Formulation of a strategic training program

INTRODUCTION

Training is essentially a process that involves enhancement of the performance of the

employees through acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills, concepts, rules or
changing of attitudes and behaviours.

It is concerned with improving the existing skills and exploring the potential skills of the
individual i.e. upgrading the employees’ skills and extending their knowledge. Therefore,
training is a key to optimising utilisation of human intellectual, technological and
entrepreneurial skills.

A training and development program needs to look into its own strategies in the areas
pertaining to the skills of the employees, education, development, ethics,attitudinal changes,
decision making and problem solving skills.

OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH

The main objective of this research focuses on the following-

1. Individual Objectives
They will contribute towards helping employees achieve their personal goals which
also enhances individual contribution to an organisation

2. Organisational Objectives
They will assist the organisation with its primary objective by bringing individual
effectiveness

3. Functional Objectives
It will help to maintain the department’s contribution at a level suitable to the
organisation needs

4. Societal Objectives
It is done to ensure that an organisation is socially and ethically responsible to the
needs and challenges of the society

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The major method used in this research to collect data was the use of questionnaires.
Questionnaire is a self-report data instrument that each respondent fills out as part of
participating in a research study.
A questionnaire was prepared for this study based on the developed conceptualframework,
and distributed personally to targeted groups Participants were interviewed and then handed a
copy of the questionnaire.

The on-line survey research was also conducted either through an e-mail questionnaire or
self-administered form posted on a website. An e-mail survey is any data collection formthat
is sent to an e-mail address of the respondent and returned by e-mail to theresearcher.

COST OF TRAINING

It is one of the most important considerations in designing a training programme. A training

programme involves cost of different types. These may be in the formof direct expenses
incurred in training, cost of training material to be provided, arrangementof physical facilities
and refreshment, etc. Besides these expenses the organization has to bear indirect cost in the
form of loss of production during training period. Ideally, a training programme must be able
to generate more revenues than the cost involved

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Productivity

 Training and Development helps in increasing the productivity of theemployees that

helps the organization further to achieve its long-term goal.

Team spirit

 Training and Development helps in inculcating the sense of team work,team spirit,
and inter-team collaborations. It helps in inculcating the zeal to learn within
theemployees.

Organization Culture

 Training and Development helps to develop and improve theorganizational health

culture and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the
organization.

Organization Climate

 Training and Development helps building the positive perception and feeling about
the organization. The employees get these feelings from leaders,subordinates, and
peers.

Quality

 Training and Development helps in improving upon the quality of work andwork-life.
Healthy work-environment

 Training and Development helps in creating the healthyworking environment. It helps

to build good employee, relationship so that individual goalsaligns with organisational
goal.

Health and Safety

 Training and Development helps in improving the health and safetyof the
organization thus preventing obsolescence.

Morale

 Training and Development helps in improving the morale of the work force.

Profitability

 Training and Development leads to improved profitability and more positive attitudes
towards profit orientation.

Training and Development aids in organizational development i.e. Organization gets

moreeffective decision making and problem solving. It helps in understanding and carrying
outorganizational policies

Training and Development helps in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty, better
attitudes, and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display.

Optimum Utilization of Human Resources

 Training and Development helps inoptimizing the utilization of human resource that
further helps the employee to achieve theorganizational goals as well as their
individual goals.

Development of Human Resources

 Training and Development helps to provide anopportunity and broad structure for the
development of human resources’ technical and behavioural skills in an organization.
It also helps the employees in attaining personal growth.

Development of skills of employees

 Training and Development helps in increasingthe job knowledge and skills of

employees at each level. It helps to expand the horizons of human intellect and an
overall personality of the employee
MODELS OF TRAINING

Training is a sub-system of the organization because the departments such as, marketing
&sales, HR, production, finance, etc. depends on training for its survival. Training is
atransforming process that requires some input and in turn it produces output in the form of
knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

THE TRAINING SYSTEM

The training system of research is based on three system model of training :

1. System Model

2. Instructional System Developmental Model

3. Transitional Model

SYSTEM MODEL TRAINING

The system model consists of five phases and should be repeated on a regular basis to make
further improvements. The training should achieve the purpose of helping employee to
perform their work to required standards. The steps involved in the system model training are
as follows

1. ANALYZE
2. DESIGN
3. DEVELOP
4. IMPLEMENTING
5. EVALUATING

TRANSITIONAL MODEL

Transitional model focuses on the organization as a whole. The outer loop describes
thevision, mission and values of the organization on the basis of which training model
i.e.inner loop is executed.

1. VISION
2. MISSION
3. VALUES

INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT (ISD) MODEL

Instructional System Development model was made to answer the training problems.
Thismodel is widely used now-a-days in the organization because it is concerned with
thetraining need on the job performance. Training objectives are defined on the basis of
jobresponsibilities and job description and on the basis of the defined objectives individual
progress is measured. This model also helps in determining and developing the favourable
strategies, sequencing the content, and delivering media for the types of trainingobjectives to
be achieved. The Instructional System Development model comprises of five stages:

1. ANALYSIS

2. PLANNING

3. DEVELOPMENT

4. EXECUTION

5. EVALUATION

TRAINING IMPLEMENTATION

To put training program into effect according to definite plan or procedure is called
trainingimplementation. Training implementation is the hardest part of the system because
one wrongstep can lead to the failure of whole training program. Even the best training
program will faildue to one wrong action. Training implementation can be segregated into:
Practical administrative arrangements• Carrying out of the trainingOnce the staff, course,
content, equipments, topics are ready, the training is implemented.Completing training design
does not mean that the work is done because implementation phase requires continual
adjusting, redesigning, and refining. Preparation is the mostimportant factor to taste the
success. Therefore, following are the factors that are kept in mind, while implementing
training program:

The trainer

The trainer needs to be prepared mentally before the delivery of content. Trainer prepares
materials and activities well in advance. The trainer also set grounds beforemeeting with
participants by making sure that he is comfortable with course content and is flexible in his
approach.

Physical set-up

Good physical set up is pre-requisite for effective and successful training program because it
makes the first impression on participants. Classrooms should not be verysmall or big but as
nearly square as possible. This will bring people together both physicallyand psychologically.
Also, right amount of space should be allocated to every participant.

Establishing rapport with participants

There are various ways by which a trainer canestablish good rapport with trainees by:

 Greeting participants – simple way to ease those initial tense moments

  Encouraging informal conversation
 Remembering their first name
 Pairing up the learners and have them 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 his instructional techniques
 Using the alternate approach if one seems to bog down

Reviewing the agenda

At the beginning of the training program it is very important toreview the program objective.
The trainer must tell the participants the goal of the program,what is expected out of trainers
to do at the end 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
 In general programme implementation involves action on the following lines:
 Deciding the location and organizing training and other facilities.
 Scheduling the training programme.
 Conducting the programme.
 Monitoring the progress of the trainees