Training and Development - Essay Example

?Training and Development Executive Summary Training and development is an integral component of the human resource management of an organization. Itplays a significant role in the development and up-gradation of the skills and knowledge of the employees, so that the organization can improve its business performance and attain a competitive edge over its peers. In this study, a Sydney based Australian restaurant was chosen for the analysis of its Human Resource policies regarding training and development. It was observed from the interview of the manager and an employee of the restaurant, that the establishment followed a combination of formal as well as informal approach of training and development. The restaurant focused on the final outcome of the training and largely overlooked the assessment of learning of the employees owing to the training. The consideration of the evaluation of learning would benefit the restaurant to identify whether they had been successful in achieving the training objectives. Furthermore, it was observed that post the initial stages on the job training; the restaurant did not have any formal planned approach for the ongoing training of its employees. Hence, it was concluded that the restaurant could enhance its sustainability and build a competitive edge over its peers by focusing on the ongoing training and development of all its employees. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Implication of Training and Development 5 Human Resource Policies of the Selected Restaurant 7 Importance of Employee Training 7 Employee Training Techniques and Their Frequency 7 Identification of Training Needs 9 Assessment of the Success of the In-House Training and the Scope of External Training 10 Analysis of Human Resource Policies of the Selected Restaurant 11 Conclusion and Recommendations 12 References 14 Bibliography 17 Appendices 19 Interview Questions 19 Introduction Training and development is an imperative division of the Human Resources Management of every organization. It is considered to be an integral system of an organization. Training can be defined as the process of getting hold of skill as well as knowledge for current tasks. Training assists the employees to contribute their best to the organization and be successful in performing their present job responsibilities. On the other hand, development can be described as the process of getting hold of knowledge as well as skills that might be utilized even in the future (Fitzgerald, 1992). Thus, development process prepares the human resources to take up further responsibilities in the future. Training and development program in an organization ensures that the skill development and up-gradation of its employees happens in a very structured way. It is essential for present day’s organizations to properly train as well as develop their employees for the improvement of their business performances. This is because regular up-gradation and augmentation of the skills and proficiencies of the employees is necessary for developing innovative approaches for the production of new products and services in the organization (Haynes & Fryer, 2000.). Thus, training and development of employees performs an important role in the creation of innovation in the organization and also in bringing about positive organizational change. In this study, a Sydney based Australian Restaurant was selected and the manager as well as an employee of the restaurant would be interviewed to comprehend the processes utilized by the restaurant for the training and development of its employees. The study would then critique the restaurant’s training and development system with the help of relevant human resource management theories by reviewing numerous studies on Human Resource Management (HRM). The study would further analyze whether the training system of the selected restaurant conforms to the recommendations of the reviewed HRM studies. The study would also provide recommendations for the enhanced management of the training and development activities of the restaurant. Implication of Training and Development The training as well as development programs in an organization operate as an initiator of fresh proficiencies and knowledge amongst the human resources. Such programs influence the ingenuity as well as creativity of the employees and hence structure the skill base of the entire organization. The updated and developed skill and knowledge base of the human resources confers an organization with unique distinguishable characteristics which differentiates the organization from its peers (Vemic, 2007). Every organization, irrespective of the sector it belongs to, has to rearrange and adapt itself and focus on new practices and approaches of carrying out their business activities in order to remain competitive in the market (Becton & Graetz, 2001). Nevertheless, it is not possible for an organization to maintain its competitiveness in the long run if its employees are not adequately trained and developed to incorporate advanced expertise and knowledge (White & Bruton, 2010). Thus, it can be inferred that the major aspects of training and development programs in an organization are to facilitate the workforces to develop into more proficient professionals at work and also to assist the employees to become accustomed to their definite roles. Training and development also assists the employees to take on futures responsibilities as they establish themselves within the organization (Lashley, 1998). This substantiates the value of training and development programs in every organization for the betterment of its overall performance. Nonetheless, there is no single training and development structure that would suit the requirements of every organization. Since every organization has a unique set of characteristics, hence the training requirements of the employees of every organization is also generally diverse. This is the reason why different business organizations include different structures of employee training as well as development programs, based on their exclusive core policies and objectives (Kotler & Et. Al., 2003). Thus, it is necessary that the training and development program of an organization is designed based on the requirements of the human resources to be trained. In this perspective the human resource department of an organization should device the training program for their workforces keeping in mind the goals of the program, benefits expected from the program, and the relationship of its benefits with the overall objectives of the organization (Kandampully, 2002) The organizations such as restaurants, which operate in the hospitality segment competes amongst each other on the basis of their service, referred as service competition by Gronroos (2000). The author states that for the accomplishment of unbeaten continuing service quality, the employees have to be developed to perform their duty when the client needs them and also in a style that the client desires. Thus, for the maintenance and augmentation of the service quality so as to ensure client satisfaction, service industry organizations require quality employees. This necessitates constant employee training and planned career growth strategies among other Human Resource Management practices (Cairncross & Et. Al., 2008). Regardless of the numerous benefits of training, it has been largely acknowledged as an unplanned procedure in preceding studies on the hospitality segment in Australia (Davies & Et. Al., 2001; Bartram, 2005). Human Resource Policies of the Selected Restaurant For the analysis of the HR policies of the selected Sydney based restaurant, the manager of the restaurant and another employee was personally interviewed. A set of twenty questions comprising of issues on importance of training, methods and frequency of training, identification of training needs, and assessment of the achievement of the employee training were put forward the interviewees. Importance of Employee Training The manager of the restaurant identified enhancement in the service quality and customization of the service as per the restaurant’s core characteristics as the major reasons for employee training and development programs in their organization. The employee of the restaurant felt that the training helped them to attain professionalism and enhanced their experience in handing clients. The employee also believed that the training and development of the restaurant staffs not only encouraged the staffs but also benefitted the business as a result of increase in the number of satisfied and contented clients. Employee Training Techniques and Their Frequency According to the manager, the training and development methods employed by the restaurant is a combination of both formal as well as informal approaches. The employees of the restaurant were provided training on the basis of their professional responsibilities. Hence, about half of the restaurant workforces had to undergo only a preliminary level of training, while the other half of the workforces were provided with advanced and elevated level of training and development assistance. The restaurant conducted induction programs for the new recruits in order to accustom them to the system of the restaurant. The employees are provided with employee handbooks and are trained individually by the supervisors. Every fresh recruit for the front line positions of the restaurant was tagged to a senior frontline employee for about a month. The initial stage of the employee training is the induction meeting where the new recruits are explained the standards of the organizations and also the expectations the organization has from the employees. The employees are then subsequently provided training in all the divisions of the restaurant business. The senior employees assist the new employees in their process of acquiring the required skills to operate every section of the restaurant, from the front desk to the culinary area. Thus, the chief processes exercised by the restaurant to train its employees were the utilization of employee manual and on-the-job training. This is because the establishment believes that the employees would become more skilled and would probably preserve more information, if they were made to put the skills and knowledge into practice while they are being trained. Hence, throughout the initial training of the new employees they are trained to enhance their skills to a required level where the employees are proficient in each section of the business. The basic constituents of such trainings are quality, service and hygiene. The manager of the restaurant also revealed that the restaurant conducts developmental programs for the senior level employees and managers. Such programs enable the employees to develop necessary management skills required to become efficient leaders and for the development of business strategies for the accomplishment of the restaurant’s aspirations and objectives. The interviewed employee of the restaurant felt that the manuals provided to the employees were very helpful to them to comprehend the practiced do’s and don’ts of service in the restaurant, as it consists of the protocols of service. The employee manual included the statements of vision as well as mission of the restaurant and also the overall hierarchy of the business. The employee manual also comprised of the service expectations from the employees and the services processes of the restaurant. It also consisted of the details and descriptions of the menu items offered in the restaurant and directions for beverages. The employee also revealed that though there was mandatory initial induction training of the new recruits in the restaurant, the ongoing training procedure of the employees was not very dynamic and generally conducted through on the job assessment and the discussion of pertinent concerns with individual employees. Identification of Training Needs The identification of the requirement of training was mainly based on the performance evaluation of the staffs of the restaurant. The general approaches of employee performance evaluation were feedback from clients and their comment cards, feedback from the manager, training appeals from the employees themselves and most importantly the planned management meetings for employee performance improvement. The other means of recognizing the need for training were feedback from the employees and their supervisors. The restaurant exercised a structured assessment for the review of the definite competencies of the employees. Subsequent to the review, the management of the restaurant held meetings with the individual employees and discussed the short and long-term objectives of the employees. The management then attempted to assist the employees to accomplish those objectives if the management considered them to be reasonable and realistic. This can be termed as the development segment of training of the restaurant employees. The management of the restaurant also requested the employees who exited the organization to give their feedback regarding the reason for exiting and also the perceived standard of business functioning of the restaurant, in order to enhance the standards of service and the management qualities of the restaurant. Assessment of the Success of the In-House Training and the Scope of External Training The recognized pointers of fruitful training and development program in the restaurant comprised of visual enhancement, the smooth functioning of business operations on an every day basis and consequential client satisfaction being realized. The success of the training and development programs usually resulted in pre-set benchmarks of service being met. The significant result of the training programs were the improvement of the work efficiency and the skill level of the employees which led to constructive budget outcomes. However, the management of the restaurant had no apparent idea regarding how their employee training program performed in comparison to that of their competitors. Though the restaurant relied largely on the in-house training programs, it provided external training to its employees on certain areas such as coffee making and information on wine. Nevertheless, the management of the restaurant did not believe in engaging external training for the enhancement of its service quality. This is because they felt that the exclusive nature of the association between their specific service processes and the layout of the establishment in addition to the policies and objectives of the business could not be catered by external arrangement. Moreover, the management felt that since any external party would not have extensive information about the business processes and operational activities of the restaurant, it would be best to provide the employees with in-house on the job training. Analysis of Human Resource Policies of the Selected Restaurant The most extensively used technique for the assessment of the employee training programs is based on the four level model of Donald Kirkpatrick (Bates, 2004). The four levels of the model are ‘reaction’, ‘learning’, ‘behavior’ and ‘results’. The first level of the Kirkpatrick’s model is to evaluate how the employees feel about the diverse facets of the training program. This is significant because through this process, the management of the organizations gets to know whether they have been able to fulfill the training requirements of their employees and whether the employees are inspired and concerned about the training (Kirkpatrick, 1996). The management of the selected restaurant provides due attention to the feedback of its employees regarding the training initiatives. Thus, from the employee feedbacks the management realizes whether its attempt to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the employees is helping the employees or not. The second level of the Kirkpatrick’s model is the assessment of the knowledge gained, skills enhanced and the positive changes in the outlook of the employees owing to the training and development initiative of the organization (Kirkpatrick, 1996). The restaurant considered for the study does not have any formal approach to measure the learning of their employees as a result of the training and development program. The management of the restaurant instead relies on the end outcomes of the training such as client satisfaction and their feedback to decide the effectiveness of the training. However, it would be beneficial for the restaurant if it adopts a planned approach to measure the learning of their employees, as it would enable them to realize whether they could accomplish the objectives of the training or not. The third level of Kirkpatrick’s model is the assessment of the degree of on the job behavior transformation of the employees owing to the training and development programs. The management of the restaurant in consideration assesses this aspect through the feedback obtained from the supervisors of the trained employees. The last level of the Kirkpatrick’s model is the evaluation of the final outcome of the training (Kirkpatrick, 1996). The management of the selected restaurant assesses the outcome of its employee training and development initiatives in terms of higher profits, augmented client satisfaction, enhanced service quality and low staff turnover and improved job satisfaction of the employees. Conclusion and Recommendations The management of the selected restaurant employs training and development mostly in the form of initial induction and the subsequent on-the-job training. However, the restaurant does not have a formal approach for the ongoing training of all their employees. Subsequent to the preliminary training, the restaurant should consider the ongoing training of its employees for the overall enhancement of its business in the long run and also for the personal development of the employees. The employees should be given scores on the basis of skills required to function in each division of the business. The ratings based on these scores should then be considered during the performance review of the employees in a quarterly basis. They could also adopt a system wherein the employees would also rate themselves in addition to the restaurant management. The ratings so obtained can then be evaluated and discussed during the quarterly performance appraisal meets between the management and the individual employees. Such an approach would enable the management to recognize the specific needs of its employees and hence it would be convenient for the management to design its training and development programs accordingly and accomplish its sustainability (DiPietro & Et. Al. 2007). Training and development can be identified as a decisive factor in a restaurant, as it makes sure that the apparent service quality is accomplished continuously. The significance of training has been generally acknowledged as an approach to realize professionalism, advance the quality of service, develop uniformity and preserve a set standard of performance. Furthermore, training assists to augment the knowledge of the employees, guarantees that the employees perform their duty in the correct way, and ensures that standards of work are maintained (Delahaye, 2005; Lovelock & Wright, 2002). References Bates, R., 2004. A Critical Analysis of Evaluation Practice: The Kirkpatrick Model And The Principle Of Beneficence. Evaluation and Program Planning, Vol. 27(3), pp: 341-347. Bartram, T., 2005. Small Firms, Big Ideas: The Adoption of Human Resource Management In Australian Small Firms, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 43(1), pp. 137-54. Becton, S. & Graetz, B., 2001. Small Business - Small Minded? Training Attitudes And Needs of The Tourism And Hospitality Industry, International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 3(2), pp. 105-13. Cairncross, G. & Et. Al., 2008, Training And Service Quality: A Case Study Analysis Of Regional Australian Restaurants, Tourism and Hospitality Planning & Development, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 149 - 163. Davies, D. & Et. Al., 2001. The Role Of Appraisal, Remuneration And Training In Improving Staff Relations In The Western Australian Accommodation Industry: A Comparative Study, Journal of European Industrial Training, 25(6/7), pp. 366-74. Delahaye, B. L., 2005. Human Resource Development: Adult Learning and Knowledge Management, John Wiley and Sons. DiPietro, R. & Et. Al., 2007. Multi-Unit Management Key Success Factors In The Casual Dining Restaurant Industry, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 19(7), pp. 524-36. Fitzgerald, W., 1992. Training Versus Development. Journal of Training and Development. Gronroos, C. 2000. Service Management And Marketing: A Customer Relationship Management Approach. John Wiley and Sons. Haynes, P. & Fryer, G., 2000. Human Resources, Service Quality And Performance: A Case Study. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 12(4), pp. 240-8. Kirkpatrick, D., 1996. Great Ideas Revisited. Journal of Training and Development. Kandampully, J., 2002. Services Management: The New Paradigm in Hospitality. Pearson Hospitality Press. Kotler, P. & Et. Al., 2003. Marketing For Hospitality and Tourism. Prentice Hall. Lashley, C., 1998. Matching The Management Of Human Resources To Service Operations, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 10(1), pp. 24-33. Lovelock, C. & Wright, L., 2002. Principles of Service Marketing and Management. Prentice Hall. Vemic, J., 2007. Employee Training and Development and the Learning Organization. Economics and Organization, 4(2), 209-216. White, M. A. & Bruton, G. D., 2010. The Management of Technology and Innovation: A Strategic Approach. Cengage Learning. Bibliography Bondarouk, T & Looise, J. K., 2005. HR Contribution to IT Innovation Implementation: Results of Three Case Studies. Creativity and Innovation Management, 14(2). Hargreaves, P. & Jarvis, P., 2000. The Human Resource Development Handbook. Kogan Page Publishers. Manu, J. S., 2004. Training and Development Techniques For Improving Organizational Performance for Ghanaian Firms. University of Wisconsin-Stout. Nankervis, A. & Et. Al., 2005. Human Resource Management: Strategies And Processes. Thomson. Perry, C., 1998. Processes of A Case Study Methodology For Postgraduate Research In Marketing, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 32(9), pp. 785-802. Pinnington, A. & Lafferty, G., 2003. Human Resource Management in Australia. Oxford University Press. Pollit, D., 2006. Training Provides the Recipe for Success At Nando's, Training and Management Development Methods, Vol. 20(5). Price, L., 1994. Poor Personnel Practice In The Hotel And Catering Industry: Does It Matter?, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 4(4), pp. 44 - 62. Redman, T. & Mathews, B. P. F., 1998. Service Quality and Human Resource Management: A Review and Research Agenda, Personnel Review, Vol. 27(1), p. 57. Schneider, B., 1994. HRM – A Service Perspective: Towards a Customer Focused HRM. International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 5(1), pp. 64-76. Appendices Interview Questions 1. Are the training requirements of your organization reviewed on a regular basis? Yes No 2. If yes, does your organization conduct regular training programs for the employees? Yes (Skip to Question 5) No (Go to Next Question) 3. Why does not your organization conduct regular training programs? 4. What are the perceived benefits that you expect as a result of employee training? 5. What were the observed benefits on employee performance post the training programs? 6. How does the management of your organization recognize the need for training? 7. Which of the following training and development opportunities does your organization offer to its employees? Explain a)Leadership training b)Executive Training c)Skill Training 8. Does your organization have a recognized succession planning program? 9. Does your organization provide in-house training to the employees? 10. What are the techniques of training implemented in your organization? Explain. a) Classroom b) Audio Visual Media c) On the Job d) Others 11. What is the least number of hours per year in which the employees of your organization must involve themselves in training and development programs? 12. Had your organization considered external training arrangement for the employees? 13. What are the areas where the restaurant employs external training? 14. Why does not your organization consider a more dynamic approach towards the incorporation of external training and development? 15. Does your organization’s training and development plan comprise of Leadership Development Performance Development Workplace Communication Workplace Safety Management Regulatory Compliance 16. What are the three significant training requirements you would recognize? 17. What do you consider as your organization’s most vital training requirement? 18. What are the three key strengths that your organization builds on its people? 19. Are the training and development needs discussed during the performance reviews? 20. What do you think the Human Resources Department should do to attend to the employees training and developmental needs? Read More