Staff Training

Background

Introduction of new workers

• to the company
  • investing - using what they already know and adding to it
  • divesting - starting from scratch - "You're in the army now!"
• to the specific job

Preparation of existing workers for promotion and transfer

• to make them more efficient
• to provide job satisfaction
• to prepare for movement

Preparation for change and avoidance of conflict

• for introduction of new machinery
• new methods
• new structures

Teamwork & management training

• Need for job descriptions & specifications
• Most training must be job related
• Other training must be related to company goals

Training documentation

• needs to be written and regularly updated
• needs to be modular and standardised

Training Cycle

Plan

• Decide what needs doing
  • Human Resource Inventory - preferably on computer
    • who has what skills, when obtained, what they need etc
    • obtained on entry and by susequent questionnaire, interview, performance appraisal
  • Job analysis which may show need for certain training
    
• Plan course
  • syllabus
    • aims - to teach xyz operators how to ....
    • outcomes - at the end, they will be able to ....
    • methods - on job, OJT - see below
    • assessment instruments - demonstration, examination
    • time needed - not time available
      
  • modules if internal
    • if large course - outlines first
    • down to detailed lesson plans
      
  • supplier, venue, costs etc if external

Implement

• ensure location is available and facilities present
• ensure times are mutually acceptable
• ensure staff are released as planned
• see other workshops for preparing broad and detailed documentation

Evaluate

• check that participants are better at job
  • now
  • at a later date - always the better method of evaluation
    
• ask participants for perceptions
• ask course facilitators for their perceptions

Manipulate

• evaluation may show that amendments are necessary at any stage
• implementation may show planning was not effective
• evaluation technique itself may need changing

Induction Training

Responsibility

• of all supervisors - even if there is a personnel department
  • should be a company policy and handbook, information sheet
    
• if not, prepare your own departmental one
  • if company one exists, have one for your own department anyway
    
• First impressions are important - remember costs if person leaves

Priorities

• Immediate hygiene factors -see workshop on motivation
  • toilets
  • tea/lunch break - canteen
  • introductions
  • safety factors
    
• immediate operational concerns
  • teacher/mentor
  • aim for first day/week
    
• later hygiene and operational concerns

Information Overload

• all people are under stress when joining new company even if it doesn't show
• only tell what needs to be known for that day or week
• give too much and it will not be digested eg, why tell about sick leave now?
• remember that which is not covered must be planned for future date - not forgotten!

Investing

• adds to sum of knowledge
• flexible company rules re dress, start times, attendance, breaks
• encourages innovation, creativity
• lack of uniformity
• sometimes makes it difficult to setlle in - but perhaps appears friendlier

Divesting

• starts from beginning
• company dress rules, standardised policies, SOPs
• ensures company image in all things
• enables easy transfer across company
• easy for diverse newcomers to settle in

Development of Skills

Supervisor has initial role, even if there is a training department

On the Job

• needs planning
  
  • teacher
    • training department
    • one of own departmental staff
    • imported staff
      
  • place
    • job site
    • training area
      • classroom
      • simulation
      • vestibule [using same equipment but away from real job]
        
  • time
    • time required - total and in modules
    • time of year
    • time of day
      
  • equipment
    
• Record-keeping
  • need to know who has done what, for how long, with what success
  • need to record training time and skill by supervisor
    
• Advantages & Disadvantages
  • saves time and money
  • can be easily controlled, manipulated
  • can cause production delays - supervisor away
  • can cause safety problems unless in vestibule

Off the Job

• Formal & Informal - organised by company or individual
  
• supervisor must be
  • aware of needs for individuals
    • Human Resource Inventory
    • from personal contact
      
  • aware what is available
    • technical colleges and university
    • private institutions
    • operator skills
    • management skills
      
  • importance of releasing staff
    • may be recognised time off
    • time in lieu
    • early release, late start
      
• Advantages and disadvantages
  • can save money
    • skills and facilities provided by others
    • trainees only drawn away
    • probably no production loss
      
  • no safety concerns
  • probably more skilled trainers
  • may get accreditation for individuals - motivation
  • takes more time by trainees
  • less control over content and methods

Staff and Career Development

• Responsibility
  • manager - for ethical reasons and to promote motivation - hence production
  • individual - to improve as employee, as part of Maslow's needs, to increase prospects
    
• Ethics
  • company is morally obliged to enhance the prospects of employees
  • company has self-interests in doing so
  • Government legislation may require certain expenditure
    
• Reasons
  • morale -see motivation and Mayo
  • job satisfaction - effort, perceptions of outcome, expectancy theory
  • efficiency - lack of management training in particular, but opersator skills also
    
• Multiskilling and teambuilding
  • trends are for generalists rather than specialists
  • downsizing leads to need to fill gaps and do two jobs
  • teams often cover for each other and help out
  • in any organisation, people should be able to do at least one other's job - tea and lunch breaks, absences etc
    
• Dangers and benefits of career planning [See Belbin]
  • Career planning can produce a person who has no need to struggle - his career is planned - regular change of appointments to gain experience.
    
  • No one should be moved just to gain experience - he acts unnaturally and staff are confused why he is foisted upon them.
    
  • Moves may be for functional or team-role purposes and should involve a number of people.
    
  • If you find yourself in a position for which your team-role is not suited - adapt a secondary role or, better still, carefully redraw the job boundaries to suit your role. [very often such people leave a very different job behind from the one which they inherited.]
    
  • With fewer chains of command in modern organisations, there needs to be greater teamwork. Promotion will be through personal growth accomplished by broadening of experience, developing functional and technical skills while maintaining team role identity.
    
  • Those who get on tend to be those who self-manage and who are aware of their role relationships - not the technically able. Successful teams and individuals are aware of their strengths, avoid areas where they cannot compete, and adopt compensating strategies.
    
• Costs of recruiting & training
  • need to weigh up cost of wrong selection
  • cost of recruiting if you don't train somebody properly
  • costs of training versus low production, morale
  • many benefits cannot be measured in monetary terms

Evaluation

• Testing the training plans
  • need to look at broad training plans once a year and evaluate effectiveness
  • be flexible, prepared to change whole structure if warranted
    
• Adjusting the system
  • minor changes are easy
  • no change for sake of change
  • don't put too much emphasis on reports of one segment - trainers, trainees, or bosses