Employee Training and Development

Employee training and development could have great impact on a firm's market share. This research paper is designed to give factual reports of employee training and development, and to show how they differ from smaller to larger firms. The following research will cover beginning from the early stages of employee training and development, to the present day techniques used by Human Resource Managers in the U.S. "During and after World War II, in-service training by employers became a common practice. The rapid changeover in industry from peace to war led to training schemes for semiskilled workers, for workers transferred to new jobs, and for women newly brought into industry. Thereafter, the rapid contemporary advance of technological change made training a necessity in almost all walks of life. At the operating level in industry and in public utilities, new techniques, new methods, new tools, new synthetics, new sources of power, and increased uses of automation have brought extensive changes in the past decades, and the rate of change tends to increase as time goes on. Comparable changes are taking place in the office with the extended use of computers and data processors, which provide for the storing and recall of information in amounts unknown 20 years ago," 1Britcana Encyclopedia. The training and development with a candidate usually starts with orientation. Work 911 had this to say about the importance of orientation, "1. To Reduce Startup-Costs
Proper orientation can help the employee get "up to speed" much more quickly, thereby reducing the costs associated with learning the job.
2. To Reduce Anxiety
Any employee, when put into a new, strange situation, will experience anxiety that can impede his or her ability to learn to do the job. Proper orientation helps to reduce anxiety that results from entering into an unknown situation, and helps provide guidelines for behavour and conduct, so the employee doesn't have to experience the stress of guessing.
3. To Reduce Employee Turnover
Employee turnover increases as employees feel they are not valued, or are put in positions where they can't possibly do their jobs. Orientation shows that the organization values the employee, and help provide tools necessary for succeeding in the job.
4. To Save Time For Supervisor & Co-Workers
Simply put, the better the initial orientation, the less likely supervisors and co-workers will have to spend time teaching the employee.
5. To Develop Realistic Job Expectations, Positive Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
It is important that employees learn early on what is expected of them, and what to expect from others, in addition to learning about the values and attitudes of the organization. While people can learn from experience, they will make many mistakes that are unnecessary and potentially damaging."
Another form of training is On-The-Job training. "On-the-job training (OJT) is common in both large and small organizations. It is usually done informally, with an experienced colleague or mentor overseeing or teaching the trainee. It may take place in a classroom, on the plant floor, or in any other place where work is being performed.
OJT is usually quite cost-effective, because it focuses on the tasks at hand, and requires no equipment beyond what the company already provides. It's also much less disruptive than other forms of training, because employees aren't removed from their duties, but are instead trained for their work while doing it.
The actual training is usually done by a manager or supervisor who is coaching employees while they work. Supervisor feedback tends to be immediate, and trainees often improve their job performance quickly. Employees also feel more confident about their job performance when they are being coached by supervisors, and on-the-job training is a good way for new employees to build relationships with their comrades." Says Mary Polley-Berte, Director of Customer Support and Training at SyberWorks, Inc. Apprenticeship training can be useful for certain type of jobs.

Gerald Gleason, Chairman, Department of Educational Psychology and Director, Programmed Learning Center University Wisconsin-Milwaukee said, "Perhaps no invention in recent history has caused so much fufore, has captured so much interest, has been so grossly maligned and, at the same time has resulted in such critical analysis of the teaching-learning process as has the . . . teaching instruction." The author contends that some of the advantages are these " 1. The computer enables the programmer to utilize branching techniques far more effectively than a programmed text. 2. The storage capacity of the computer enables the programmer to provide "feedback" for a virtually unlimited number of responses. 3. The computer can adapt the sequence and rate of presentation of material as a function of student characteristics or performance. 4. The computer can coordinate the use of audio, visual and kinesthetic stimulus and response modes to supplement the verbal mode."(Gleason, Will programmed instruction serve people? March 1966, pg 471- 479)