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8. Training

1.1. Training Philosophy

AKTEL believes that each employee possesses a unique creative and

innovative capacity for success. The Company is committed to fostering this
individual potential within effective teams, to achieve both the Company’s
business goals and the employee’s professional goals.

Through rigorous and continual employee skills development, AKTEL strives

to enhance professional learning, motivation, excellence and fulfillment, to
meet evolving business needs, and ensure the Company’s sustained success.
Every person’s existing position of particular roles and tasks, will be
approached as operational training for higher positions.

1.2. Training Objectives

– To align skills training with the existing and future business goals and
employees’ career paths.
– To acclimatize employees to the Company’s ethics, values and a unified
work culture.
– To establish a dynamic, continual skills development culture aligned with
business and employee goals.
– To continually foster and enhance team-spirit and teamwork.
– To continually develop the Company’s potential, existing and future
leaders.
– To ensure training is fully integrated with Talent & Leadership
Management, Career & Succession Planning, Reward & Recognition and
Performance Management.

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1.3. Training Competencies

Employee Skills Training will focus on 3 competencies, with each correlating

to the 3 dimensions of the employee: the body, the heart, the mind, and
collectively the spirit. This comprises an integrated, holistic model of the
employee.

8.3.1 Operational Competencies

Competencies involving an employee’s work function and responsibilities,

particular to her Division/Department - “what one does” - The body

8.3.2 Behavioural and General Competencies

Competencies encompassing personal and interpersonal, ‘soft’qualities,

personality, interaction, that are required to successful handle Operational
Competencies – “the way one does” - the Heart (emotions) ; and basic
competencies required by all employees to perform their tasks, i.e. English
proficiency, MS office, etc.

8.3.3 Strategic Competencies

Conceptual competencies developed from a proficient combination of

Functional and Behavioural & General Competencies, relating to approaches,
intellectual frameworks, strategies to achieve Operational Competencies, i.e.
critical thinking, leadership, creativity, problem-solving, innovativeness –
“how one does” – The Mind.

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1.4. Training Strategy

OD will facilitate an internally oriented, holistic training model, in which

training is primarily and effectively delivered to employees by their respective
Supervisors, Managers or above, and other Divisions, on a dynamic, ongoing-
need basis – a Virtual Teaching and Learning Cycle, to ultimately create a
Virtual Teaching and Learning Organization

To keep pace with the rapidly changing and expanding telecom sector, OD
strives to establish such a perennial learning and teaching organization for
AKTEL’s employees. This will more effectively promote dynamic, need-based
skills development and subsequently monitor performance improvements.
Ongoing skills development will therefore enhance organizational speed,
efficiency, productivity, business adaptability and ultimately growth.

AKTEL firmly believes that effective training occurs when employees take
active responsibility for their own skills development, as opposed to the
traditional passive participation and low prioritization. Moreover, Supervisors
are held responsible for planning and providing the appropriate resources for
employee skills development, vis-à-vis skill assessment, training, coaching,
mentoring and monitoring. Both the employee and her Supervisor are
mutually responsible for ensuring effective skill development and subsequent
performance improvement.

1.5. Divisional Training Responsibilities

– Respective Supervisors (i.e. Managers, AGMs, Heads and GMs) will be

process-owners for all aspects of training for their Divisions, and HR will
act as training facilitator and partner. Divisions will have to source
vendors for their training needs, and OD can support them on a need
basis, when requested. Supervisors will be active and continuous trainers,
providing or facilitating skills development for their subordinates on a real-
time, need basis.

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– Each confirmed employee must undergo 40 hours of training a year.

– Managers and above will be required to provide a minimum of 40 hours of

training a year to their respective teams, as part of their yearly KRAs.
Training approval will require the trainee to schedule her/his own training
of teammates on the program, with a list of participants and dates. Upon
returning from a training, each Manager is required deliver that training to
her/his team, within 2 weeks.

– Each Management level is responsible for training and coaching at the

least, its subordinates or colleagues as follows:

– GMs train and coach AGMs, Heads, Managers.

– AGMs, Heads train and coach Managers.
– Managers train and coach Assistant Managers, Executives.
– Employees will train their superiors and teammates (whenever
applicable).

– Employee Training will not be readily granted but earned, based on the
following eligibility criteria:

– Employee performance & commitment.

– Demonstrated need.
– Supervisor’s recommendation.
– Previous training punctuality, attendance, participation and evaluation
completion.

– Employee’s skill development through training will be a primary factor in:

– Performance appraisal grade.

– Promotion/up-gradation.
– Salary increases.

– This internal, holistic training model provides the following benefits:

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– Promote productivity-effective and cost-effective skills development in

real-time, on specific need-basis.
– Leverage Supervisor skills and expertise to develop teammates’ skills.
– Integrated skills development loop - Supervisors are accountable for
ensuring their teammates receive their required skills through training
and monitoring.
– Supervisors can continually and closely track employees’ post training
performance, ensuring skills development and employee accountability,
and taking remedial measures where necessary.
– Fosters stronger Supervisor-employee and inter Divisional
communication and relationships, and enhances teamwork, work
environment, corporate culture building, etc.
– Supervisors can make more informed decisions about nominating
employees for Talent & Leadership programs, and Career & Succession
Planning.
– Mitigate exorbitant, non-value added external training costs – time,
financial, non-productivity gains, etc.

1.6. OD Training Responsibilities

OD’s role in skills development will be:

– To facilitate Divisional Operational skills training, including program

coordination, collaborative module development and post training
performance monitoring.
– To develop or outsource Behavioral & General skills training and Strategic
skills training, and subsequently coordinate and facilitate monitoring them.
– OD will work to develop Divisional Supervisors as technical skills trainers
for their teams. As a long-term strategy, OD will develop them as trainers
or co-trainers for its critical behavioral and conceptual skills training, i.e.
leadership, Management, critical thinking, etc. This will strengthen the
teamwork culture, Supervisor-teammate relationships, Supervisor
assessment, team monitoring and ultimately overall performance.

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1.7. Training Technology Transfer

The training technology transfer cycle includes:

– Employee undergoes TTT (Train the Trainer) before or after receiving

training.
– Employee receives external skills training.
– Employee’s Supervisor monitors skill development and performance
improvement.
– Employee imparts training (as much as possible) to subordinates or
colleagues.
– Employee monitors subordinates’ skills development and performance
improvement.
– Employee provides TTT to subordinates or colleagues so they may in turn,
train others.
– Employee monitors trainers’ effectiveness in imparting training to others.
– Employee will specify dates and trainees for imparting training upon
return, on Approval Note.

Each Division or unit will designate 1 or 2 persons to manage its respective

trainings, and serve as OD’s contact person or liaison, to cooperatively
coordinate, develop and monitor training.

1.8. Post–Training Performance Monitoring – ‘PARTY’ (Performance

Appraisal in Real Time) & Trainee Evaluations

– Post-training performance monitoring is the only effective way to assess

and better ensure employee skills development. Supervisors
recommending training for a subordinate will complete the first part of the
‘Performance with Real-Time Evaluation’ with OD, and then the employee.
This will identify the targeted skills requiring development and that will be
tracked.

– Once training ends, the Supervisor and employee will use the Trainee
Evaluation By Supervisor (Appendix-TP-4) to evaluate and track the

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employee’s performance, at 1, 2 and 3-month intervals. The employee

should include any other learned skills that were not identified beforehand
in the form, also to be evaluated by the Supervisor.

– Employees must complete a Training Evaluation at the end of an In-house

training (Appendix-TP-3).

– HRIS will include a performance monitoring system – ‘Party’ (Performance

in Real-time Evaluation) which can dynamically monitor employee
performance improvements after training, as tracked by Supervisors, and
mapped to the PA. (PA should quantify all Performance parameters). OD
and the respective Supervisors will use the yearly TNA to fulfill the
requisite skills development before the following TNA.

1.9. TNA – Training Needs Assessment

Training Needs are the difference between the desired or required

performance to achieve Divisional goals, and an employee’s actual
performance, as shown:

Training Need = Desired Performance – Actual Performance

Supervisors will complete their subordinates’ TNA in the Performance

Appraisal Form, identifying skill requirements to meet Divisional goals.

OD will collect each Division’s TNA from the Performance Appraisal Forms to
compile the required technical, behavioral and conceptual skills training.

Divisions will then partner with OD to determine their:

– Training priorities: Trainings that are the most critical to meet Division’s
business goals.

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– Training timetables: Determining scheduling for required trainings.

– In-house trainers: Identifying in-house trainers to impart required
trainings.
– Training vendors: Identifying appropriate vendors for required trainings.

OD will also conduct detailed Skill-Gap Analyses and develop Competency

Matrixes throughout Divisions, to assess employees’ requisite skill
development for their job responsibilities, as stated in the Job Specifications
(JSPEC) of each employee’s Job Description (JD).

Skill-Gap Analysis will complement the TNA by addressing skill deficiencies

that were not captured in the TNA, and by holistically identifying an
employee’s skill set requirements.

1.10. Internship & Work Attachments

AKTEL regularly offers internships or work attachments to university

graduates or students to support a Division’s operational work and gain
practical work experience in their academic disciplines.

This hands-on exposure and training to AKTEL’s work environment also

serves as a testing ground for interns or prospective employees to
demonstrate their performance and prove their capability to join AKTEL in the
future. It can also serve as a wellspring of fresh ideas, energy, creativity and
perspectives to invigorate AKTEL’s productivity and growth.

1.11. Job Rotation

Job Rotation is another critical skill development method. Supervisors will

rotate their subordinates into different units or projects, to provide hands-on,

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experiential training and broaden their skill sets. Such practical exposure
more effectively prepares employees for future Management responsibilities.

1.12. Training Honorarium

All In-House Trainers will receive honorariums for the approved training
programs they provide to AKTEL staff, based on satisfactory trainer
performance, at Management’s discretion.

Job Level Grade Honorarium Maximum

per hour Honorarium payable
(Tk.) per day (TK.)
AGM & Above 26 &
250 250 x 4 hrs =1000
above
Manager 23, 24, 25 200 200 x 4 hrs = 800
Assistant Manager/
17, 18, 19 150 150 x 4 hrs = 600
Executive

1.13. Training Payback

Training is a process in which individual can enrich his/her knowledge & skills
as well develops the competency level. The organization is benefited from the
return of the training as long as the individual serves the organization with
improved performance and higher productivity.

Training takes time away from immediately-productive tasks and involves

cost. Therefore, training is considered as an investment and organization
expects a measurable Return on Investment (ROI) from the individual over a
period of time after successful completion of training. Pay-off from the
training is not immediate and individual needs a considerable time to
contribute from what s/he has learned from the training.

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To determine the pay back period we need to measure the critical value of
training. Critical value of training is measured in terms of the cost that an
organization will have to bear if an individual leaves the organization after
receiving a training course. This includes the training cost of developing an
alternative associate/replacement for that position and the productivity loss
during the time to perform at desired level. The cost for the organization, in
case a trained associate leaves the organization, is measured as follows:
 If the individual leaves the organization the investment from the
training is considered as an expense.
 An alternative associate/replacement for that position needs to be
developed and similar training to be initiated to get the desired level of
performance which incurs at least the same amount of training costs
 Productivity loss of approximately 6 months is estimated to develop an
alternative associate/replacement to deliver the desired level of
performance.

Thus, Payback Period for an individual to return the cost of training

investment is:
Payback Period = (training costs*/monthly basic salary)+ productivity
loss (6 months)
(* Training costs= Course fee + Travel expense + Fooding & lodging + all
other relevant expenses borne by the company)

If an employee is nominated for any Skill Development/learning program, i.e.

training, workshop, work attachment, seminar, conference or familiarization
program in home & abroad, s/he must sign a training payback bond
(prepared by HR) with the company ensuring his/her contribution up to the
Payback Period calculated on above method to return the investment incurred
for that training/development program.

If the employee leaves before completion of the payback period, prorated

actual training cost will be deducted for the remaining period from his/her
end of service benefits. If the end of service benefits do not cover the total
amount, s/he will be liable to pay the remaining amount before obtaining
clearance.

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The pay back for the training may be exempted only in exceptional cases
provided the outgoing associate develops another associate/successor to
independently deliver the expected result from the training subject to the
recommendations by Division/Department Head and approved by CFO &
Managing Director.

1.14. Training – Related JTOR & KRAs

8.14.1 Employee’s JTOR & KRAs

– Proper attendance and participation in training.

– Measurable skills development from received trainings or coaching, using
performance monitoring and appraisal.
– Conduct training or knowledge sharing with colleagues or subordinates on
attended external trainings, within 2 weeks of return.
– If recommended as trainer, undergo appropriate skills development and
become an effective trainer (which will be evaluated and monitored).
– Employees attending specialized or higher-level training are required to
conduct training or knowledge sharing with colleagues or subordinates
within 2 weeks of return. (specifying dates and trainees on Approval Note,
as a requisite for training approval).

8.14.2 Supervisor’s JTOR & KRAs

– Identify employee skill gaps in real-time (as they occur).

– Provide technical training on need-basis in areas s/he can leverage her
expertise.
– For group training, collaborate with HR to develop training modules to
close skill gaps.
– For individual training, provide ongoing coaching with improvement plan.
– Collaborate with HR to conduct post-training performance monitoring.

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– Ensure that TNA skill gaps are resolved before next TNA (to be measured
against the next Performance Appraisal).
– Act as coach to subordinates, proactively identifying their areas for
improvement and cooperatively devising remedial action plans.
– Identify potential trainers and train them up accordingly.
– Identify trainees for talent and leadership Management programs.
– When appropriate, use training to identify weak employees and develop
individual coaching plans.
– Undergo “Train the Trainer” Training.
– Conduct training or knowledge sharing with colleagues or subordinates on
attended external trainings, within 2 weeks of return. (specifying dates
and trainees on Approval Note, as a requisite for training approval).

1.15. Training Operations

8.15.1 Internal Training

AKTEL’s goal is to reverse the existing training model of heavily outsourced

training, and instead develop internal training as the centerpiece of its
employee skills development strategy. The types of Internal Trainings are as
follows:

Internal Training– Trainings provided by employees, Managers, GMs, etc.

In-House Training: Training conducted by employees within the organization.

On-the-Job Training: Managers and above will provide real-time, informal on-
the-job training to their subordinates, by exposing them to the higher level
decision-making process, regular discussions on relevant strategy and
operational issues to provide a comprehensive awareness of entire workflow.

Coaching: Managers and above will provide coaching to their subordinates.

This entails identifying employee weaknesses, mistakes or shortcomings in
real-time – as they occur, and working to resolve them immediately by
devising action plans and monitoring performance.

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8.15.2 External Training

External training will therefore be utilized strictly to import unavailable skills

or expertise on a one-time, non-repetitive basis (see Training Technology
Transfer Cycle), and will generally be reserved for Managers and above. The
types of External Trainings are as follows:

External Training – Trainings provided by vendors.

Local: Trainings taking place within Bangladesh by the local professional

training vendor.
International: Trainings taking place outside Bangladesh by overseas
professional training vendor.
Int’l Vendor: Training conducted by overseas professional training vendor in
AKTEL office.

1.16. Training Calendar

OD will develop a Training Calendar to source and schedule behavioral and

conceptual skills training programs for the Company, based on each
Division’s requirements. The Calendar will be dynamic and subject to
updates and modifications, to meet Division and employee skill requirements.

The Calendar will be developed following the completion of all Performance

Appraisals. It will also work closely with Divisions to develop their respective
functional skills training calendar, sourcing both internal and external
trainers.

1.17. Training Attendance

Supervisors must ensure that their subordinates attend their trainings

punctually and without interruptions. Supervisors and subordinates must

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jointly plan for subordinates’ work to be properly delegated to another, so

that s/he will not be disturbed or called back for work-related issues.
OD will monitor employee attendance and punctuality by maintaining Training
Record Form (Appendix-TR-2). If employees need to change their training
session, they must request OD no less than 3 days before the scheduled
training. Failure to do so may result in employee losing her allocated
training spot.

1.18. Training Budget

Each Division will prepare its annual training budget for the following year in
December and approved by the Management within the Business Plan.
This annual budget, if necessary, may be subject to revision by the
concerned authority.

1.19. Training Database

OD will maintain and update the following areas of HRIS:

– Employee training records, including Supervisor and employee

evaluations.
– List of training programs and records for implemented programs.
– Vendor profiles.
– In-house Trainer training records.

1.20. Knowledge Bank

OD will maintain an online organizational Knowledge Bank as a repository for

its training resources and aids; and to provide supplemental learning and
teaching resources for employees’ Management, leadership exposure and
skills development. Resources will include articles and reading materials on
companies, business leaders and challenges, best practices, Management and
other topical organizational issues.

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1.21. Orientation Training

All new employees will undergo an Orientation program upon joining AKTEL.
Employees will be briefed on the Company’s profile, and the various functions
executed by each Division or Department.

Employees joining Customer Care will receive Orientation Training upon

joining AKTEL, to gain more in-depth knowledge of and exposure to particular
Division functions, which relate directly to their customer relationship
Management.

After successful completion of the participants will evaluate the overall

effectiveness of the program by completing an Induction Program Evaluation
Form (Appendix-TP-5).

1.22. Financial Approval & Payments

Financial approval shall be sought from the appropriate signatories, as

specified in AKTEL’s Financial Policies and Procedures (FPP) using the
standard Training Approval Note (Appendix-TP-1) prior to conduct any
training program.

Divisional Heads will be authorized to disburse up to Tk. 20,000 with only

Head of HR’s approval, for required training for their teams (CFO, COO or MD
signature not required).

For all trainings above Tk. 20,000 or foreign trainings, financial authorization
required by COO, CFO and Managing Director.

The HR Division will process payments for all trainings. AKTEL will follow the
vendor’s payment policy for efficient training operation and sound business
dealings.

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1.23. Internship

8.23.1 Terms and Conditions

– Application shall be accepted from renowned National and International

Universities and Educational Institutions. Each application shall mention
the desired area(s) of research and enclose CV(s) therewith.

– The duration of each Internship Program shall not be less than a

consecutive month and not more than three months. However, it can be
extended with mutual consent of AKTEL & the student. For Multimedia
University students from AKTEL, the duration shall be as required by the
University.

– AKTEL will not pay any remuneration to the internees.

– If internee is required by any AKTEL Division for a project work/special

assignment, a daily allowance of Tk-200 shall be paid to each internee as
honorarium.

An internship project report shall be submitted by each intern to HR Division

with a copy of the same to the supervising Division. And the internee will not
be allowed to use the report or information gathered during the attachment
period, for any reason other than for academic purposes.

8.23.2 Procedure

Joining & Completion of Internship

– HR Division shall receive applications from the applicants. HR shall inform

concern Divisions/Departments whether they requires any intern or not.
Or concern Divisions/Departments can seek (through e-mail or letter)
internee from HR Division.

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– If internees are required by AKTEL to undertake project activities, than

internee will be recruited through an interview process. Representatives
from the concerned Divisions/Departments and HR shall conduct the
interview.

– Head of HR shall send the acceptance letter to the student. And the copy
shall be send to the University/faculty authority, Finance Division of TMIB
and concern Division/Departmental Head. Name of the reporting
Supervisor and the place of work shall be mentioned in the acceptance
letter. Upon receiving the Internship Acceptance Letter from HR Division,
the internee will fill in the Declaration of Confidentiality form (Appendix-
TP-6).

– The internee as well as the Supervisor shall mutually agree upon the area
of research/work; this will be relevant to the nature of operation of the
Division/Department.

– After completion of internship period, HR will forward an Internee

Evaluation Form (Appendix-TP-8) to the concern supervisors to evaluate
the performance of the intern.

– The internee shall have to submit the research paper/internship report to

HR Division.

– Head of HR will provide a completion certificate to the intern upon

successful completion of the internship project and submission of research
paper/internship report.

8.23.3 Payment Procedure for Daily Allowance

(Applicable for project work):

– Supervisor shall send the attendance record (Appendix-TR-7) to HR

Division after every month during internship period.

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– HR Division shall initiate payment instruction to Finance Division along

with the attendance report of the internee.

– The internship honorarium shall be Tk- 200 for every working day.

– Finance Division can pay by cash, cheque or by account payee cheque to

the internee as internship honorarium after every month.

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