Training Public Servants in the Public Sector - Research Paper Example

The human capital of a firm is the most valuable asset of an organization (Oasisadvantage, . A way to improve the skills and capabilities of thestaff is by offering training and development opportunities to its employees. “Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and understanding of the organization and its goals” (Ivancevich, 2001). It is imperative for companies to invest in training and development. In order to determine the needs of the employees the human resource department must assess the skills and capabilities of the employees to determine the proper training that should be given to the workers.

Training and development can also be used to provide the workers with new knowledge that they can apply in the workplace. A good training and development program has both mandatory and voluntary trainings (Ncsu). Mandatory trainings are given to the entire staff. Offering other training opportunities is important so that employees that are motivated to become better workers can move up the corporate ladder. Employees that voluntarily take advantage of training opportunities have a better chance to be given a promotion by a firm.

Providing training and development can help reduce the stress of the workers by adequately preparing them to perform their job tasks. Training and development initiatives are typically given by the managers, human resource department, or by an outside consultant. Preparing training and development programs in-house can help companies save money. Training and development can help motivate the staff (Bodimer, 2013). To determine whether training adds value to the firm the organization must perform a cost-value analysis.

New employees are often given on-the-job training. On-the-job training is the most widely method used for training. On-the-job training involves placing the employee into the real work situation and shown the job and the tricks of the trade by an experienced employee or the supervisor (Ivancevich, 2001). A training method that can be used to develop managerial decision making is the in-basket technique. Managerial games emphasize development of problem solving skills. A few years ago I worked at a company that was suffering from productivity issues.

The managers of the company were not able to identify the source of the problem. The general manager of the company hired a consulting firm to assess the situation. After one week of observation and analysis the consultant determined that the productivity of the company would increase if the employees were given proper training. The company had recently purchased new machinery for production purposes. When the new machines were purchased a representative of the supplier gave one week training to the managers and supervisors.

The direct labor employees that were actually going to work directly with the machines were not given any training. The executive management team met with the human resource department and they developed a training of three days day for all the workers. The production line of the firm was stopped for three days in order to provide the training to the employees. After one month the productivity of the company increased by 10%.ReferencesBodimer, J. (2013). Use Training and Development to Motivate the Staff.

Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/coachingmentorin1/a/trainmotivation.htm Ivancevish, J. (2001). Human Resource Management (8th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill Irwin. Ncsu.edu. Research Note: Voluntary vs. Mandatory Training. Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www4.ncsu.edu/~ddchapma/BSU/bsu_case/vol_mantraining.htm Oasisadvantage.com (2010). Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset; Your Employees. Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.oasisadvantage.com/blog/your-companys-most-valuable-asset-your-employees