INTRODUCTION

Employee performance impacts the bottom line of an organization. For this reason, it is the responsibility of
organizational leaders to be aware of the importance of training and development’s impact on the performance
and evaluation of employees. Training focuses on doing activities today to develop employees for their current
jobs and development is preparing employees for future roles and responsibilities. It is a process transferring
information and knowledge to employers. It is equipping employers to translate that information and knowledge
into practice with a view to enhancing organization effectiveness and productivity, and the quality of a
management of people (Jehanzeb, K., & Bashir, N. A. 2013). Employee training and development assists the
organization and employees in attaining diverse goals, such as improving morale, sense of security, employee
engagement, and overall competencies necessary to perform a particular job. In addition, organizational leaders
should use systematic approaches for assessing employee performance, which outcomes are usually determined
on personal, organizational, environmental, motivation, skill level, aptitudes, or role perceptions factors. With
suitable training and development opportunities, as well as effective employee performance assessment
approaches, employees will be capable of assisting the organization in achieving its competitive posture in
today’s global market. Employees are the backbone of the organization. The accomplishments or issues
experienced by the organization are contingent to the performance of its employees (Mwema & Gachunga,
2014). Therefore, it is vital for organizational leaders to recognize the importance of training and development
in employee performance and evaluation. In order to ensure that our employees are equipped with the right kind
of skills, knowledge and abilities to perform their assigned tasks, training and development plays its crucial role
towards the growth and success of businesses. By choosing the right type of training, employees possess the
right skills for the business, and the same need to be continuously updated in the follow up of the best and new
Human Resource practices. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the importance of training and development,
the various methods used in training and development, and the impact of training and development on
organizational performance. In addition, we will outline the steps involved in conducting a training needs
assessment.

IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT.

Training and development are very vital in any company or organization that aims at progressing. This includes
decision making, thinking creatively and managing people. Training and development is so important because;
 ● Improves work Performance.

● Developing knowledge and skills.

● Enhancing Job satisfaction.

● Improving prospects for Promotion.

● Help in addressing employee weaknesses.

● Improvement in worker performance.

● Increased productivity.

● Improved quality of service and products.

● Reduced cost.

● Reduction in supervision.

THE VARIOUS METHODS USED IN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT.

Training methods are usually classified by the location of instruction. On the job training is provided when the
workers are taught relevant knowledge, skills and abilities at the actual workplace; off-the-job training, on the
other hand, requires that trainees learn at a location other than the real work spot. The following are some of the
widely used training methods in training and development;

● Case study: Provides the participants an opportunity to develop skills by presenting a problem, without
a solution, for them to solve, or with a solution, as an exemplar of how to solve it. This method is suited
for the situation where the learners have some prerequisite knowledge but could benefit from the applied
nature of the training. This is a low-risk, low-cost training method, capable of training any number of
learners simultaneously and, as such, it has been a popular choice for training students in law, medicine,
and counselling. For example, dozens of law students can be trained simultaneously on a true-to-life
case (Menkel-Meadow, 2000) by assessing the many perspectives and permutations of a case, without
the risk of losing a real legal case.

● Games-based training: Trainees compete in a series of decision-making tasks which allows them to
explore a variety of strategic alternatives and experience the consequences which affect the other
players, but with without risk to the individuals or the organization. The popularity of games for training
purposes has increased over the past decade as games offer a low-cost, yet effective alternative to
 training (Wilson et al., 2009). The games-based training method is competitive, which can be a
motivating feature for the majority of learners.

● Internship: Involves supervised, practical training while on the job where the trainee is permitted to
work in the position for which they are training, but with some restrictions and with substantially less
pay or no pay. The major advantages of this method are that the employer can train an employee at a
fraction of, or no cost at all, and that the employee actually gets the opportunity to work in the role that
they are training to fill; thus, the training content is relevant to their future job responsibility.

● Job rotation: Involves training for a job by working in the job for a limited duration, while still
maintaining the original job. It offers employees opportunities for development and promotion, which
can also improve career satisfaction, motivation, and interdepartmental co-operation (Geet &
Deshpande, 2008). Job rotation is beneficial to the organization as it “helps develop a common culture
because of wide and common exposure and at the same time infuses ‘fresh blood’ in tasks” giving
employees “a fresh challenge and opportunity to prove themselves” (Saiyadain, 2009, p. 409).

● Job shadowing: Involves a trainee closely observing someone perform a specific job in the natural job
environment for the purpose of witnessing first-hand the details of the job. While the primary purpose of
job shadowing is for the trainee to learn to perform a specific job, Tyler (2008) demonstrates that
trainees get the unique opportunity to view the company from a different perspective, which may give
them a broader view of the company.

● Lecture: Involves the dissemination of training material by a trainer to a group of trainees, by means of
verbal instruction. Even though “lectures are probably the most ridiculed training technique”
(Thiagarajan, 2005, p. 1), the lecture method is a widely used training method mainly because it can
accommodate a wide range of audience sizes, takes less time to design, offers ease in revising the
content, and gives the company and trainer assurance that the trainees complete the training.

● Mentoring and apprenticeship: Involves a one-on-one partnership between a novice employees with a
senior employee. Mentorship aims to provide support and guidance to less experienced employees
whereas apprenticeship is for the development of job skills. Mentorship serves the trainee in two
important ways: psychosocial support (acceptance, confidence, buffer against burnout, and the like) and
career facilitation (Zerzan, Hess, Schur, Phillips, & Rigotti, 2009). Research suggests that those who are
mentored are more willing to become mentors (Vincent & Seymour, 1994). With this in mind it is
reasonable to consider the mentorship training method as having the ability to provide long-term gains.
This method is best suited, for example, in a situation where a company wants to groom its trainee(s) for
 growth within the company.

● Programmed instruction: Involves the delivery of training through instruction that is delivered by a
program via some electronic device without the presence of an instructor; the electronic device can be a
computer, DVD player, CD player, etc. It is flexible and allows for repeated practice, its consistent
delivery means that the learning experience is standardized, and it also has the ability to offer
multisensory features (color, sound, text, animation, graphics, and special effects)

● Role-modelling: Involves the live presentation of skill(s) to an audience of trainees. Like its counterpart
the lecture method, role-modelling is a popular training method and it allows organizations to readily
control trainee completion of the training program. As with the lecture method, there is no expectation of
interaction suggesting a lack of support for learners to overcome challenges.

● Role play: Requires trainees to assume a character and act out the role in a make-believe scenario or
series of scenarios; learning comes by way of reflection on the play. Role play is particularly well suited
for providing trainees with the opportunity to practice and collectively reflect on how to manage
important responsibilities of their job, or for sensitivity training and other contexts that include
attitudinal training (Barone et al., 2005).

● Simulation: Involves the use of a simulator where specific skills are developed through repeated
practice with a multisensory experience of imitated conditions. A special form of simulation training is
Virtual Reality Training which entails total sensory immersion. Simulation training is well suited for
training that would otherwise be extremely dangerous or costly if conducted in a real-life environment.
This method provides “safe, structured, engaging, and effective practice opportunities” (Rosen, Hunt,
Pronovost, Federowicz, & Weaver, 2012, p. 243) in a risk-free environment, and has been used in
medical training, flight training, military training, as well as technical training in other high-stakes fields
such as nuclear power generation

● Stimulus-based training: Using some type of stimulus (i.e., music, works of art, narratives, etc.) to
motivate the learner to learn. The training induces a state of being (e.g., relaxation or awareness) in the
participants to achieve learning.

● Team-training: Intended exclusively for groups of individuals that behave interactively, to either
improve mutual knowledge within a team or to train the team on a team specific skill. The goal of team-
training is to develop a team collectively, rather than each individual trainee. A benefit of this method is
that it helps to develop social skills and camaraderie within a team (Moreland & Myaskovsky, 2000).
THE IMPACT OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE?

Employee training and development is one of the most significant motivators used to help both individuals and
organizations in achieving their short-term and long-term goals and objectives. Training and development also
enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes to organizational performance. The following are some of the impacts
training and development will bring to the organizational performance;

● It increases employees’ morale, confidence, and motivations.

● It lowers production costs because individuals are able to reduce waste.

● It promotes a sense of security which in turn reduces turnover and absenteeism.

● It increases employees’ involvement in the change process by providing the competencies necessary to
adjust to new and challenging situations.

● It opens the doors for recognition, higher pay, and promotion.

● It helps the organization in improving the availability and quality of its staff.

● Training and development programs assist organizations in staying competitive in the marketplace.

● Training and development programs help organizations in retaining their talent, differentiating
themselves against other organizations, improving their appearance as best employer in the job market,
and increasing the overall organizational effectiveness.

Every organization is responsible for improving employees’ performance by implementing relevant and
effective training and development programs. Since employees are the most important assets of an organization,
it is crucial to sustain such a notion. Organization must optimize the contribution of its employees by ensuring a
suitable source of staff that is functionally, technically, and socially capable of growing into specialized or
managerial roles. Overall, organizations that proactively implement employee training and development
programs receive positive results from the individuals that use the programs and enhanced competencies leading
to better performance and retention.

THE STEPS INVOLVED IN CONDUCTING A TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

A training needs assessment is defined as determining the gap between what employees must be able to do and
what he or she can or is currently doing. A training needs assessment (also called training needs analysis)
therefore identifies the gap between what the job expects an employee to do, on the one hand, and what the
employee is actually doing, on the other. A training needs analysis discovers whether there is a discrepancy or
conflict between what an employee ought to be doing and that which he or she can do. Training Needs
Assessment is the method of determining if a training need exists and, if it does, what training is required to fill
the gap. Training Needs Assessment seeks to identify accurately the levels of the present situation in the target
surveys, interview, observation, secondary data and/or workshop (Barbazette, Jean. 2006). The gap between the
present status and desired status may indicate problems that in turn can be translated into a training need. The
need can be a performance that does not meet the current standard. Training Needs Assessment process helps
the trainer and the person requesting training to specify the training need or performance deficiency.
Assessments can be conducted at any time but are often done after hiring, during performance reviews, when
performance improvement is needed, for career development plans, for succession planning, or when changes in
an organization also involve making necessary changes to employee’s jobs. The following are the steps
involved in conducting training needs assessment;

Step 1: Identify Problem and Needs

The first step in Training Needs Assessment is to identify problems and needs. Before Training Needs
Assessment is conducted, it should be probed whether training is needed. Conducting this analysis allows an
organization to focus its efforts on areas of training that are necessary for employees to successfully carry out
the organization's goals, make optimum use of the company's training money and motivate employees by
contributing to their career development.

Step 2: Determine Design of Needs Analysis (Gap Analysis)

The second step in Training Needs Assessment is to determine the following:

● Target groups to be trained.

● Interviewees.

● Survey methods.

● Survey plan including schedule to be conducted Training Needs Assessment and persons in charge of
Training Needs Assessment.

These items become the basis for a training course designer to either create a new training course, identify an
existing one that can fulfil the need, or obtain one externally. Sometimes it may be impossible to fulfil the need,
but that is not the decision of the person conducting Training Needs Assessment. Actually, knowing exactly
what elements of information are required can serve as a guide –a road map- for the analysis. The survey must
clearly define the target group of the training, i.e, and target population. Although no strict rules for defining
exist, the target population must be defined in line with the objectives of Training Needs Assessment.

The survey should produce the following elements in its report:

● Training subjects.

● Importance of the training.

● Time requirements.

● Current target group.

● Potential target group.

● Frequency of training.

● Required outputs of the training.

Step 3: Assess Training Option

The third step in Training Needs Assessment is to assess training option. The gap analysis generates a list of
training options and needs. The list can be assessed based on the goals and priorities of the organization, both
currently and in the future. A scale of 1 to 3 could be used with number 1 being critical, 2 being important and 3
being not important at all. Here are factors to consider when determining if training is a viable option.

● Solution to a problem.

● Cost.

● Return on investment.

● Legal compliance.

● Time.

● Remain competitive.

Step 4: Report Training Needs and Recommend Training Plans

The next step is to report the findings from the training needs assessment, and make recommendations for short-
and long-term training plans and budgets, starting with the most critical priorities from the training option list. If
there is a timeline for any of the trainings, such as a deadline to satisfy training obligations for legal compliance