Training Challenges in a Dynamic Work Setting

Specific ways to identify training requirements 

when job responsibilities become a moving target.

The Training Process

            There are three unique segments to any training process.  They are: (1) explore the types of training available to the organization, (2) determine what ways the organization will use to maximize the training, and (3) what criteria will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2012, p. 257).

Training Characteristics

            Training is intended to serve two essential objectives: (1) deliver specific skills for the employee to master, (2) enhance current skills so that the employee may improve performance (Gomez-Mejia et al., 2012, p. 258).  Training narrowly focuses on the work at hand so its return on investment is intended to be immediate (Gomez-Mejia et al., 2012, p. 258).  What training does well is that it addresses current organizational needs.  Although skills training could be a refresher for an employee to improve performance or develop new skills for the employee to expand his or her knowledge, either way, the skills are those which the organization utilizes in the current business operations. 

Business Skills in a Moving Window of Time

            Businesses evolve as their environment and landscape changes, their products develop, and businesses redefine themselves in order to maintain relevance in the market place.  Due to these dynamic forces, change is not restricted to one set of causes but rather, many causes often acting in concert, some related, many not related at all.  However, they serve as a catalyst that in effect, bear the net result we see as change (Cook, 2005, p. 50).  Since change in organizations is the result of dynamic forces, the requirements for employees to adapt also occurs in a continuous motion spanning time as it passes like a moving window across a calendar.  What works for employees skills today may be entirely different next year and will evolve during the time in between those periods.  Therefore, an organization must look beyond training needs for today and look into the future and discover what the developmental needs of their workforce will be in both the short-term and in the long-term future (Cook, 2005, p. 50). 

Identifying Training Requirements and Development Requirements

            One thing organizations need to do in order to remain competitive is to move beyond only training personnel for the challenges of today.  They must include a plan for developing personnel for the future needs of the organization (Gomez-Mejia et al., 2012, p. 258).  Many have understood this and have invested organizational resources intended to improve workforce competencies with this plan in mind (Srimannarayana, 2011, p. 119).  Like the business landscape and its change over time, the workforce skillsets will also need to keep changing to address the demands of the business in a never-ending evolution with the business landscape.  The trick is for organizations to look ahead and identify what those changes will be that will impact the business in the future and prepare ahead of that time so their workforce can be developed to meet those upcoming skill requirements. 

Training is Ongoing

Many business leaders tell of stories where they say that their people are their organizations most important assets, if people are our most important asset, we need to lift up the workforce that make the products and services a reality. Are people really the most important assets of your organization and are they responsible to a large degree in the success of business today and in the future? If you believe this to be true, then it would be wise for business strategy to include training for current needs but most importantly to develop the workforce for future needs in perpetuity if long-term success is important to the organization.  This will also open the door to another discussion not covered here but worth future research, that being, workforce compensation levels.  For assistance in this are contact us at Management Insights, we will be glad to assess your current pay scales and report to you about industry and regional scales to help you decide where you are against the competitive forces that are at work to steal your talent assets and place your business at competitive risk.

Insightfully yours,

Robert Majdak Sr, Co-Founder

Crystal Majdak, Co-Founder

Click Here for Video Highlghts

References

Cook, S. (2005). Learning needs analysis - part 2: Linking learning needs analysis to business needs. Training Journal, 50-52, 54.

Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B., & Cardy, R. L. (2012). Managing human resources (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. ISBN: 9780132729826.

Grenness, T. (2011). The impact of national culture on CEO compensation and salary gaps between CEOs and manufacturing workers. Compensation Benefits, 43(2), 100-108.

Srimannarayana, M. (2011). Measuring training & development. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 47(1), 117+.