Training and Development

Training and Development is the continuous process of improving skills, gaining

knowledge, clarifying concepts and changing attitude through structured and planned
education by which the productivity and performance of the employees can be
enhanced. Training and Development emphasize on the improvement of the
performance of individuals as well as groups through a proper system within the
organization which focuses on the skills, methodology and content required to achieve
the objective. Good & efficient training of employees helps in their skills & knowledge
development, which eventually helps a company improve its productivity leading to
overall growth.
Training is about knowing where you are in the present and after some time where will
you reach with your abilities. By training, people can learn new information, new
methodology and refresh their
existing knowledge and skills. Due to this there is much improvement and adds up the
effectiveness at work. The motive behind giving the training is to create an impact that
lasts beyond the end time of the training itself and employee gets updated with the new
phenomenon. Training can be offered as skill development for individuals and groups.
Organizational Development is a process that “strives to build the capacity to achieve
and sustain a new desired state that benefits the organization or community and the
world around them.”

Training and Development is one of the main functions of the human resource management
department. Training refers to a systematic setup where employees are instructed and taught matters
of technical knowledge related to their jobs. It focuses on teaching employees how to use particular
machines or how to do specific tasks to increase efficiency.

Whereas, Development refers to the overall holistic and educational growth and maturity of people
in managerial positions. The process of development is in relation to insights, attitudes,
adaptability, leadership and human relations.

Training and Development Programmes

Training and development programmes are designed according to the requirements of the
organisation, the type and skills of employees being trained, the end goals of the training and the job
profile of the employees. These programmes are generally classified into two types:

(i) on the job programmes, and

(ii) (ii)off the job programmes.
Different training is given to employees at different levels. The following training methods are used
For the training of skilled workers and operators-  Specific job training programmes, Technical
training at a training with live demos, Internship training, Training via the process of rotation of job.

Training given to people in a supervisory or managerial capacity is – Lectures, Group Discussions,

Case studies, Role-playing, Conferences etc.

People in managerial programmes are given this type of training- Management Games to develop
decision making, Programmes to identify potential executives, Sensitivity training to understand
and influence employee behaviour, Simulation and role-playing, Programmes for
improving communication, human relations and managerial skills.

Other Training Programmes

Technical Training – Technical training is that type of training that is aimed at teaching employees
how a particular technology or a machine.

Quality Training – Quality training is usually performed in companies who physically produce

a product. Quality training teaches employees to identify faulty products and only allow perfect
products to go out to the markets.

Skills Training – Skills training refers to training given to employees so as to perform their
particular jobs. For e.g. A receptionist would be specifically taught to answer calls and handle the
answering machine.
Soft Skills – Soft skills training includes personality development, being welcoming and friendly to
clients, building rapport, training on sexual harassment etc.

Professional Training – Professional Training is done for jobs that have constantly changing and
evolving work like the field of medicine and research. People working in these sectors have to be
regularly updated on matters of the industry.

Team Training – Team training establishes a level of trust and synchronicity between team
members for increased efficiency.

Benefits of Training
1. Training improves the quantity and quality of the workforce. It increases the skills and
knowledge base of the employees.

2. It improves upon the time and money required to reach the company’s goals. For e.g. Trained
salesmen achieve and exceed their targets faster than inexperienced and untrained salesmen.

3. Training helps to identify the highly skilled and talented employees and the company can
give them jobs of higher responsibilities.

4. Trained employees are highly efficient in comparison to untrained ones.

5. Reduces the need to constantly supervise and overlook the employees.

6. Improves job satisfaction and thus boosts morale.

Benefits of Development
 1. Exposes executives to the latest techniques and trends in their professional fields.

2. Ensures that the company has an adequate number of managers with knowledge and skill at
any given point.

3. Helps in the long-term growth and survival of the company.

4. Creates an effective team of managers who can handle the company issues without fail.

5. Ensures that the employees utilise their managerial and leadership skills in particular to the
fullest.
Solved Question for you

Q: List at least four benefits of training employees for any organisation.

Answer – Four benefits of training employees for any organisation in brief are

1. Training helps to identify the highly skilled and talented employees and so the company can
give them jobs of higher responsibilities.

2. Trained employees are highly efficient in comparison to untrained ones.

3. Ensures that the company has an adequate number of managers with knowledge and skill at
any given point and thus, adequately staffed.

4. Ensures that the employees utilise their managerial and leadership skills to the fullest.

Training and Development Process

Training and development is a continuous process as the skills, knowledge and quality of work
needs constant improvement. Since businesses are changing rapidly, it is critical that companies
focus on training their employees after constantly monitoring them & developing their overall
personality.
Steps for training and development processes are:
1. Determine the need of training and development for individuals or teams
First of all the need has to be seen for training and development. it has to align with the
company's goals and objectives. If a company is trying to start a new department or strengthen
existing sales team in new products, then an appropriate training is needed.
2. Establish specific objectives & goals which need to be achieved
The goals and objectives of the training and development have to be established. Whether the
goal is awareness about new products or even installation is required to be learnt.
3. Select the methods of training
Next, methods have to be defined. The training can be done as a :
a. Classroom Training
b. Online Self paced courses
c. Course with certification
d. Instructor led online training
4. Conduct and implement the programs for employees
After the plan and methods are finalized, the training and development programs have to be
executed where courses, instructions are taught to the employees, partners or vendors.
5. Evaluate the output and performance post the training and development sessions
Training and Development is incomplete without proper monitoring. Monitoring can be done
through evaluation of the instructor as well as attendees. Instructor evaluation can be done
through feedback or ratings but attendees can be evaluated through internal or external
certifications or scores.
6. Keep monitoring and evaluating the performances and again see if more training is
required
Based on the evaluation results in the previous step, management needs to ascertain that if the
training and development program was sufficient for now or more training and enablement
would be required. Also, if future trainings are to be planned.

Importance of Training and Development

For companies to keep improving, it is important for organizations to have continuous
training and development programs for their employees. Competition and the business
environment keeps changing, and hence it is critical to keep learning and pick up new
skills. The importance of training and development is as follows:
1, Optimum utilization of resources
2. Development of skills like time management, leadership, team management etc.
3. To increase the performance, productivity and motivation
4. To imbibe the team spirit
5. For improvement of organization culture
6. To improve quality
7. To increase profitability and bottom line by acquiring new skills
8. Improving brand image by having well trained employees

Relation and Difference between Training and Development

There is a relation between training and development, and there is clear difference
between the two based on goals to be achieved. Development is made to answer
the training problems:

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

Training is meant for operatives Development is meant for executives

It is reactive process It is pro- active process

AIM: To develop additional skills AIM: To develop the total personality

It is short term process It is continuous process

OBJECTIVE: To meet the present need OBJECTIVE: To meet the future need of
of an employee an employee

Initiative is taken by the management Initiative is taken by an individual.

Need for Training and Development

Training and development of employees is a costly activity as it requires a lot quality
inputs from trainers as well as employees. But it is essential that the company revises
its goals and efficiencies with the changing environment. Here are a few critical reasons
why the company endorses training and development sessions.
1. Improvement
When management thinks that there is a need to improve the performances of
employees
2. Benchmarking
To set up the benchmark of improvement so far in the performance improvement effort
3. Specific Role Requirement
To train about the specific job responsibility and skills like communication management,
team management etc.
4. Testing
To test the new methodology for increasing the productivity
Advantages of training and development
Training and development has a cost attached to it. However, since it is beneficial for
companies in the long run, they ensure employees are trained regularly. Some
advantages are:
1. Helps employees develop new skills and increases their knowledge.
2. Improves efficiency and productivity of the individuals as well as the teams.
3. Proper training and development can remove bottle-necks in operations.
4. New & improved job positions can be created to make the organization leaner.
5. Keeps employees motivated and refreshes their goals, ambitions and contribution
levels.
Disadvantages of training and development
Even though there are several advantages, some drawbacks of training and
development are mentioned below:
1. It is an expensive process which includes arranging the correct trainers and engaging
employees for non-revenue activities.
2. There is a risk that after the training and development session, the employee can quit
the job.
Training and Development Example
Training and Development can be setup in any organization. The focus of the
organization should be to train employees on two aspects
1. Job Related Skills
2. Soft Skills
These days there are dedicated portals and self learning courses for employees to
enroll and take them as per their needs. A dedicated training department is setup in the
organizations these days to train the employees on relevant skills. 
E.g. Trainings on communication skills, project management skills, AI/ML and other
emerging technologies and skills are priority of such departments. 
also these departments have the following responsibilities like:
1. Tie up with training partners or create internal courses and study material
2. Create a simple portal and classroom training system for employees on site or
remotely
3. System to track learning and design path for specific roles e.g. managers, sales team
etc.
4. Evaluate employees on the trainings completed and reward them accordingly
Training and Development should be part of culture of any good organization and
should be taken at a strategic level. In today's competitive landscape, proper training
and development programs can go a long way in having the competitive edge.