and styles. In India most of the
scooter mechanics are trained only through this method.
2. Mentoring: The focus in this training is on the development of attitude. It is used for
managerial employees. Mentoring is always done by a senior inside person. It is also one-to- one
interaction, like coaching.
3. Job Rotation: It is the process of training employees by rotating them through a series of
related jobs. Rotation not only makes a person well acquainted with different jobs, but it also
alleviates boredom and allows to develop rapport with a number of people. Rotation must be
logical.
4. Job Instructional Technique (JIT): It is a Step by step (structured) on the job training method
in which a suitable trainer (a) prepares a trainee with an overview of the job, its purpose, and the
results desired, (b) demonstrates the task or the skill to the trainee, (c) allows the trainee to show
the demonstration on his or her own, and (d) follows up to provide feedback and help. The
trainees are presented the learning material in written or by learning machines through a series
called ‘frames’. This method is a valuable tool for all educators (teachers and trainers). It helps
us: a. To deliver step-by-step instruction b. To know when the learner has learned c. To be due
diligent (in many work-place environments).
5. Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a
skill. This method of training is in vogue in those trades, crafts and technical fields in which a
long period is required for gaining proficiency. The trainees serve as apprentices to experts for
long periods. They have to work in direct association with and also under the direct supervision
of their masters. The object of such training is to make the trainees all-round craftsmen. It is an
expensive method of training. Also, there is no guarantee that the trained worker will continue to
work in the same organisation after securing training. The apprentices are paid remuneration
according the apprenticeship agreements.
6. Understudy: In this method, a superior gives training to a subordinate as his understudy like an
assistant to a manager or director (in a film). The subordinate learns through experience and
observation by participating in handling day to day problems. Basic purpose is to prepare
subordinate for assuming the full responsibilities and duties.

B. Off-the-job Training Methods: Off-the-job training methods are conducted in separate from
the job environment, study material is supplied, there is full concentration on learning rather than
performing, and there is freedom of expression. Important methods include:
1. Lectures and Conferences: Lectures and conferences are the traditional and direct method of
instruction. Every training programme starts with lecture and conference. It’s a verbal
presentation for a large audience. However, the lectures have to be motivating and creating
interest among trainees. The speaker must have considerable depth in the subject. In the colleges
and universities, lectures and seminars are the most common methods used for training.
2. Vestibule Training: Vestibule Training is a term for near-the-job training, as it offers access to
something new (learning). In vestibule training, the workers are trained in a prototype
environment on specific jobs in a special part of the plant. An attempt is made to create working
condition similar to the actual workshop conditions. After training workers in such condition, the
trained workers may be put on similar jobs in the actual workshop. This enables the workers to
secure training in the best methods to work and to get rid of initial nervousness. During the
Second World War II, this method was used to train a large number of workers in a short period
of time. It may also be used as a preliminary to on-the job training. Duration ranges from few
days to few weeks. It prevents trainees to commit costly mistakes on the actual machines.
3. Simulation Exercises: Simulation is any artificial environment exactly similar to the actual
situation. There are four basic simulation techniques used for imparting training: management
games, case study, role playing, and in-basket training.
(a) Management Games: Properly designed games help to ingrain thinking habits, analytical,
logical and reasoning capabilities, importance of team work, time management, to make
decisions lacking complete information, communication and leadership capabilities. Use of
management games can encourage novel, innovative mechanisms for coping with stress.
Management games orient a candidate with practical applicability of the subject. These games
help to appreciate management concepts in a practical way. Different games are used for training
general managers and the middle management and functional heads – executive Games and
functional heads.
(b) Case Study: Case studies are complex examples which give an insight into the context of a
problem as well as illustrating the main point. Case Studies are trainee centered activities based
on topics that demonstrate theoretical concepts in an applied setting. A case study allows the
application of theoretical concepts to be demonstrated, thus bridging the gap between theory and
practice, encourage active learning, provides an opportunity for the development of key skills
such as communication, group working and problem solving, and increases the trainees”
enjoyment of the topic and hence their desire to learn.
(c) Role Playing: Each trainee takes the role of a person affected by an issue and studies the
impacts of the issues on human life and/or the effects of human activities on the world around us
from the perspective of that person. It emphasizes the “real- world” side of science and
challenges students to deal with complex problems with no single “right” answer and to use a
variety of skills beyond those employed in a typical research project. In particular, role-playing
presents the student a valuable opportunity to learn not just the course content, but other
perspectives on it. The steps involved in role playing include defining objectives, choose context
& roles, introducing the exercise, trainee preparation/research, the roleplay, concluding
discussion, and assessment. Types of role play may be multiple role play, single role play, role
rotation, and spontaneous role play.
(d) In-basket training: In-basket exercise, also known as in-tray training, consists of a set of
business papers which may include e-mail SMSs, reports, memos, and other items. Now the
trainer is asked to prioritise the decisions to be made immediately and the ones that can be
delayed.
4. Sensitivity Training: Sensitivity training is also known as laboratory or T-group training. This
training is about making people understand about themselves and others reasonably, which is
done by developing in them social sensitivity and behavioral flexibility. It is ability of an
individual to sense what others feel and think from their own point of view. It reveals
information about his or her own personal qualities, concerns, emotional issues, and things that
he or she has in common with other members of the group. It is the ability to behave suitably in
light of understanding. A group’s trainer refrains from acting as a group leader or lecturer,
attempting instead to clarify the group processes using incidents as examples to clarify general
points or provide feedback. The group action, overall, is the goal as well as the process.
Sensitivity training Program comprises three steps.
5.Transactional Analysis: It provides trainees with a realistic and useful method for analyzing
and understanding the behavior of others. In every social interaction, there is a motivation
provided by one person and a reaction to that motivation given by another person.

Conclusion:
Employee training is a short term process utilizing a systematic and organized procedure by
which non-managerial personnel learn technical knowledge and skills for a definite purpose. It
refers to instructions in technical and mechanical operations. Training is the process of increasing
the knowledge and skills for doing a particular job. It is an organized procedure by which people
learn knowledge and skills for a definite purpose.