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​How to develop and implement training programs?

Posted by: Mansour Baker

​Introduction

​The aim of employee training is to provide a framework to manage the assessment, design and execution of employee training initiatives and programs.

The organization’s approach is to continuously develop employee skills, knowledge, and competencies to support the achievement of its current and future business objectives and ensure a learning culture where employees at all levels will be encouraged to learn. ​

​Training Plan

A training plan will be formulated and revised every year by the Human Resources Department and will outline the objectives and targets of training for the year.

​​Successful implementation of the training plan will depend upon the efficiency in communication and conduct of the training programs listed in the training calendar. Developing a sound process for training delivery is vital to the success of the training objectives of the company.

​Training Needs Assessment

​Training needs will be assessed at the end of each fiscal year for all employees. An annual training calendar shall be prepared based on organization-wide individual development priorities and the outcome of the periodic training needs assessment.

All departments should conduct a formal Training Needs Analysis (TNA) following the annual performance assessment cycle, which will be the basis of training priorities. The annual TNA must be completed before the completion of the annual budgeting process to allow management to make adequate financial provisions for planned training and development activities.

​Training Needs Analysis from Competency Evaluation

• A key input towards the development of a corporate training plan is the use of performance management data - competency evaluation.
• This is reliable and valuable information coming out of objective observation of competency proficiency by managers across the organization. This provides a strong pulse of the workforce’s capability to deliver on their current job requirements and the degree to which they need to grow to achieve the next level.
• The analysis of competency evaluation results drives the identification of critical competency gaps, at an individual and, ultimately, at an aggregate level:

​Leveraging performance management data

​Training Model - The categories of training to be assessed

​Induction Program

​All new hires will go through the induction program which provides information and advice on a range of topics including a detailed introduction to the organization.

The aim of the Induction Program is to welcome new employees into the organization, whilst providing them with the basic facts that will enable them to settle into the organization and their new job role. Employees who change jobs within the organization, transfer and/or are promoted shall be inducted into their new role and/or new division.

The employee immediate manager provides the final and most important aspect of induction. Induction at department level should focus on the employee’s role, the structure of the area and how their role fits into the structure.

​Managers retain ultimate responsibility for staff induction, although it is likely that nominated members of staff will conduct the induction. Induction is a continuous process of familiarizing new employees with their job in the organization. A well-panned induction will help staff adapt to their role, whilst a poor induction can lead to confusion, errors, and dissatisfaction.

Employees will gain an understanding of the company in the following areas:

​Company Induction

• Understand the structure of the company
• Have an awareness of the company strategy and mission, vision, and values statements
• Understand each of the business divisions
• Understand HR policies and their responsibilities as an employee
• Understand company career development system
• Be aware of the Health, Safety & Security policy, and their responsibilities as an employee
• To be aware of the information resources available and the communication of information within the company

​Department Induction

• A tour of the office in which the new employee will be based. This must cover the location of fire exits and fire extinguishers, assembly points and procedures to be followed to ensure the safety of the individual, colleagues, and visitors (internal and external).
• Procedures to be followed in the event of emergency (real or perceived) (i.e. fire, flood, key contacts).
• Recording of Health and Safety issues (e.g., accidents, risk updates).
• First Aid (e.g., identification of employees qualified to administer first aid)

​Training Delivery

Training delivery methods shall be selected based on cost effectiveness in terms of achieving the training outcome. 

Training activity will be delivered in any of the following training forms:

• Internally or externally training​
• On the job training (OJT)
• E-training
• Coaching
• Conferences/Seminars
• Rotation Assignments
• Pre-employment training
• Training apprentices
• Utilizing company personnel to provide training
• Continuous education assistant

​Training Course Classification

Training courses are classified based on the following areas:

1. Technical Skills: Specialized subjects in order to develop technical skills and knowledge according to the job/function.
2. Managerial Skills: Skills necessary for employees of managerial levels to manage their function and employees.
3. Soft Skills: To develop personal attributes that enhance an employee’s interactions effectively with other employees internally or externally.
4. Professional Certification: Training programs that certify an employee in a certain specialty.

​Training Evaluation

​The effectiveness of a training initiative can be measured by the degree of improvement in employee skills, knowledge, competencies, and on-the-job performance. Additionally, to justify their costs, training activities must be evaluated to determine whether the objectives and expectations have been entirely achieved and met, and if not, the degree to which they have not been met.

Evaluations methods may include post-course questionnaires, line manager observations, colleague feedback, achievement of post-course project work, analysis of indicative data (e.g. improved work), and re-cap questionnaires.​

Where evaluation indicates that training objectives have not been achieved in their entirety, the line manager will assess and initiate the actions necessary to close the performance gap.

How to develop and implement training programs?

​A formal learning and development program is developed to ensure that skills are developed, and the company has access to a specialized workforce.

​Deployment of an organization wide training needs assessment to identify skill gaps and performance requirements and development of training programs to upgrade company staff skills and capabilities and ensure they can carry out functions needed to realize the company strategic and operational objectives.

​Near Term (1-6 months) Initiatives

• Deploy an organization wide training needs assessment to identify skill gaps.
• Roll out organization-wide basic skills training courses to upgrade staff skills and capabilities (e.g., writing skills, leadership, basic computer literacy).
• Study training in-sourcing and out-sourcing models for building training capabilities / infrastructure at the company and determine most suitable model for developing training infrastructure.

​Medium Term (6-12 months) Initiatives

• Create a comprehensive training program geared toward continuous improvement of skills in technical and non-technical fields.
• Implement and sustain

​​Near & Medium-Term Training Programs Activities

​Objectives

• To ensure company staff can carry out functions needed to realize company strategic and operational objectives.
• To create opportunities for the company workforce to diversify their experience and education and increase agility, innovation, and leadership.
• To promote career-long learning, focus on performance support through consulting, rapid deployment training, and targeted training, and facilitate knowledge sharing through on-line resources.

​Key Activities

• Assess current company training programs to identify scope and relationship to organizational performance objectives.
• Develop metrics and performance data collection methodology.
• Design and implement training needs survey.
• Analyze the data, conduct a cause analysis, and identify performance improvement solutions.
• Define training objectives and criteria for development.
• Identify training in-sourcing and outsourcing models based on needs identified.
• Define basic/general skills required and develop deployment plans.

​Key Deliverables

1. Baseline training assessment
2. Training needs assessment 
3. Training objectives and criteria
4. Training mode analysis 
5. Roll out of basic training program

1. Baseline training assessment

• Assessment of current company training programs and links to organizational performance objectives.

2. Training needs assessment

• Development of metrics and performance data collection methodology.
• Design and implement training needs survey.
• Analyze data and conduct a cause analysis. 
• Identify possible performance improvement solutions.

3. Training objectives and criteria

• Summary report on training/development needs.
• Identification of basic training program needs, including description of employee characteristics for consideration, articulation of training needs, goals, and objectives at both the organizational and trainee levels, identification of approaches that the company will endorse for closing identified skill gaps, preferred instructional methods and media, training materials, and an examination of available options.
• Articulation of the measures that the company will implement to evaluate and monitor employee performance.

4. Training mode analysis

• Recommended model for provision of training services and building needed infrastructure (in-house vs. outsourced).
• Recommendations on sourcing options for basic training programs.

5. Roll out of basic training programs

• List of identified basic training programs (e.g., writing skills, leadership, basic computer literacy).
• Vendor selection for identified training programs.
• Identification of company staff to participate in training programs.
• Training program implementation.

What's the difference between succession planning and career development?

Succession planning is a top-down approach which focuses on identifying, developing, promoting, and assuring business continuity with an ongoing supply of suitable candidates for business-critical roles.

Career development is a bottom-up approach that focuses on the development of individuals to enable them to grow their skills and capabilities, and progress to the next career level.

​​Positions needed to develop a succession plan.

Succession planning is the process of periodically reviewing the requirements, qualifications, and competencies of employees at key positions and their potential successors to determine two to three successors for each senior role, and to design developmental activities to make sure that the successors will be qualified when they are needed. ​

Succession plans are developed for roles which are identified as business-critical roles. If a role has not been identified as a business-critical role, then the development of a succession plan is not required

​​Business-Critical Roles

Business critical roles are those roles which the organization cannot do without achieving its core objectives. As the organization and the business environment evolve, so does the identification of business-critical roles. A change in business strategy may have an impact on the positions considered critical.

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