The Effectiveness of Learning and Training for Employees

Introduction

Organizations improved capabilities, knowledge and skills of talented employees proved to be a major source of competitive advantage in global market (McKinsey, 2006). Hence, training is delivered by organization or an external services. Training is a type of activity which is planned, systematic and it results in enhanced level of skill, knowledge and competency that are necessary to perform work effectively (Gordon, 1992). Training as the systematic application of formal processes to impart knowledge and help employees to acquire require skills for them to perform employee jobs satisfactorily (Armstrong, 2012).

Employee development activities are very important for employees, as the activities are performed, it indicates that organization cares about employees and wants them to develop (Elena, 2000). Training and development is increased employee performance, that training and development is an important activity improves the performance of the organization (Ahmad and Siraj-ud-din, 2009). When an employee learning developed by the individual through experience. Employee development depends upon the individual employee whether employee is willing to participate or not. Employee development also depends upon the organization culture, attitude of top management, and limited opportunities of promotion (Elena, 2000; Antonacopoulou, 1996). Training and development program is a responsibility of the organizations to provide opportunities to employees but individual should take initiative to use those opportunities for their betterment of their future career (Garger, 1999).

As a Kolb's Learning Cycle there's a four stages of effective of learning in an employee individual progresses. (1) having a concrete experience followed by (2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to (3) the formation of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalizations (conclusions) which are then (4) used to test hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences.

Figure 01: Kolb's Learning Cycle

 

(Source: Saul, 2017)

 

Experience

Experience in a leading Software Company, they have given technical, new tools, new language and process training for their employees. Company is provided various training session for employees to develop their carrier and shaping their knowledge. After training sessions employees could be able to use their gained knowledge to develop innovative software product and carter to future markets.

Reflective Observation

The Organization is started new product development can be used new technology for developments. Setup a team with having technology savvy and assign them to development task. Employee who had the training they can include innovative software developments. Some employees are naturally good at reflection. Some of them are train themselves to be more deliberate about reviewing their experiences and recording them. Finally releasing new product to organization or market.

The formation of abstract concepts

After developed new product, employee lean by experience and they can teach others as well. All staff exchange their experience and knowledge with their teams and apply for existing product.

Active experimentation

After learn from trainings employee apply those techniques in to new product and use knowledge in to future developments.

1. Benefit of the Effective of Learning and Training for Employees

Organization and employees derive many benefits from training and development programs.

1.1 Individual employee benefits

1.1.1 Improve career abilities

Employees learn the soft and technical skills as required by individuals’ jobs. In last 30 years unemployment is at lowest rates which is not beneficial for the workers to start new job, if opportunities for growth are fewer (Dobbs, 2000). Fresh university graduates mostly considering for a steady which provides qualifier training programs to the employees, but this idea is risky for organizations to lose fresh trained employees with couple of years (Feldman 2000). Furthermore, helping employees to improve their skills and knowledge to cope with the future requirements, lead to job satisfaction.

1.1.2 Employee Satisfaction

Happy employees are extremely important because they represent the company to the public. Satisfaction, however, is not linked solely to compensation. Sure, a raise or benefits will probably improve employee contentment, at least temporarily, but small, inexpensive changes can have a long-term impact. Organizations which are willing to spend money on their employees, give value to work with those organizations, even though that investment eventually benefits the organization (Inc.com, 2018) .Organizations which are providing the training and development programs for their employees are achieving high level of employee satisfaction and low attrition (Wagner 2000). Training and development increase organization’s reliability for reason that employees recognize their organization is valuing in employee's future career (Rosenwald, 2000).

1.1.3 Employee Performance.

Employee Performance is an employee productivity and output as a result of employee improvement. It goes without saying that the success of your company largely depends on how well employees perform their tasks. We would not be the first company to struggle with defining what that looks like. Employee performance will finally affect the organizational effectiveness. Training effects on behavior of employees and their working skills which effected in enhanced employee performance and further creative changes (Satterfield and Hughes 2007) that serves as increase worker performance (Kraiger 2002). During an analysis concerning performance in India, Barber (2004) originates that on-the-job training headed to superior novelty and inherent skills. Professional and technical skills are very essential for the employees to perform a job in an effective way. Providing training opportunities to employees can better the performance of the employees.

1.2 Organizational benefits

1.2.1 Market Growth

Employee learning and training programs are important for any organization to stay competitive in the market. Though it is costly for the organization to spend the money on their employees but this investment is positive for the organizations to hold the place in the market. American Society for Training and Development mentioned two motives that are significant for employee’s knowledge, first employees identify the worth of training and marketable by organization and second CEOs of the companies understand that how fast information is transferring in current business environment (Fenn, 1999). Organizations are required to develop and maintain such learning and development environment for employees that expand the knowledge of organization and competitive ability. (Greengard, 2000)

1.2.2. Organizational Performance

Training has been defined as primarily contributing factor to the organizational effectiveness (Schuler and MacMillan, 1984). Consideration on this topic recommends that investment in learning and training development program can be justified by the impact it creates to developed individual and organizational effectiveness (Bartel, 2000)

1.2.3. Employee Retention

Employee retention is a challenging notion and there is no particular method to retain employees with the organization. Right away, we've faced a number of challenges to tackle on top of our daily responsibilities. Not only do we have to find a replacement for such a talented team member, skilled professionals are in high demand, as they are today .But you also have to consider the impact this departure will have on the rest of staff in an organization.

Whenever someone walks out the door, people notice. Some will even start wondering if they should start looking for a new job, too. That's why employee retention and employee job satisfaction should be high on every organization's list of priorities, and why creating effective retention strategies to decrease turnover should be one of management's most important jobs. Read on for our tips on building strategies that are right for your company. Several organizations have revealed that one of the characteristic that help to retain employee is to offer them opportunities for improving their learning (Logan 2000). Thus, it has confirmed that there is strong relationship between employee training and development, and employee retention (Rosenwald 2000).

2. Research in Effective of Learning and Training for Employees

Reviewing of various studies following are areas of interest

• To investigate the importance of training.

• To identify the importance of employee performance.

• To investigate the relationship between Training and employee performance.

In the fast changing world of business and environmental uncertainty, organizations realize its disadvantage of dealing with new challenges (Tai, 2006). However further states that the organization should invest in training programs to make their employees competent enough to face uncertainties and take effective decision in time, in order to remain competitive in the market. Effective training is beneficial for the organization in variety of ways, such as, it plays a vital role in building and maintaining capabilities, both on individual and organizational level, and thus participates in the process of organizational change (Valle, 2000).Furthermore, it indicates the organization's long-term commitment towards its employees and increases the employee’s motivational level (Pfeffer, 1994). All these contributions lead to an achieving competitive benefit (Youndtet al., 1996) and to an improvement in employee performance and organizational productivity (Bartel, 1994; Delery and Doty, 1996). 

Training

Effective of learning and training programs target at employees' performance. Training refers to improve the gap between the current performance and the desired performance.

Employee performances

Many other research work on productivity of worker highlighted the fact that employees who are satisfied with their job will have higher job performance, and job retention, than those who are not happy with their jobs (Landy, 1985) Furthermore, it is stated that employees are more likely to leave if they are not satisfied and hence demotivated. Employee performance is higher in happy and satisfied employees and the management finds it easy to motivate high performers to achieve organization targets. (Kinicki and Kreitner, 2007). The employee could be only satisfied when they feel themselves qualified to perform their jobs, which is achieved through effective training programs.

The relationship between training and employee performance.

Most of the previous studies provides the evidence that there is a strong positive relationship between human resource management practices and organizational performance. (Purcell, 2003). According to Guest (1997) mentioned in his study that training and development programs, as one of the essential human resource management practice, positively affects the quality of the workers knowledge, skills and capability and thus results in higher employee performance on job. This relation ultimately contributes to better organizational performance. Training has the distinct role in the achievement of an organizational goal by incorporating the interests of organization and the workforce (Stone R J. Human Resource Management, 2002). Training is the most significant factor in the business world because training increases the efficiency and the effectiveness of both employees and the organization. The employee performance depends on various factors. But the most important factor of employee performance is training (Ghafoor, 2011).

3. Drawbacks of ineffective training programs

Learning and training for employee are essential for any business, employers should consider potential drawbacks that training employees can have on the company, existing staff and bottom line. Companies can use a several of ways to train employees, such as on-the-job training or classroom training. Selecting a training method, employer facing the advantages and disadvantage of the training and development.

3.1 Advantages of training employee

3.1.1 Employee turnover rate.

The training has a potential to change the turnover thoughts and is an important factor that helps in originating the intentions of turnover (Eva Kyndt et al, 2009). Those employees that are highly committed to the organization have lower turnover thoughts. Trainings basically bring association between commitment and retention (Danlami Sani Abdul kadir et al, 2012). has considered training as an investment, organization bears the whole expenditures of training employees which eventually act as an investor and expect a return in the form of commitment and retention from employees. Trainings elevate commitment and retention rate, when employees consider it as investment and force them to offer a return to the organization. Alexandros Sahinidis and Bouris (2007) Training is a long term investment in the skills of employees. Training is not a tool to polish current skills of employees but to prepare employees for future impacts from competitive forces. This kind of training boosts the commitment and employees think that organization is opening doors to our success. This sense eliminates the thoughts of intentions to quit from employees mind and force them to retain. Fheili (2007) has stated that employee turnover is a major human capital risk for an organization, which needs to be catered. Organizations that provide trainings which are specific in nature applied only to the specific work within the organization that makes the employees specialists not generalists. By doing this Organization limits the employment opportunities and leads to the development of committed employees and will eventually affect retention rate.

3.1.2 Reduce long-term staffing cost

When employees having better training, then the company can improve productivity and the bottom line. Training new employees, company have to pay for more initial training costs. Effective learning and training allows employer to lower companies long-term staffing cost because of the satisfied employees are less to looking for new employments ( Gaille, 2016 ; Lionbridge, 2014).

3.1.3 Increasing product knowledge

If employees have better product and technology awareness, productivity could be increased and further to do constructive changes (Satterfield and Hughes, 2007). Employees share their product knowledge and experience with others, then performed employee could be in better position in the company (Kraiger, 2002). And they would have good job satisfaction.

3.1.4 Working with team

When employees training together it’s create a common goal and vision. All employees work to common goal have created relationships that are necessary for a team to co-exist in a meaningful way. An effective training programs train employee to properly do their job, this builds relationship among the team (Gaille, 2016 ; Lionbridge, 2014).

3.2 Disadvantages of training an employee

3.2.1 Training Cost

Today most of the organizations have built up different programs for the training and development of their employees. Generally companies offered education reimbursement package to their employees so that they can improve their knowledge and education. It has been found by the Corporate University that almost 10 percent of employees are entitled for this benefit (Rosenwald, 2000). It is most expensive method of developing employee’s skill and knowledge in present situation. As a result, many organizations conduct in-house training programs for their employees that are more beneficial and cheap. Training section of the organizations attempts to concentrate on particular job proficiency whereas the corporate department is positive with an additional strategic approach. Training and development program is a planned education component and with exceptional method for sharing the culture of the organization, which moves from one job skills to understand the workplace skill, developing leadership, innovative thinking and problem resolving (Meister, 1998). Employee development programs includes a variety of teaching technique, schedule, and helping learning environment that ensure employee to improve their skills and later apply on their jobs (Gerbamn, 2000).

3.2.2 Compositors take skills

If the organization spend money to train a new employee and new member resign to join for a competitor, then the organization has spent money for competitor. The employee can join any other company with new skills and technology. Employees career development should be established on bright career path which employee can easily accept and gave it worth (Nunn 2000).

3.2.3 Increased Stress

Many organizations offer continuous training to their employees. Generally, continuous training is a good idea as it keeps employees up to date on new trends and also keeps them knowledgeable in their particular area of work. However, companies go overboard by requiring their employees to complete an unrealistic number of hours of ongoing training. This level of over-training can become very stressful to the employee over time. And when employees are stressed, job performance goes down.

4. Organizational learning and training

Organizational learning has been defined as a process of ‘cordinated systems change, with mechanisms built in for individuals and groups to access, build and use organizational memory, structure and culture to develop long term organizational capacity’ (Marsick,1994)

Furthermore Reynolds (2004) has described a learning culture as a ‘growth medium’ which will ‘encourage employees to commit to a range of positive discretionary behaviors, including learning’, and which has the following characteristics: empowerment not supervision, self-managed learning not instruction, long-term capacity building, not short-term fixes. As  Reynolds (2004) suggested that to create a learning culture it is necessary to develop organizational practices that raise commitment amongst employees and ‘give employees a sense of purpose in the workplace, grant employees opportunities to act upon their commitment, and offer practical support to learning’. The idea of a learning culture is associated with that of the learning organization (Reynolds, 2004).

5. Conclusion and recommendation

• Employee training is one of the suitable methods to improve and manage employee skills according to organization’s objectives and to improve the overall organizations’ performance.

• Organizations’ performance always depends upon performance of its employees, so effective training also plays an important role in increasing employees’ job motivation, satisfaction and commitment.

• Training is a kind of investment that needs more time, effort and money but this investment gives long term benefits to both organizations and employees.

• Effectiveness of training totally depends upon effectiveness and correct implementation of its model.

• Training progarmes save time and effort and set a direction to follow for conducting trainings.

• Training process can only be successful when participants are motivated to learn and excel their knowledge, skills and abilities.

6. Recommendation

• Training programs should be planned carefully by aligning the objectives of training with organizational objectives.

• Training programme must be developed to fulfill the specific needs.

• Model should be developed by involvement of group of expert persons, HR professionals, specific department heads that needs training, trainers (if they hire earlier or select from within the organization) and trainees also to avoid any future conflict.

• Supportive environment should be built within organization so that employees can freely communicate with their managers about their needs towards training.

• To avoid any problem in implementation and evaluation stages, it is necessary to design and develop all training activities, materials and methods timely and accurately.

• Disciplined environment must be given for implementation of training.
• Evaluation of training should be conducted at the spot right after closing the training program by taking feedback from both trainer and trainees along with the evaluation conducted at workplaces.
• Our proposed conceptual model is practical in usage because it facilitates the process of learning by making the content easy to understand, which provides the participants more alternatives to enhance their skills for the betterment of their careers.

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