BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS

A PROJECT REPORT ON EFFECTIVE TRAINING OM EMPLOYEE

PERFORMANCE
SUBMITTED BY
SANTHOSH KUMAR O (3510910983)
SANTHOSH R (3510910985)
SANTHOSH KUMAR PR (3510910984)
SARAVANAN TK (3510910994)
SAMBATH KUMAR G (3510910674)

TO
Mr.DR.JAYARAMAN

FACULTY
MANAGEMENT STUDIES


TRAINING FOR EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE
DEFINITION
The term Training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills,
and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge
that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides
the backbone of content at institutes of technology. In addition to the basic training required
for a trade, occupation or profession, observers of the labour-market

recognize today the
need to continue training beyond initial qualifications: to maintain, upgrade and update skills
throughout working life. People within many professions and occupations may refer to this
sort of training as professional development.
One can generally categorize such training as on-the-job or off-the-job:
On-the-job training takes place in a normal working situation, using the actual tools,
equipment, documents or materials that trainees will use when fully trained. On-the-job
training has a general reputation as most effective for vocational work.
Off-the-job training takes place away from normal work situations implying that the
employee does not count as a directly productive worker while such training takes place.
Off-the-job training has the advantage that it allows people to get away from work and
concentrate more thoroughly on the training itself. This type of training has proven more
effective in inculcating concepts and ideas

Determining Whether Training Is Needed

When a performance appraisal or a manager's own on-the-job observations reveal
unsatisfactory job performance or a performance problem, managers tend to think of training
as the way to resolve the problem. While training may be an appropriate way to solve many
performance problems, there are many others that will not be resolved by training but could
be addressed through improved supervision. For example, performance problems that result
from troubles in an employee's personal life, from personality conflict with clients or other
employees, or from a lack of understanding of what is really expected of the employee are all
problems that can be addressed by the supervisor and that would not be resolved by further
training. As training can be costly, managers should seriously consider other options before
deciding whether to send someone for training

Using the decision tree to decide if training is necessary

To help you determine whether or not a problem can be resolved through training, follow the
steps outlined in the "Decision Tree for Training". As you can see in this diagram, training is
only one of the possible solutions and is only appropriate when the performance problem is
caused by the lack of a necessary skill, such as inserting contraceptive implants or
maintaining the minimum level of contraceptive commodities. To use the decision tree, begin
at the top of the diagram and state exactly what the performance problem is: What is the
difference between what is supposed to be done and what is being done?
Next, determine whether the problem is important. What would happen if no training were
provided?

Decide whether the problem is caused by a lack of skill (could the person do it if her or his
life depended on it?). If the problem isnot caused by a lack of skill, then training will not
help the situation; the problem is caused by something that requires a different solution.
Follow the questions on the right-hand side of the "decision tree" to determine what steps to
take to correct the problem.
Even if the problem is caused by a skill deficiency, training will not always be the solution.
As you will see when you follow the left-hand side of the tree, the employee may actually
have the skill but may need more practice to perform effectively, on the performance may be
able to be corrected by feedback from the supervisor. For example, although a nurse's aide
learned how to take blood pressure as part of her overall clinical training, she spent the first
three months of her employment doing community outreach and has recently returned to
clinical work. She has not taken blood pressure measurements since her training and needs


To practice, but she does not need further training. In another example, a nurse who had been
employed Ministry of Health clinics for ten years has recently taken a job with a private
clinic. The nurse's supervisor notices, while supervising an IUD insertion, that the nurse's
technique varies slightly from clinic protocol. The nurse has used this skill often and does
not need further training. After receiving feedback from her supervisor, she is able to follow
clinic protocol.

Different types of training can be used

The manager should remember that even when training has been identified as necessary,
formal training may not be appropriate. It is possible that the skill deficiency can be resolved
through on-the-job training by the supervisor or by another employee. In assessing the
situation, the manager should also consider whether the employee is really qualified for the
Job and can be trained or whether the job should be carried out by someone else








Decision Tree For Training





Designing And Planning A Training Program

Different types of training are needed as a program develops

A family planning program will have different staffing needs, and thus different training
needs, in the various stages of its existence. Early in the life of a family planning program or
organization, training will focus on: basic clinical skills; counseling for family planning
service providers; communication techniques for providing family planning information and
education to prospective clients; and basic training in the development and implementation of
management support systems. As the program expands and adds new staff and services,
additional training will be required. Management will need to become more efficient, and
managers will need to be trained to develop and manage more sophisticated programs as the
organization matures and faces increasingly complex issues such as financial sustainability,
greater difficulty in attracting new acceptors, and improving the quality of services.
At any stage in the life of a program, formal in-depth training may be required. If the
program is small and the manager happens to be an experienced trainer, she or he may do
much or all of the designing and planning of the training program and much of the actual
training as well. If the manager does not have much training experience, it is best to have one
or more training specialists doing the designing, planning, and training. Even if you, the
manager, are note closely involved in its preparation, you will probably be responsible for
making sure that the training brings about the desired results and is well run. Whether or not
you are a member of the training team, as a manager you need to have a good general
understanding of:

How to tell when an employee needs training;

How to do a training needs assessment;

How to prepare a training program;

How to write a proposal to request funds for staff training;

How to manage logistics for training;

How to evaluate a training program;

How to follow up after the training program ends.



The training process is made up of a continuous cycle of activities, as the diagram below
shows.




Performing a Training Needs Assessment

As was mentioned earlier in the chapter, training other than refresher
training is necessary only when an employee is lacking a skill that is required to carry out
either her or his current job or a new job resulting from a promotion or transfer. As the
manager, you may notice such skill deficiencies during the course of your routine supervision
or during performance evaluation if you have a regular evaluation process. As always, keep
in mind the fact that training may not resolve the problem. For example, an employee may
receive training, but program performance may not improve because the real problem is a
lack of resources, a rigid organizational hierarchy that prevents good communication
between departments, or inadequate supervision. Also consider that the problem may be that
the employee does not have an aptitude for that task, and it may make more sense to reassign
the task to another employee than to waste resources on further training for that person.

Tools for Performing a Training Needs Assessment

To determine whether and what kind of training is needed, the
manager or the training specialist (or both working together) should look at the current work
situation, decide what skills are needed, and determine what skills the staff lack. There are
two types of training needs assessments: one for basic training of new staff and one for
strengthening the skills of current staff. For the first, use job descriptions or task analyses to
determine the correct curriculum for initial training. For the second, use supervision or client
surveys to reveal the problem areas to address in training. A variety of methods can be used
in this analysis:

An analysis of job descriptions and workplans.

Review the job description for each position and list the critical skills that are needed by the
people filling that position. If any employees in that position lack a necessary skill, it should
be included in the training program and the person lacking the skill should attend the
relevant modules of the course. Use the work plan to ensure that organizational objectives
will be addressed by the training.

Task analysis. To conduct a task analysis, make a list of all the tasks, large and small, which
a person carries out in her or his job. Describe in detail all the activities that make up each
task. Determine the skills, knowledge, attitudes, equipment, material, consequences, and risks
involved in each activity. Group this information into units of related tasks requiring similar
skills and knowledge, and transform these units into training objectives and methods (didactic
or practical).

On-the-job supervision and observations. By observing the employees as they go about
their routine work, you ought to be able to notice when someone does not fully understand a
task, performs a task incorrectly or poorly, or is giving out incorrect information.

Client surveys. There are several ways to survey your clients, and the purpose of all of them
is to determine whether the way in which family planning services are being provided is
meeting the needs of the clients. Exit interviews can be conducted with clients to discover
how services could be improved and what aspects clients were satisfied with. Exit interviews
include "missed opportunity" surveys that are conducted to discover whether any
opportunities were not used to advantage. For example, a mother came to have her children
immunized: did anyone speak to her about family planning? Another useful method for
surveying clients is the focus group, which brings together potential, current, or former
family planning clients for a guided discussion on a particular issues


TRAINING IMPROVES EMPLOYEES EFFICIENCY

Training is not limited to promoting efficient employee performance. It is the
most effective for tool of sound management.
Modern technology does a lot of good things for businesses. It can be used to
speed up production, improve the quality of products and services, and
tremendously decrease delivery times to customers. These capabilities of modern
technology, however, are useless unless employees are familiar with them. In
inexpert hands, it can disrupt the smooth flow of work instead of making it
efficient. At no time in the stages of production development has employee training
become more crucial than it is today, although training has long been recognized as one of
the essential tools for effective management.
The concept, scope, and methodologies of employee training have undergone many changes
to respond to the need for efficiency or change in the workplace. Aside from the obvious
need of new employees to get familiar with the usual policies and work system of the
company that hired them, they also have to get acquainted with the technology being
employed. Thus, many companies have found it useful for new employees to undergo
familiarization training before letting them formally assume assigned positions.
Training is not limited to the knowledge and mastery of technology-based production
processes and allowing employees, new and old, to keep pace with the constantly changing
work environment. It is also used as a strategy to retain employees by preparing career paths
for them. This prevents a high employee turnover rate and ensures that the business maintains
high caliber employees manning sensitive positions. Another important benefit of training is
that its helps businesses to develop and institutionalize a management system which can
bring stability and growth. Training, after all, is not limited to the rank and file; many hours
are also devoted to training middle and top level managers, to help them become efficient in
the new trends, thereby having more effective ways of organizational and human resource
management.
Training is the most important tool of a business to develop commitment and
loyalty and to create a culture of cooperation among employees. Although
monetary compensation plays a crucial role in this, a culture that develops a sense
of belonging among employees not only motivates them to do their best, but also
makes them hesitate to leave the company, even with more lucrative job offers.
Training and education of employees is a major investment among businesses,
especially now that technology is constantly discovering new methods of doing
things. According to research, various companies invest more than 100 billion
dollars on employee training and education annually. New employees are getting
much benefit from these intensified employee development programs. These
programs are focused on providing them more than adequate knowledge and skills
about the jobs they will soon assume and the company that hired them. All that
money is well spent, it seems, as the same research studies reveal that these
companies enjoy considerable increases in productivity.
A few decades ago, training and education is considered a necessary expense and
training sessions are mostly focused on management courses for executive level
employees. Today, it is unthinkable for training to have such a narrow focus. It is
intended to provide the means for all employees, managers, and rank and file alike,
to perform well at their jobs, and means for the business to adjust to a shifting
business environment.



Training and Development to Motivate Staff
The quality and variety of the employee training you provide is key for motivation. Reasons
for employee training range from new-hire training about your operation, to introducing a
new concept to a workgroup to bringing in a new computer system.
Whatever your reason for conducting an employee training session, you need to develop the
employee training within the framework of a comprehensive, ongoing, and consistent
employee training program. This quality employee training program is essential to keep your
staff motivated about learning new concepts and your department profitable.

Essential Components of Employee Training Programs
A complete employee training program includes a formal new hire training program with an
overview of the job expectations and performance skills needed to perform the job functions.
A new hire training program provides a fundamental understanding of the position and how
the position fits within the organizational structure.
The more background knowledge the new associate has about how one workgroup
interrelates with ancillary departments, the more the new associate will understand his or her
impact on the organization.
Another aspect of a comprehensive employee training program is continuing education. The
most effective employee training programs make continuing education an ongoing
responsibility of one person in the department. This is an important function that will keep all
staff members current about policies, procedures and the technology used in the department.
New Hire Training
A solid new hire training program begins with the creation of an employee training manual,
in either notebook format or online. This manual acts as a building block of practical and
technical skills needed to prepare the new individual for his or her position.
In order for the department to understand current policies and procedures, a manager must
ensure the department manuals or online employee training are kept current. This includes
any system enhancements and / or change in policy or procedure. In addition, keep the user in
mind when designing training manuals or online training; keep the employee training
material interesting for the learner. Use language that is not "corporate" and include images
and multi-media.
Much of this employee training and reference material belongs online these days in a
company Intranet. But, if your organization is not ready to embrace the online world, keep
the manuals up-to-date and interesting. When possible, in computer training, incorporate
visual images of the computer screen (multi-media screen capture) to illustrate functions,
examples, and how tos.
On the Job Training
Another form of new hire training includes having the new associate train directly next to an
existing associate. Some call this On the Job Training (OJT) or side-by-side training. This
type of employee training allows the new associate to see first hand the different facets of the
position.
Also, OJT allows the new hire the opportunity to develop a working relationship with an
existing associate. This type of employee training reinforces concepts learned in the initial
training and should be used to reinforce and apply those same learned concepts.
Continuing Education in Employee Training
A continuing education program for a department is just as important as the new hire training.
When training a new associate, I have found that they will only retain approximately 40
percent of the information learned in the initial training session. Therefore, a continuous
effort must be placed on reminding the staff about various procedures and concepts. This
continuing education can be formal or informal. (The authors preference is always with a
more informal approach.)
The formal, or traditional approach, to employee training often includes a member of
management sending a memo to each associate. The informal, and often more appealing
approach to a visual learner, is to send a one-page information sheet to staff. This information
sheet, called a training alert, should be informative and presented in a non-threatening
manner. Therefore, if the policy or procedure changes, the informal approach would better
prepare the department to receive this presentation.
Effective Training Program Tips
Here are a few final thoughts on the design of the continuing education employee training
program.
According to the Wall Street Journal, most adults write at an eight-grade level. Therefore,
always follow the acronym of KISS. (Keep it simple, sweetie.)
When scheduling the training session, attempt to keep your groups diverse. This promotes
good discussion and is a live example of how concepts can relate throughout the
organization and/or workgroups.
Attempt to have a point person or a trainer in each work area. This concept serves two
purposes. If a new system or procedure will be introduced, the point person can learn the
system or procedure and train the staff. (People always learn better when they are required
to teach the concept.)

Second, it helps having a local resource within the workgroup. This allows for more
questions when the level of understanding is low. Associates will not feel threatened by
someone they sit next to every day versus a trainer from the human resources or
organizational development area.


The trainer makes a difference. One of the most effective training sessions I ever
attended was at General Motors. As part of a corporation-wide culture change process, all
employees attended an educational session.The key ingredient was the instructor. He was a
GM Executive; he expected each individual attending the session, in turn, to instruct the
people who reported to them. The ability to train others is one of the most important
indicators of training retention. (An organization development consultant assisted with the
sessions as well, since not every manager was confident of his ability to
train.)Alternatively, participants react more favorably to trainers who have experience in
their industry. They appreciate facilitators who have experienced and addressed the issues
and situations highlighted in the training. The more closely the instructor can link the
training to participants real life experience, the better for training transfer, the application
of the information later on the job.
Present training as part of a consistent message from the organization. Classes must
build on each other and reinforce the content learned in earlier sessions. Too many
organizations approach training as a potpourri or menu of available classes and
sessions.When there is no interconnection between training sessions, and the information
provided in the training sessions, organizations lose a great opportunity to reinforce basic
shared skills, approaches, and values. Training must reference earlier sessions, draw
parallels, and reinforce content.As an example, one university supervisory development
program introduced an effective feedback process in a communication class. This
feedback model was then reinforced and emphasized in the conflict resolution session, the
performance management session, and the motivation session. Participants received a
consistent approach, emphasized across sessions, to ensure the transfer of the training
information to the workplace.
Ask each individuals manager, and the managers manager, to attend the training
session with their staff. When three management levels of an organization attend training
together, participants may be more willing to try out the ideas learned in training. This is
especially effective if participants see their manager trying out new skills as well.
Provide training in chunks that are scheduled over a period of time. I find people
learn more in training sessions that provide chunks, small amounts of content, based on a
couple of well-defined objectives. Participants attend these sessions, perhaps a couple of
hours per week, until the subject is learned.
This allows the participants to practice the concepts in between the training sessions. Both
the content of the training and the application of the concepts are reinforced at each
subsequent session.This also allows people to discuss their successes and difficulties in
applying the training in their actual work session. The instructor can help participants
practice the training content by giving assignments that are debriefed at the next meeting.
Train people in skills and information that are immediately applicable on the
job.Use it or lose it, is a common refrain about training. This is a true statement. Even
with strategic skills such as listening, providing performance feedback, and team building,
set up situations in which practice is immediate and frequent, to help participants retain the
training.
In application-oriented training such as software training, dont bother with the training
unless participants have the software. In fact, training is often more effective if they
experiment with the program first, before attending the session.
The trainer can set a positive, productive tone for the session and the later
application of learning with a positive, informative, honest opening that stresses
behaviorally oriented objectives. How the instructor opens the training session begins
the process of managing participant expectations
During the training session, practice active learning principles; honor a variety of
learning styles. Recognize that a range of activities and information applications will
appeal to participants varied learning styles. Use real life examples, analogies, case
studies, small roup discussion, presentation, and experiential exercises.Provide visual
support materials such as films and transparencies for people who learn visually. Activities
will appeal to your hands-on crowd. Ask participants to provide examples of the concept
you are training from their experience.
Increase trainee investment in the session by engaging them in tasks requiring
action. Provide easy ways for participants to take notes; periodically ask participants to jot
down application ideas. Ask them to share these ideas in a small group. Ask people to
underline the most important concept on a page; circle the ideas that most apply to their
circumstances.
Assign or self-select a training partner. One of the more effective sessions I have
attended supplied me with a training partner. The role of the training partner was well-
defined and agreed upon by participants. We contacted each other for six months
following the training program to compare notes and assist with application challenges. I
developed an excellent professional colleague in the process.

Training and development managers and professional trainers today need all of the help
they can get. With incessant organizational change, skills shortages and increased global
competition, training employees on a cramped budget is getting harder. The training
resources and learning tools in our training management section will help you create
effective employee training and development programs in your workplace.

Employee Training in Todays Workplace
Is your organization grappling with a constantly changing marketplace and internal
reorganizations? As a training and development professional, are you increasingly expected
to deliver real organizational benefits from your employee training programs within shorter
time frames and often with smaller training budgets? How are you meeting this challenge?
Larger organizations are continuing to adopt ever more comprehensive enterprise-wide
Learning Management Systems (LMS) to deliver, track and report training programs and
expenditure. Small to medium-sized organizations on smaller budgets are also finding ways
to identify, track and report employee skills. Our inexpensive employee training tracking
software can help you meet your tight training budget whilst delivering up to the minute
automated reports on all aspects of your workplace training.
Training Programs and Project Management
Also having an impact on the training industry is the increased attention being paid to the
discipline of project management. Projects with unlimited budgets and never-ending
timelines trying to satisfy fuzzy organizational objectives are becoming tolerated less and less
in todays business world. Hence, the demand for project management training has seen a
dramatic rise in the last ten years. With this we have also seen an increased interest in project
management tools and methodologies. Check out our project management software section
for tools, templates and guides that can help your organization manage and deliver projects
better.
How we manage training projects has also matured. As discretionary budgets have continued
to shrink, rolling out expensive employee training programs to satisfy ad hoc requests from
department managers with no clear organizational rationale is no longer a viable option. More
training projects are now being run using an Instructional Systems Design (ISD) model.
Using such a model guarantees that the learning objectives of the training program tie in with
a real organizational need. It also raises an organizations confidence that the training
program will be of high quality and satisfy the needs of all major stakeholders. Check out our
guide on writing learning outcomes and our training projects template pack to help you
deliver training projects more effectively.
Training Tools and Resources for Effective Training
Budget constraints and increased business competition have also led to a recent emphasis on
the payback on training expenditure. Poor training needs analysis (TNA) and change
managementpractices in the past have led to an extravagant wastage of training budgets, with
experts estimating that only some 10 to 20 percent of training dollars spent leads to some
organizational benefit.Donald Kirkpatricks traditional four-level model remains as the most
used model for evaluating theeffectiveness of training. This, however, has been supplemented
by Jack Phillips with a new fifth level, Return on Investment (ROI). Investigate our Training
Evaluation Toolkit for a comprehensive guide and tools designed to help you evaluate the
effectiveness of your training programs.
How much are you using the new performance consulting approach in improving the
effectiveness of your training programs? With this approach, poor employee performance is
diagnosed with an accurate and effective employee performance diagnostic tool before any
action is taken.
Using a systems view, all workplace factors influencing employee performance are
considered. The upshot is that training may not be the appropriate solution to a performance
shortfall in every case. The eventual solution may be multifaceted, highlighting process
deficiencies, irrelevant or inadequate rewards and recognition, ineffective goal setting, and so
on.
Using this approach, training is no longer a nave single-point solution, but is perhaps just
one component of the final package. Check out our eBook, From Training to Enhanced
Workplace Performance, for a practical guide and many customizable templates that you can
use to improve the effectiveness of your training programs.
Training Systems Best Practice
Is your training management system becoming more effective and efficient in delivering
organizational capability? Many training professionals have continued to move their
organizations towards training best practice. Some do not know where to start.
Excellent human resource best practice models have been available for some time. Two
prominent examples are the U.S. People Capability Maturity Model and the British Investors
in People. As excellent as these models are, they are not specific to training systems. Our
training best practice model, however, is specifically designed for training and development
practitioners. Our Training Management Maturity Model features an evolutionary approach
to achieving best practice. Coupled with an assessment, analysis and reporting tool, training
managers are now able to take measured steps in improving the effectiveness of their training
system.The training management software tools and templates in this section will help you
manage your training function and training programs. We invite you to investigate.


Benefit of Systematic Approaches to Training

Many of us assume that we already have good training for ourselves and our employees After
all, we answer our employees' questions as they have them. We send our employees to a
course once in a while. Sure, our approach to training isn't intentional, that is, planned and
focused. But our employees seem to be doing their jobs without have any real problems.
Unfortunately, we don't know what we don't know. It may be that our employees could be
performing much better than we realize if they had better skills. It might be that we
supervisors could get back a lot of time that otherwise is spent answering our employees'
questions. We might retain our employees much longer, as well. Addressing this possibility
isn't a "what if" question, it's a primary responsibility of a supervisor.
Adopting a systematic approach to training helps ensure that supervisors are getting the most
out of themselves and their employees. A systematic approach to training includes taking the
time to analyze what results the organization needs from its employees, if employees are
accomplishing those results, and what training and development approaches are needed by
employees to better accomplish those results. A systematic approach includes evaluating
approaches before, during and after training to ensure employees truly benefited from the
training in terms of enhanced results to the organization.
Effective training and development includes using sound principles of performance
management and good, basic training techniques.
Basic Overview of Some Systematic Approaches to Training
The following manuals outline systematic training processes. A systems approach ensures a
comprehensive training process that remains focused on the needs of the organization. The
process typically includes the phases:
1. Analyze the organization's needs and identify training goals which, when reached,
will equip learner's with knowledge and skills to meet the organization's needs.
Usually this phase also includes identifying when training should occur and who
should attend as learners.
2. Design a training system that learners and trainers can implement to meet the learning
goals; typically includes identifying learning objectives (which culminate in reaching
the learning goals), needed facilities, necessary funding, course content, lessons and
sequence of lessons.
3. Develop a training "package" of resources and materials, including, e.g., developing
audio-visuals, graphics, manuals, etc.
4. Implement the training package, including delivering the training, support group
feedback, clarifying training materials, administering tests and conducting the final
evaluation. This phase can include administrative activities, such as copying,
scheduling facilities, taking attendance data, billing learners, etc.
5. Evaluate training, including before, during and after implementation of training.
In a systematic approach to training, each phase of the process produces results needed by the
next phase. For example, the training analysis phase produces learning goals that are used by
the next phase, training design. Training design (often called instructional design) references
the goals to design methods and materials from which learners can reach the goals and
objectives. Typically, each phase provides ongoing evaluation feedback to other phases in
order to improve the overall systems process.

Similarity Between Systematic Training Process and Performance Management Process

Performance Management: An Overview in this library will note the similarity between the
processes of systematic training and performance management. The results from
implementing the two processes are highly integrated as well. That's why if a supervisor uses
good principles of performance management then training and development can be a
straightforward activity which almost always contribute to the organization's bottom line.
The performance management process is repeated below from the library section,
Performance Management. When reviewing the steps below, think of the word "domain" as
applying to the employee being trained. Comments are added in italics. The words
"employee" and "learner" are used interchangeably.
Review organizational goals to associate preferred organizational results in terms of units
of performance, that is, quantity, quality, cost or timeliness (note that the result itself is
therefore a measure) - Reviewing these goals will prepare the supervisor and employee
for soon ensuring that training produces useful results for the organization. Implementing
a good training plan will produce results for the organization.

Specify desired results for the domain -- as guidance, focus on results needed by other
domains (e.g., products or services need by internal or external customers) - The
training process should have specific learning goals to accomplish which, in turn, help
the learner accomplish specific results.
Ensure the domain's desired results directly contribute to the organization's result -- A
good training plan must be geared to help the employee produce specific results,
which in turn, directly contribute to results needed by the organization
Weight, or prioritize, the domain's desired results - Knowing what range of results are
needed from the employee and which are the most important, helps the supervisor and
employee to pick what training is needed and when.
Identify first-level measures to evaluate if and how well the domain's desired results
were achieved - This refinement of expected results from the employee helps the
supervisor and employee to ensure that training is highly focused on results for the
employee -- and organization. this step is similar to setting standards against which
the training will be evaluated
Identify more specific measures for each first-level measure if necessary - This step is
similar to setting up-front training goals in the training plan, and associating measures
from which the effectiveness of training can later be evaluated.
Identify standards for evaluating how well the desired results were achieved (e.g.,
"below expectations", "meets expectations" and "exceeds expectations")
Document a performance plan -- including desired results, measures and standards -
This is similar to developing the training plan, with preferred training goals and
measures.
Conduct ongoing observations and measurements to track performance - The training
plan is implemented and includes ongoing evaluation before, during and after carrying
out training methods.
Exchange ongoing feedback about performance - Effective training requires ongoing
feedback between learners and trainer.
Conduct a performance appraisal (sometimes called performance review) - Effective
training includes evaluation to judge the quality of the training itself and identify what
results were achieved by learners.
If performance meets the desired performance standard, then reward for performance
(the nature of the reward depends on the domain) - Hopefully, the learning experience
includes time to acknowledge successes and the trainers' and learners' roles in those
successes.
If performance does not meet performance standards, develop or update a
performance development plan - A good training plan will include measures for
noting changes in the employee's performance. If improvement is needed, a
performance plan should be updated or started, and may include cause for more
training. Likewise, the trainer should review results of learners' evaluations to
improve the quality of his or her training design.



Relationship Between Training & Employee Performance

Employee performance may be related to numerous factors within the workplace, such
as overall job satisfaction, knowledge, and management. But there is a
definite relationship between training and performance, as training programs can
address numerous problems that relate to poor performance.

knowledge
Training programs increase an employee's job knowledge. An increase in job
knowledge means that the employee will feel more comfortable doing his job and will
perform at a high level.
Satisfaction
Job satisfaction can come from feeling comfortable within the organization,
job proficiency and even from the knowledge that an employee can work hard and get
promoted. Training programs can contribute to all of these factors and lead to more satisfied
employees who perform at exceptional levels.
Innovation
Training employees about the organization, where each employee fits in the
organization and how the organization fits into its overall industry creates innovation. In
other words, employees who have a knowledge framework, delivered through training, are
creative in solving problems, both in the short and long term.
Career Orientation
When training programs are offered as a method to progress in one's career,
they also have an effect on how an employee performs. Employees who know they have a
future with the organization are more likely to be high performers.
Goal Orientation
Effective training targets the gap between what is expected and what is
currently being done. This human performance orientation, especially if delivered through
training, makes an employee aware of her goals and how she will reach them.

How to Develop Effective Employee Training

Effective employee training occurs due to many factors, yet
each effective training program shares certain components. The common elements for
effective training include adult learning theories and models, hands-on practice for hard
skills, verbal practice for soft skills, and a participant-centered environment, as opposed to a
trainer-centered environment.


1. Conduct a needs assessment. In order to develop effective training, define
what it is the employee is doing now, what it is you want them to be doing differently,
and list the gaps in behavior, skills, or attitude.
2. Define the audience. Decide who will and who will not attend the training. You
may decide that employees who are not current in the training role may need to be
cross-trained, just so they understand how the entire operation works. Conversely, you
may decide that the performance of only a few employees need intervention and the
training class may be limited to a select few.

3. Decide on measurable outcomes after the training. Measurable outcomes
begin with action verbs, and are verifiable, or measurable. For example, if you want to
teach employees how to clean DVDs, a few of your measurable outcomes would
include holding, cleaning, removing scratches and storing.

4. Design the curriculum and training environment. If you are not the person
writing the training material, hire an instructional designer who will write curriculum
for hands-on training. Request job aids as appropriate to the tasks.

5. Choose a trainer who does not like to hear him or herself lecture
endlessly. Limit your training environment to a place where the participants practice
the desired outcome repeatedly in a training room.

6. Assess the training. Talk to the employees who attended the training. Verify the
effectiveness of the training to determine if participants have changed
their work behaviors

7. Conduct ongoing needs assessments and embrace a proactive
training stance. For years, corporate training reflected reactive, band-aid
approaches to poor employee performance. Train employees before they begin the
work, and they will perform better. If they do not receive training, and develop bad
habits, it is counter-productive to offer training as a remedy.


How to Develop a Training Workshop

Workshops are an excellent way to teach employees new skills or
to help them learn new tasks. In order to be effective, a training workshop must be carefully
planned and developed to ensure that the subject matter is covered thoroughly and reinforced
in a way that will allow employees to use it on the job. Effective development will take some
time upfront, but following the proper steps helps ensure that the workshop will be an
effective training experience.

Identify the specific goals of the training workshop. These will be your learning objectives.
What should employees know at the end of the training? What should they be able to do?
You cannot develop an effective workshop if you don't know exactly what you want the
attendees to learn and how they should that knowledge after the training.
List the steps it will take to achieve each of the identified goals. These steps will form the
core material for the training workshop. If needed, consult subject matter experts who help
you identify these steps. Break the goals down to their most basic level, as you will need to
gear the training workshop material to employees who may have little or no knowledge of the
skills you want them to acquireDevelop the workshop material. You will most likely need the
help of your subject matter experts for this step, too. They can give you the technical
information, and you can translate it into easy-to-understand lessons.

Decide how the material will be presented at the workshop. Will you be breaking it down into
individual sessions, and if so, will how will the sessions build and complement each other?
Will the material primarily be presented through lectures, or will you also be using group
activities and other methods? Will you be using supplementary materials such as slide shows
and handouts? How will you assess the employees at the end to make sure they understand
the materialFinalize the workshop presentations, and prepare a schedule. Include enough
breaks to keep the employees from getting restless and uncomfortable. It's best to schedule a
break at least once an hour so people can go use the restrooms, go outside to smoke or attend
to personal business.

Run a test session of the workshop, using employees with similar backgrounds to those who
will be attending the actual event. At the end of the test workshop, thoroughly debrief the
participants and incorporate their feedback into the final version.After you run the workshop,
conduct an evaluation. Gather feedback from the employees on what they liked best and the
areas that could be improved. Incorporate their feedback into future presentations of the
training material or in development of other training workshops



Giving Employees Time to Practice: An efficient Way to
Enhance Productivity
The workplace is constantly changing with new methods being introduced.
Giving employees time to become familiar with changes does a lot to
improving productivity.
These days, employers are always on their toes waiting for the release of
new programs or equipment promising to make jobs easier, to give the
company the edge over the competition, or to drastically cut down on
production costs. The speed with which technology discovers newer and
more effective ways of doing things has forced companies to invest heavily
on these programs and equipment; and consequently, employee training and
retraining.Employers invest on employee development for the purpose of
raising productivity. This means time and effort should be focused on the
production of goods and services, but there is no helping the fact that
problems sometimes occur with introduction of innovations, or when a new
employee who is not familiar with how the company system works is hired.
This requires a period of adjustment where jobs can be held up, and this
further means extra costs to the company.

One way to prevent work disruption because of workplace changes is to
provide time for retraining or familiarization. A new employee should be
given time to practice. A day or two cannot be that expensive if it will mean
an efficient and productive employee later on. The same treatment can also
be extended to old employees whenever a new system or policy is
introduced that has a major impact on their jobs.Actually, a few companies
provide new employees time to get acclimatized with the general
environment of the workplace and their jobs, as part of their basic
orientation. These companies sometimes assign a veteran employee to
mentor the new hire and guide him around for a day or two until he gets the
feel of the job and is ready to handle a real job assignment.

Even old employees are not immune to being thrown off kilter by the
introduction of new methods, especially since they are used to the old
methods and have to undo a lot of inculcated habits. It is probably easier for
new hires that come directly from college because they do not have to
unlearn a lot of things. Often, these companies would also conduct
orientation or training sessions for employees when new work methods are
involved.

New policies, pieces of equipment, or computer-based programs demand a
period for employees to become familiar with them. Whether the innovation
is being introduced from the outside or in-house development, employers
cannot afford jobs ending up in disarray because employees are not ready
for the innovation. This can cause a lot of friction and irritants among
employees aside from monetary costs.

Most businesses rely heavily on technology to disseminate information
among employees, to business partners and customers, and to create a
product and a service. It would be a good idea to also have an employee
handling the technology side of the business. This employee should be one
who would study trends in technology applications, one can be trained to act
as trainer for old and new employees whenever management decides that a
new program or equipment has the ability to increase productivity. This
way, this new program or equipment can give them the competitive edge
over the competition.


Management Tools to Enhance Employee Efficiency
The production line method has no place in the modern day workplace.
Employees are expected to have skills in managing their jobs, which have
grown complex in nature.
Employees, whatever position they occupy in an organization and however simple
their jobs are, always exercise some aspect of management function that most
people would relate to top echelon executives.
Management of any enterprise or business is essentially organizing resources, both
human and non-human, and developing capacities towards the efficient
accomplishment of desired goals and objectives. Organizing resources are
everyday jobs of managers. They are expected to take the lead in formulating long
term and immediate plans, take care of staffing needs, provide direction to
implementation, and render general supervisory functions. All these require the
identification of specific tasks and the establishment of control mechanisms to
ensure that daily activities are accomplished according to plan and employee
performance is at par with expectations.
It is not only managers who make use of task setting, control, and management
techniques to improve the quality of every day work. Even ordinary employees,
however simple their jobs are, need these tools as they have deadline to fulfill and
co-employees and superiors to deal with. These are likewise helpful to employees
who have heavy workloads. It is seldom that an employee is left on his own and
allowed to set his own work pace. Such a practice would only result to chaos.
Any job performed in a company setting is part of the larger scheme of things. The
job of a particular employee is usually connected to the jobs of other employees.
For example, a staff assigned to put out advertising campaigns works closely with
sales people who have their own targets to accomplish. Planning, setting tasks and
managing specific tasks and establishing control over the use of resources such as
budgets, materials and time, and coordinating with other departments are everyday
processes that are necessary for the jobs to progress and become easier to
accomplish.
Organizing the various and numerous details of specific jobs through task setting
and control are potent tools in promoting job performance improvement and
efficiency. They can be used to effectively reduce the most intricate and time
consuming jobs into daily routines that are performed automatically. At the start of
the day, a list of tasks according to importance, accompanied by strategies for
accomplishment, people involved, and resources needed to accomplish them can
do a lot in minimizing time spent on doing unessential things.
The benefits of employing management tools for every day jobs are obvious and
even jobs that do not demand frequent interfacing with other offices or co-
employees would benefit from them. These tools help individuals manage their
jobs efficiently and help improve performance.
Without exception, all employees make use of management techniques in the
performance of their daily duties. Many people think that only those belonging to
the upper echelons of management have a need for them. The truth is that these
processes are as important to executives as they are to ordinary employees. When
institutionalized, they are tools that reduce the most difficult tasks into mere
routines that are done automatically, with less effort but with results that are
worthy of praise and reward.
Ensuring Employees Continued Success through Additional
Training Programs
Helping employees succeed in their working career forms part of the
responsibility of both the employer and the employee themselves through the
use of appropriate training programs.
Employee training programs are vital to the success of the employees and to the
organization as a whole. Business analysts are all aware of the innumerable
benefits of investing on training programs and how they affect employees
performance and help increase companies revenue.
Small organizations can benefit from and employ training programs virtually
without any cost to the organization through the establishment of corporate training
universities, for example. Alternatively, small organizations can send one or some
of their best employees in the business to a certain training program and have it
echoed to the rest of the employees.
Still, some small organizations may hire a speaker to conduct the training program
and take a few hours of your employees time to immerse them on training that can
be used to light up some motivation sparks hiding somewhere in them. This can
also be dome to stimulate them to come up with an idea that will help the
organization finish up a project or suggest a revamp on a pending company
decision.
All companies believe in the value of training programs and how they affect the
performance of the whole organization. Successful companies translate the effect
of the training programs to return on investment (ROI), which includes employee
retention, increased productivity on operation, and a decrease in fund spending.
Before you jump into the hype of conducting training to your employees, it is best
to consider just some of the few useful factors below that will help you scan your
employees preference and forte and use them to choose the best training programs
for them.
1. Choose Training Programs Aligned to Company's Goals and Mission.
Management trainers are aware of the fact that training programs are used and are
largely intertwined with the idea that company goals are being re-stressed and re-
emphasized. Organizations, big and small, would like their employees to conduct
themselves in the same direction where the company is headed to. Truly enough,
no single company would ever succeed if individual employees are functioning
without a purpose or clear direction.
2. Reason. Training employees should not come out of a hasty decision. It should
come with a purpose and with a clear target for the future. If the company is
suffering from low-morale, choose a training program that will enliven employees
and redeem their self-respect and self-worth and delineate their path to success and
their place within the company. On the same respect, if the company is suffering
from issues on sexual harassment and issues on company values, appropriate
conduct should be emphasized in the training.
3. Promoting Culture of Learning. Companys goals are not realized if employees
are not well-equipped with latest business strategies, and the various movements
happening in the business world. Continued education and training is enough to
keep your employees at the top of the game and keep up with the many challenges
faced on a daily basis.
These and other reasons are best to convince any business enterprise of the many
benefits training programs have to their employees, and how these help drive sales
and improve employee retention. This includes an effort to retain and attract the
best employees in the organization.
CONCLUSION
As result of effective training the performance of the employees will
definitely increase and the productivity will increase that persists before the training
session,this has been proved by many of the organisation people who carries out the
training session in their respective organisation