The Development of Human Resource - Case Study Example

Name: Professor: Institution: Course: Date: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0: Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 1.1: Graduates Trainee Management Programme-----------------------------------------------------4 1.2: Program Objectives---------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 2.0: Benefits of the Graduate Program----------------------------------------------------------------6 3.0: Training Programs----------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 3.1: On-the Job Training-------------------------------------------------------------- 8 3.2: Coaching and Mentoring--------------------------------------------------------- 10 3.3: Induction and Orientation ----------------------------------------------------- 10 4.0: Evaluation work plan -----------------------------------------------------------------------------12 4.1: Evaluation Matrix ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 5.0: Limitations---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Conclusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 References------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16 1.0 Introduction Human Resource Development is today recognized as one of the most important objective of any Organization that aims at maximizing their strategic Company goals and consultants have concluded that unless management are focused on the development of their employees they may be faced by many business challenges. Human Resource Development is defined as the processes of assisting employees to nature the development of their knowledge, abilities and organizational skills. Susan M. Heathfield ( 2011). It involves the development of performance management, career growth, training employees, coaching, and selection of employees, mentoring, Organization and planning succession. In order for employees to provide quality service to the customers’ organizations embark on focusing more on Human Resource Development for a workforce that is superior. There are many areas for providing training for employees in and out of an Organization. The Development of Human Resource can be either formal or informal. Formal development involves training in college or change effort planned by an Organization while informal training consists being trained by a manager who acts as a coach. The best approach towards developing a healthy Organization is concentrating on Human Resource. Jon M. Werner et.al (2008). Michael Armstrong, (2009) argued that for a company’s strategic plans and corporate objectives to be fulfilled the human resource personnel should be considered as the leading factor for performance and achievement of set goals. It is also the responsibility of the management to find, select, recruit and develop staff whose talents can be natured to match or be compatible with the Company’s strategic objectives and goals. Human Resource Management mandate is also involved in ensuring that the necessary programs are implemented whose role is compatible with a Company’s culture and core values. (Susan E. Jackson et al. (2008) Performance of employees in any Organization set up is enhanced if the human resource development program is in line with the company goals. In recent years, businesses are faced with the challenges of dynamic change in the field of technology especially in areas of communication and drastic measures have to be taken to counter the change. Change is inevitable for management progression and development of technical skills. Several businesses are however changing their trends and strategically setting targets that dramatically alter the way they used to conduct businesses. Ronald R.Sims (2008) argued that the HRM professionals have to battle with retention of employees who are poached by other competitors. Through successful innovation and change of management tactics Human Resource Professionals have formulated methods of training staff who become a fixed asset to the firm at minimum cost. The costs associated with training are usually very high depending on the quality of outcome expected but Organizations aim at always minimizing their expenses and increasing their revenues. 1.1 Graduates Trainee Management Program About the Program The purpose of the trainee program is to recruit, develop and attract the best future leaders for the Organization that can be relied on for years to come. The recruits will maintain the required talent for a continuous innovation healthy base, which is essential for the normal functions of business operations and leadership capabilities, to enhance effectiveness of any existing talent and enrich the succession plan. The staff recruited who will preferably be recent graduates will be trained to become professionals on- the job training and must be willing to take over the substantive roles which they will be enrolled to perform on the successful completion of the program and in future they will be expected to lead the Company effectively. They must demonstrate planning and organization skills, possess negotiating and problem solving skills, enthusiastic and flexible to adoption of change, a possess leadership skills, person who can work as part of a team and have good oral and written communication skills as part of the minimum qualifications. The program will be divided into three stages; the first being a general training for one year in the various department functions, the second stage being operational placement whereby the graduates will be given the opportunity to apply what they have learnt into real life situations and finally the third stage will be placement as first line Managers in which the graduates will lead a group of team members and manage them according to their acquired knowledge. The success of the program will be upon the management to ensure that the resources for training are available and will be obligated to source for top-level management sponsorship for the program to be implemented. They will also ensure that the candidates are focused in terms of efficiency, thinking out of the box and have the highest possible level of future visibility. The main objective for the Human Resource Development program is to build a highly talented team whose organizational skills are executed strategically for future leadership and ensure that they are retained within the Organization by reducing the rate at which employee’s turnover increases. Jack E. Edwards (2010). This will form the basis of enhancing employee’s capacity for them to perform efficiently and effectively to achieve Company set objectives and goals. 1.2 Program objectives To provide a strong base for learning and career Development for the future Leaders To become familiar with and understand the functions, roles and responsibilities of different departments within the Organization. To design a training and development program that maintains quality standards and professionalism. To assess the quality of training and supervision To identify the importance of training to both the personnel and Organization. To determine the limitations and benefits of Human Resource Development 2.0 Benefits of the Graduate Program The Program will focus in ensuring that the employees’ organizational competency and development meets the expected standards. The performance an Organization may be improved through training people according to their directives which are geared towards the achievement of total performance. The necessary skills for each particular job will be instilled on the employees who will be well equipped to face challenges in the business process while running of operations. When management realizes that they fall short of reaching their expected performance level which may be as a result of innovation or technological breakthrough, a training program is administered as a problem solving tactic. Besides, having complex jobs which necessitate training, development involves aiding employees to discover their personalities and how they can perform to their full capacity. Susan M. Heathfield (2011) established that it is through development programs that change of employees’ behavior, attitude and knowledge is acknowledged. The employees become better acquainted with what is expected of them and at the same time organizational development is enhanced through achievement of desired results. The program has the capability of building ethical standards among employees and directing them towards organization defined objectives accomplishment. The training motivates and initiates enthusiasm for the employees to carry out their duties more effectively and efficiently. The major role played by a training program is to ensure that employees acquire the necessary skills and possess a positive attitude towards job performance. It has however been argued that a man can go beyond his limitations and not only what he thinks he can do. A leader is the most influential person in an Organization who can be used as a coach as he has the ability to build self confidence of the employees who view him as a role model. He instills team work to the workforce and his subordinates’ are inspired by his role and work. Employees are thus able to face challenging tasks which they thought they were incapable of performing. This is highly regarded as the best way of improving organization competence and getting the employees to develop their personalities. William J. Rothwell ( 2011) Trained employees who are exposed to their areas of expertise perform better than untrained employees and since they are competent enough their assigned tasks are executed independently without major obstacles. There was once an untrained employee who asked his trained friend what was really the difference between a trained and untrained person because personally he could not tell the difference. He went further to add that it was not worth it to train people. The trained friend replied that they are even taught on how to communicate effectively which his friend did not know how to communicate. The fact of the matter is that training encompasses all areas of an Organization revealing all the necessary skills required by an individual to perform a certain task as per the section or department. John H. Jackson et al. ( 2010). The major benefits expected from the program are that the workforce will demand minimum supervision than those who are not trained. The graduates will have the opportunity to apply their acquired skills and knowledge in a real life situation without any obstructions. The organization will benefit highly through cost saving on the Human Resource Budget because training requires heavy expenditure and on-the Job training is more effective and less demanding on Company resources. The graduate program is one of the best ways of expand the senior management professionals. Besides cost savings the organization will save time which was earlier used to send employees for training. The time saved can be directed to other areas within the Organization that demand concentration. 3.0 Training Programmes 3.1 On-the Job Training Competition has increasingly become rampant today and the only way to survive in the dynamic ever changing environment today is through innovation and tactical ways of strategizing to remain above the competitors by being a step ahead. On the job development is a very fast and easy for focused learners who are result oriented and dynamic in nature. All program officers have a duty and responsibility to assist in the on-the-job development of all staff under them. The program will run for an exclusive two years of which the graduates will be trained extensively from one department to the next on rotational basis within the sales and marketing section, Human Resource Development unit, Finance department and the procurement department. This type of training program will ensure that the graduates are provided with the human resource policy manuals, job descriptions, other policy manuals and documents that are relevant to enable employees learn about the Company operations. The graduates will be equipped to become effective and skilled managers while understanding the jobs of their colleagues or officers through the daily operations. The daily attendance will give the trainees an opportunity to meet all the company employees and learn their attitude and culture on the job. They will also have the opportunity to share experiences and network with other colleagues within the Company. The interaction between the junior and senior management will be through assigned tasks and the consultation will be from the first line managers. The process may however be faced by limitations of having the trainee adapting to poor and bad habits of their fellow colleagues with lack of consistency of Company standards. This method is justified to be used as the most suitable approach since the review and evaluation approach can be conducted at regular intervals through performance appraisal and interviews at their respective departments. It should be the policy of Management to encourage staff to pursue on the job development activities on a personal basis or through the organization. Employees should be motivated in order to encourage them to be willing to learn and apply skills from different staffs which enhance multitasking. Management will encourage its employees to be literate, keep up with the ever changing environment – Physical, social, economical and political. However, graduates will also be encouraged to take their own initiates on development such as active participation in professional organizations relevant to nature of work/profession, reading relevant current professional literature, participating and presenting papers in conferences, seminars and workshops. 3.2 Coaching and Mentoring The process of developing the Career of an individual can be conducted through the social network of coachers and mentors. Mentors are referred to as role models that people can look up to and follow their behavior through observation. Coaching is made easy because the first line managers or senior management team have the knowledge and skills which they easily impart to the graduate trainees. Florence Stone (2009) stressed that Coachers can be a former workmate, a teacher, a guru or an influential person in the society. In this circumstance the immediate supervisors or first line managers will be the coachers. This is because they play a vital role in providing advice on how an Organization works, mentor on career advice and any other job related advice through their years of experience. Mentoring is categorized into two functions namely career and psychosocial. A psychosocial function is defined as the creation of identity and competence of the mentee while a career function is described as future career development. Mary Connor (2007). A mentoring program is quite effective for it enhances early career development, development of highly skilled top level Management managers and improved performance of well talented staff. Regular coaching will ensure that all trainees face their own roles and responsibilities and have the opportunity to handle the tasks technically. This ensures that the Organization fast tracks the achievement of their objectives as well as improves their job performance which trickles down to the rest of the workforce. ( Werner and Desimone, 2009). 3.3 Induction and Orientation When the new graduates are selected they will have to undergo an orientation programme which will last for one week. The trainees will be inducted on the general overview of the Company background and the graduate program. This will allow the graduates in the team to meet and interact substantially before the onset of the training. The overall objective of induction and orientation will be to provide new staff with suitable information to create an understanding of the history, vision, mission, core values and objectives. ( Tripathi, 2008). Orientation will help the new graduates to adopt the existing culture without much stress of a new environment. The graduates will develop a positive attitude towards work and boost their confidence while handling assigned tasks. K.H Spencer Pickett (2010). Orientation is beneficial to the Organization as time spent by new recruits asking questions are eliminated because during training they are accorded the answers. The orientation programme will include initial general training for one year across all functions of the Company within departments and/or projects outside the office premises in order to gain insight into the operations of the organization as well as introducing them to Management’s key partners and donors. A mentor or experienced employee will be used to relieve the new graduates from anxiety. To minimize boredom the graduates will attend classes and learn more on the theory aspects paving for them a way of preparing a project and presenting it as the final assessment. During the class lessons only the important and specific issues will be addressed to minimize time wasting and giving too much data and information to the employees which can be overwhelming. 4.0 Evaluation work plan Evaluation means assessment of set objectives of a certain project to provide useful feedback about the program. The last six months will be divided into three month phases; the first phase the trainee will be assigned an assignment as a manager and a coach. The second phase will consist of the last three months of which the trainees will have a project to carry out on their specific area of specialization and they will be required to present the proposal to the Board of Directors. Following the completion of the program the graduates will be assigned different mentors who will offer challenging tasks to enhance the new staff critical thinking capability and depending with their performance they will evaluated and elevated for progression into the Management Advanced Program. Regular meetings will be encouraged with the other program graduates to share their experiences and challenges. In a nutshell they will be learning from each other. The trainees will also under continuous assessment regular as part of the evaluation criteria. Below is an evaluation matrix which will be used as the Company tool kit for evaluation. 4.1 Evaluation matrix Objective Indicators Methodology/Instruments Person responsible Baseline context To provide a strong base for learning and career development Availability of yearly trainees who graduate. Existence of trained professional managers Assessment and interviews Graduate trainee program Human Resource Development Department. Needs Become familiar with and understand the functions, roles and responsibilities within the Organization. Percentage of output and performance of the workforce Performance appraisal of trainees Exit interviews from each department and observation. Departmental heads Inputs To design a training and Development Program Program records and policy. Training Needs Assessment and jobs description. Amount of funding by donors and Company budget. Management team and senior supervisors. Processes To assess the quality of training and supervision Selection criteria of selecting trainees Adequacy of venue and duration taken Number of visits taken for supervision Forms filled by participants Review of documents Training team and project coordinator. Outputs To assess immediate outcomes of training Number of professional graduates who achieve the highest score percentage. Number of distributed graduates in various level departments Supervision through thorough and regular observation Assessment score at the assigned department Continuous assessment tests The training team. Effects Organization Performance Number of new service delivery outlets which have been added to the Organization system Annual Financial statement and report The Management supervisory team. Impact Evaluate increased service delivery The Company strategic plan Interview the Managing Director and customers Hire a consultant or training team leader 5.0 Limitations Just like any other process and project the Human Resource Development program will encounter limitations such as lack of the expected professional graduates who meet the minimum qualifications, the duration of the program may become too tedious, creating room for boredom of the trainees and the retention of employees or rate of turnover might increase rather than decrease. Besides the above mentioned limitations, the existing staff may feel threatened by the new program and develop a negative attitude of being phased out hence they may not be relied on for being neither mentors nor coachers. Conclusion The reason behind employee training and development is part of the employee professional development and Organizations should ensure that a policy is deduced for consistency, while implementation and evaluation follow up is up to date. The programme in essence will depend on the availability of funds and resources though a well laid down budget will be effective and considering the cost effective methods used the expenses will be minimal. The above programme consists of cost effective methods that cannot lead a firm into financial crisis. On the job training and Coaching are considered the most effective methods of accelerating the training option and the rewards attributed to the impact are far better than the expectations. This will improve innovation because the world of business and the daily changing technology are the critical obstacles that are currently observed as the major hindrances towards a Company success and performance. REFERENCES Jon M. Werner et.al (2008): Human Resource Development Michael Armstrong (2009). Human Resource Management Practice Ronald R.Sims (2008): Human Resource Development: Today and Tomorrow Susan E. Jackson et al. (2008): Managing Human Resources Jack E. Edwards ( 2010): Evaluating Human Resources Programs William J. Rothwell ( 2011): Mastering the instructional design process: A systematic approach John H. Jackson et al. ( 2010): Human Resource Management Susan M. Heathfield . What is Human Resource Development? Retrieved on 5th June 2011 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryh/f/hr_development.htm Mary Connor, Julia Pokora ( 2007): Coaching and Mentoring at Work: Developing effective practice. Werner and Desimone, (2009). Human Resource Development Florence Stone ( 2009): Coaching and Mentoring Tripathi ( 2008): Principles of Management K.H Spencer Pickett et al.( 2010): The internal Auditing handbook Read More