UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA

INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ASSIGNMENT #5
REINVENTING THE WHEEL AT APEX DOOR COMPANY

Prepared for
Prof. Khair Jahan Sogra, PhD

Prepared by

Mozaffar Md.Nur-E-Doza ZR1701004

Rubayat Mannan Rafi ZR1701003
Md. Abrar Mahir Khan ZR1701007
Md. Rabiul Islam Rabi ZR1701028
Md. Asif Abdullah ZR1701030

Executive MBA Batch 27

Date: 06/10/2017
Question 1:

What do you think of Apex’s training process? Could it help to explain why
employees “do things their way” and if so, how?

Answer:

In my opinion, the training process at Apex Door Company has no organizational effectiveness, and this
is not the way to provide proper training. It’s unstructured, and there is no training documentation which
makes the entire training process weak. It appears the employee does things their way because the
company clearly does not have in place a structured training process.

The major reason which makes this training process completely ineffective is-

1. Employees do their jobs in their own way even after given them a proper instructions.
2. No formal training process in this company.
3. JD is not properly provided as well no precise content is there.
4. Employees don’t know to use the multipage order form
5. Training is similar in every level and in every department and a very short length.
6. Employees have a very lack of motivation/interest respectively.
7. Trainer teaches in his own way as the job description is improper.

But sometimes it’s good when employees do things in their way but only then, when the employee have
the proper idea/concept that what and how it is done? Along with, the supervisor should give their
subordinates a proper knowledge/idea regarding the things to be done. This is completely depends on
either side to finish a perfect job. And when an employees takes ownership to do a job and intent to do a
job properly, I think it’s better for the organization to achieving its collective goal.

Here in this company, the employee assigned to perform training is likely to have very low motivation,
partial training their self, and few of the necessary skills needed to train. The employee must know what
an employer wants them to do and how they want them to do it. If the employee is left not knowing, then
he/she is left to improvise or teach other employees "their way" of accomplishing tasks. There are no
outcome measures to determine if the training was successful.
As we all know, new employees can suffer from a significant amount of anxiety during the first few days
on the job as they find themselves in an environment and culture that they are not familiar with, and such
usual circumstances happened with the employee of Apex Door Company. Those with little job
experience may find it especially difficult without an orientation since they have little other experience on
which to base their expectations. A well-developed orientation program along with so many training
technique like OJT(On Job Training), (JIT) Job Instruction Training, Programmed Training etc. will
socialize new employees into important organizational values, whereby their chances of easing smoothly
into the organization are improved.

Question 2:

What role should job description play in training at Apex?

Answer:

A well-articulated Job description can set the course of training and development of employees on Apex.
Employee job descriptions are written statements that describe the duties, responsibilities, required
qualifications and reporting relationships of a particular job. Effectively developed, employee job
descriptions are communication tools that are significant to organization's success. Poorly written employee
job descriptions, on the other hand, add to workplace confusion, hurt communication, and make people feel
as if they don't know what is expected from them.
Writing job descriptions is an important step as it forms the foundation for many important processes such
as job postings, recruitment, selection, setting expectations, compensation, training and performance
management. In case of employee training, job descriptions can play pivotal role. Job descriptions can also
be used to determine areas in need of training and development when expectations or requirements are not
being met.
Job training is a critical step to getting a newly hired employee up-to-speed on the expectations and roles
of the position. Companies typically use either informal training or formal training programs that rely on
job descriptions and functions for outlining objectives and training factors.
In Apex, training can be tailored for based on the job descriptions. One size fits all training is not supposed
to help combat the challenge which is Apex facing today. For example, by looking at a clearly stated job
description, HR manager can sort out the required training for a specific employee. When the HR manager
is trying to set training for “effective communication with clients” s/he can look into the job description of
the employees which require frequent communication with clients.
Job descriptions can also provide Apex the proper direction for effective formal training programs that
emphasize teaching new skills or improving on existing ones. If a description illustrates the importance of
the employee's role in customer service, the training program may include specific strategies and
techniques for training to company service standards. The manager may, for instance, go through role
play scenarios so the employee can practice proper service approaches while learning to use software or
service tools.

Question 3:

Explain in detail what you would do to improve the training process at Apex. Make
sure to provide specific suggestions, please

Answer:

From the scenario given in the paragraph of Apex Door, it can be said that there is no any kind of formal
or standardized training program operating in Apex, absence of proper orientation program, no specific
job manual or job description, lack of supervisor’s accountability to ensure proper orientation and training
of new or existing employees. And these are the reasons why Jim Delaney, president of Apex Door, has
some serious issues within his organization.
To improve training process, I will first start with Job description. Every position in a company should
have a proper Job Description. Additionally every functional activities the employees have to perform
should have a specific written procedure.
To develop job description, the following steps will be followed:
1. Review relevant backgrounding information of Apex door such as organization charts of, process
charts.
2. Select representative positions in company.
3. Actually analyze the job by collecting data on the job activities, working conditions, and human
traits and abilities needed to perform the job.
4. Verify the job analysis information with the employee performing the job and with his and her
immediate supervisor.
 5. Develop a job description and job specification.

The job description lists the jobs specific duties and requisite skills and therefore the training that the job
requires. The job description will cover the following:

1. Job identification
2. Job summary
3. Responsibilities and duties
4. Authority of incumbent
5. Standards of performance
6. Working conditions
7. Job specification

So after preparing the Job description of employees based on their function, I will concentrate on the
orientation process of Apex Door. Carefully selecting employees doesn’t t guarantee that they will
perform effectively. Even high potential employees can’t do their jobs if they don’t know what to do or
how to do it. Making sure employees do know what to do and how to do it is the purpose of orientation
and training.

Current the Orientation Process:

The current process of employee orientation in Apex Door is not a standard one. A new employee has
been trained by the past employee who was on the same role during the one or two weeks overlap period.
But when there is no overlap period, then the new employee is trained by existing other employee of
Apex who occasionally performed that role.
To change this current practice, full orientation process has to be re-modeled.

New Employee Orientation Model

Three (03) days orientation program will be held.

 In the first day, human resource specialist usually performs the first part of the orientation by
explaining basic matters like working hours, Professional Grooming & Etiquettes, HR Rules and
Regulation, Performance Management System, Career plan, Org vision, Mission, Success story,
Company expectation, Corporate Social Responsibility etc. of Apex Door company.
  In the following day, the employee will be oriented in different functional departments that would
be linked with his job responsibility. He will be briefed by resource personnel of those
departments. HR personnel will assists him in this regard.

 In the last day, the employee then introduced to his or her new supervisor. The supervisor
continues the orientation by explaining the organization of the department and by introducing the
person to his or her new colleagues, familiarizing the new employee with the workplace.

After finishing the orientation process, the employee have to fill up an Orientation Checklist and return to
HR department by 7 days of joining.

Training Process
After orientation, training begin. Training means giving new or current employees the skills that they
need to perform their jobs.

Currently the Apex Company has no segregated training procedure for different functional area. They
have a common process. This will be changed.

Based on job description and functional area, individual training programs will be operated in the new
model. Like for machinists, assemblers Job Instruction Training will be arranged whereas for
secretaries, accountant clerks On the Job Training (OJT) will be in place.

In Apex Door, training needs analysis will be done. Task analysis is a detailed study of the job to
determine what specific skills the job requires. Performance analysis is the process of verifying that there
is a performance deficiency and determining whether the employer should correct such deficiencies
through training or some other means (like transferring the employee).

Training Needs Analysis

Task Analysis: Performance Analysis:

Assessing new employees’ Assessing current employees’
training needs training needs
Implementing the Training Programs

With objectives set and the program designed and budgeted, start implementing the training program.
There are several types of training methods available. But for Apex Door, considering the current
situation, the following training methods will be adopted.

 On-the-Job Training: On-the-job training (OJT) means having a person learn a job by actually
doing it. Every employee, from clerk to Jim Delaney, president of Apex Door, gets on-the-job
training when he or she joins a firm and continue the job. Following steps will be followed :
Step 1: Prepare the Learner
Step 2: Present the Operation
Step 3: Do a Tryout
Step 4: Follow-Up

 Informal Learning: Implement an informal online learning tool which containing more than
5,000 informal learning items/suggestions addressing topics ranging from sales to technical
support. This will help employee to gather job related knowledge.

 Job Instruction Training: Many jobs (or parts of jobs) consist of a sequence of steps that one
best learns step by-step like Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Such step-by-step training is
called job instruction training (JIT).

First, list required steps each in its proper sequence. Then list a corresponding key point (if any)
beside each step. The steps in such a job instruction training sheet show employee’s what to do,
and the key points show how it’s to be done and why.

Management Development program

The current scenario in Apex Door indicates that there is lack of supervisor’s accountability to ensure
proper orientation and training of new or existing employees. For this a separate management
development program will be adopted. It will be Managerial on the job training for Apex Door Company.
Managerial on-the-job training methods will be included job rotation, the coaching/understudy approach,
and action learning. In the context of management development, job rotation means moving managers
from department to department to broaden their understanding of the business and to test their abilities.

Evaluating the training effort

Training efforts will be assessed by measuring four basic categories of training outcomes:

1. Reaction. Evaluate trainee’s reactions to the program. Did they like the program? Did they think it
worthwhile?
2. Learning. Test the trainees to determine whether they learned the principles, skills, and facts they were
supposed to learn.
3. Behavior. Ask whether the trainee’s on-the-job behavior changed because of the training program.
4. Results. Probably most important, ask, what results did we achieve, in terms of the training objectives
previously set? For example, did the number of customer complaints diminish?

Reactions, learning, and behavior are important. But if the training program doesn’t t produce measurable
results, then it probably hasn’t achieved its goals.

These is the new training process what Apex Door company will adopt.

From my viewpoint, if the above mentioned training process can be implemented in Apex Door
Company, it will help her to operate in more sustainable manner.