Tawazun Economic Council Training and Development - Case Study Example

Running Head: Tawazun Economic Council Training and Development Tawazun Economic Council Training and Development Name Course Lecturer Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Findings 3 Tawazun’s training program 3 Types of training and training intervals 4 Training benefits to employees 6 Induction training 7 Training needs analysis 7 Evaluating training effectiveness 8 Training plans 9 Problems during training 9 Conclusion and Recommendation 9 References 11 Introduction Tawazun Economic Council was established in 2007 to develop projects through strategic investments and industrial partnerships that develop the manufacturing sector of UAE across several areas such as aerospace and defense, munitions, automotive, technology, and metals. The company is now a dynamic industrial investor at both local and international level through partnering with an exclusive group of first-rate market leaders to develop skills, products, systems, and expertise in the UAE. Tawazun’s investment tactic is planned to bring change in the market place, with its aim being inspiring emerging firms by providing consistent and strong support to facilitate their future growth (Tawazun, 2013). This report will analyze Tawazun’s training and development based on an interview on one of its human resource specialists. Findings Tawazun’s training program In order to get information about Training and Development in Tawazun Economic Council, Dr. Sethu, a human resource professional was interviewed. According to the interviewee, there are several main objectives of the training program of Tawazun. To start with, the training program aims at improving the current skills, knowledge and abilities of employees to enable them perform better in their present jobs. Moreover, the program intends to equip employees who have been promoted and taking new positions with new knowledge and skills to be able to efficiently and excellently discharge their future tasks. Another main objective of the training program is to act as a source of motivation for the employees by presenting them with an opportunity for personal as well as career development by augmenting their levels of skills and knowledge in their current positions. Furthermore, the program aims at giving the organization a competitive edge over its competitors by ensuring that its workforce has the right and adequate expertise for ensuring high efficiency, productivity and growth of the organization. According to Aswathappa (2005), training and development gives firms a competitive advantage since it helps eliminate performance deficiencies among workers. This is especially true where the deficiency stems from a shortage of ability instead of absence of motivation. Training leads to greater flexibility, stability and growth potential for an organization since workers become efficient subsequent to undergoing training, which in turn results in the organization’s growth. Moreover, trained workers hardly leave an organization which ensures stability. Training also makes workers versatile in tasks. This means that, it is possible to transfer employees to different jobs, which ensures flexibility. Organizational growth is an indication of prosperity, which is shown in augmented profits from one year to another. From the interview, Sethu said that, the training program at Tawazun is developed by the human resource manager through the assistance of other human resource employees. However, before the program is put into practice, the human resource manager has to consult with other senior managers to ensure that the training program matches the company’s goals and objectives as well as available resources. Types of training and training intervals The human resource professional said that, the forms of training available to employees at Tawazun include induction training, on-the-job training, and workshops. Induction training is used in training and acquainting new employees with the company’s operations. On-the-job training involves the provision of instructions to employees as they carry out their routine tasks. This form of training focuses on training the workers on techniques for carrying out their present jobs and is usually given by supervisors. The interviewee also asserted that, workshops are carried out outside the company premises, where different workshops are arranged for employees belonging to different departments. Training through workshops is provided by human resource practitioners in collaboration with hired HR consultants. Bohlander & Snell (2010) maintain that, on-the-job training is the most widely used form of training for non managerial workers and is provided to employees as they discharge their routine tasks by supervisors. The main advantage of this form of training is that it provides hands-on experience to employees under the normal working environment as well as an opening for trainers to establish good rapport with new and old staff. Though on-the-job training is considered the most effectual way of providing learning at the workplace, it has some drawbacks. First, it lacks a well-structured environment for training. There is also the possibility of the supervisors having inadequate training skills, and it lacks well-defined criteria for job performance. Workshops are a form of external training that is carried out outside the organization, and involves providing employees with information on given topics and giving them time to exercise problem solving. Under most circumstances, workshops bring together employees from similar business functions of different companies and are given by independent consultants. This type of training can bring new ideas and fresh energy into the process of learning. Mixing with workers from other firms gives employees a chance to discover the way other companies operate. On the contrary, workshops can be costly for a firm since it has to make arrangements for food, transportation, accommodation, and entry fees for its employees during the training period (Bohlander & Snell, 2010). According to Sethu, Tawazun conducts the different types of training at different intervals in a year. There is no set period for carrying out induction training because it is done whenever new employees are hired to either fill vacant positions or take on new positions whenever new business outlets are opened. Moreover, on-the-job training takes places throughout the year since the employees require constant upgrading of their skills and knowledge to enable them to discharge their present jobs. Lastly, workshops are conducted at an interval of three months and thus, four workshops are carried out for the various departments of Tawazun in a year. Conducting different forms of training at different times and on a regular basis as is the case of Tawazun is crucial since it enables constant enhancement of employees’ skills, knowledge, and abilities. It also ensures that employees’ training needs are identified and addressed on time. Training benefits to employees From the interview, Tawazun’s employees have received several benefits from the training they have been receiving. First, employees have been able to enhance their level of knowledge and skills since through training they have been able to acquire new knowledge and skills on their job positions. In addition, employees have experienced a sense of satisfaction from the training, which keeps them motivated in discharging their duties. Moreover, through training, some employees have gotten promotion opportunities, and thus, they have been able to develop in terms of their career. Furthermore, training has lessened employees’ risk of accidents through a better understanding of and enhanced skills and knowledge for doing particular jobs. According to Saks, Haccoun, & Belcourt (2010), training and development benefits both the organization as well as the employees. Training enables employees to improve their skills, knowledge, and skills relating to their present jobs, which in turn makes them to attain job satisfaction and job security. More satisfied employees make more contribution to the success of an organization, and are hard to boycott work or resign. Moreover, during training, employees acquire efficiency and skills, which makes them more qualified for promotion. Consequently, they form an asset to the organization by facilitating promotion from within. Induction training Dr. Sethu also uttered that, Tawazun conducts induction training for its new hires. Induction training is carried out on new employees for a period of two weeks starting from their first day at work. During this period, the employees get to meet different employees within the company, and tour different functions of the company. The new employees are also informed about the kind of duties they will be doing under their positions, and get to learn about basic information about Tawazun including mission, vision, and organizational objectives and goals. Induction training is provided to an employee immediately they join a company or take on a new job position. It is intended to provide an employee with the crucial skills required to do his or her job. It can also entail an introduction on company values, culture and ethos in order for the worker to know about the behaviors anticipated of them (Krishnaveni, 2008). Training needs analysis According to the interviewee, Tawazun does not conduct a training need analysis prior to carrying out training. Induction training and on-the-job training are carried out as routine activities within the organization without any attention being given to analyzing the training needs of the employees. Moreover, workshops are customary undertakings that have been conducted for several years without any training need analysis. In selecting the employees to attend training, induction training is provided to all new employees while on-the-job training is given to most subordinate staff on a regular basis. Different workshops are conducted for all employees in the various functions at different times. In other words, Tawazun does not have a systematic way of selecting employees that require training. Training need analysis is important because it helps determine whether a company has the required human resources. It assists in planning the company’s budget, areas that need training, and highlights areas where though training is not necessary requires alternate action. The analysis is carried at three levels including organizational, operational and individual (Naukri, 2012). Evaluating training effectiveness In evaluating the effectiveness of training, Sethu said Tawazun uses performance appraisal systems to gauge the performance of employees before and after training. Training effectiveness is also measured on the basis of the number of accidents reported before and after training within a given period. Drawing from (Electricity Sector Council, 2011), the Kirkpatrick model is a commonly used and effectual technique for evaluating training effectiveness. The model consists of five levels including reaction, learning, behavior, results, and return on investment. The last three levels are the most important to an organization because it is able to evaluate changes in employee behavior after training, organizational benefits accruing after the training, and compare training costs with benefits. Training plans From the interview, Tawazun has two different training plans in place for two of the three types of training available to employees, that is, induction and workshops. There is no training plan for on-the-job training. Moreover, the company has no set training budget. Actually, training budgets are formulated just some days before the beginning of training. Sethu also maintained that, the firm does not have individual training plans. There are two usual learning outcomes for adult learners used in the company. First, by the end of each training session, employees should be able to demonstrate enhanced efficiency in discharging their duties. Second, employees should be able to acquire new knowledge and skills for use in their present jobs. Problems during training Sethu mentioned some of the problems that Tawazun have encountered during training in the organization. First, most supervisors who carry out on-the-job training and induction training lack training skills and thus, in most cases such trainings end up being ineffective. Additionally, due to lack of training budget, the company tends to face delays in beginning training since drafting and approving of the budget takes sometime. Conclusion and Recommendation Based on the interview and literature about training and development, several recommendations are made to help improve Tawazun’s training and development. To start with, Tawazun should adopt additional training methods such as demonstrations. Given the technicality of its business operations, demonstrations are essential in training employees about the operation of automotives, and defense systems. Moreover, the company should use specialist training to train individuals who are promoted to take on new positions, especially senior positions. In addition, Tawazun should conduct a training need analysis before conducting any training in order to establish the exact skills and knowledge that the employees need to do their current and future jobs excellently. The company should also have different periods of induction instead of its fixed two-week training. The period should be extended depending on job complexity and range of duties. Additionally, induction training should be done after promotions to acquaint employees with their new job positions and not just for new employees. Furthermore, supervisors should be trained to improve their skills in order to ensure effective induction and on-the-job training. The company should also use the Kirkpatrick model to evaluate its training effectiveness. Tawazun should also have an estimated training budget in place to be adjusted to suit different trainings so as to avoid delays in starting training. References Aswathappa, K. (2005). Human resource and personnel management: text and cases. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Bohlander, G. W., & Snell, S. (2010). Managing human resources. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Electricity Sector Council. (2011). Evaluating the Effectiveness and Impact of Training. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://www.brightfutures.ca/Training/english/capacity/evaluating_effectiveness_impact.asp Krishnaveni, R. (2008). Human resource development: a researcher's perspective. New Delhi: Excel. Naukri. (2012). Training Need Analysis. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://traininganddevelopment.naukrihub.com/training-need-analysis.html Saks, A. M., Haccoun, R. R., & Belcourt, M. (2010). Managing performance through training and development. Toronto: Nelson Education. Tawazun. (2013). Tawazun Holding. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://tec.o2-cafe.net/tawazun-holding.html Read More