HRM Unit 3 Notes
HRM Unit 3 Notes
Definitions
● “Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skill of an employee for doing a
particular job.”- Edwin B. Flippo
● “programs that are more present day oriented, focuses on individual’s current jobs,
enhancing specific skills and abilities to immediately perform their job called
training”- Decenzo & Robbins
● Training - learn something in order to make a change. All positions and at all levels in
an organization.
Development
Definitions
● Development can be defined as a continuous process of improving an individual's
skills, knowledge, and abilities to prepare them for future roles and responsibilities.
● According to Werner and DeSimone (2012), "Development refers to activities leading
to the acquisition of new knowledge or skills for purposes of growth."
Approach Structured and formal, often with More flexible and informal, often
predefined objectives and customized based on individual
measurable outcomes. needs and career goals.
Benefit to Helps employees perform their Equips employees with skills to take
Employee current roles efficiently and with on higher responsibilities and
improved accuracy. advance in their careers.
1. Skill Enhancement – Improves employees’ technical and soft skills required for their
job roles.
2. Increased Productivity – Enhances efficiency and performance, leading to better
output.
3. Adapting to Technological Changes – Helps employees stay updated with the latest
tools and technology.
4. Workplace Safety – Ensures employees follow safety protocols, reducing workplace
accidents.
5. Compliance and Legal Requirements – Educates employees on company policies,
labor laws, and industry regulations.
6. Employee Motivation and Engagement – Boosts morale by making employees feel
valued and competent.
7. Reducing Errors and Improving Quality – Helps employees avoid mistakes and
maintain high standards.
8. Succession Planning – Prepares employees for promotions and leadership roles.
9. Customer Satisfaction – Enhances service quality, leading to better customer
experiences.
10.Competitive Advantage – Equips employees with the latest skills, making the
company more competitive.
1. Career Growth – Helps employees prepare for future roles and leadership positions.
2. Long-Term Employee Retention – Encourages loyalty by investing in employees'
futures.
3. Building Leadership Skills – Develops decision-making, communication, and
strategic thinking abilities.
4. Enhancing Innovation and Creativity – Encourages employees to think critically
and find innovative solutions.
5. Adaptability to Industry Changes – Prepares employees for evolving market trends
and business challenges.
6. Improving Problem-Solving Abilities – Equips employees with skills to handle
complex workplace situations.
7. Boosting Confidence and Self-Efficacy – Helps employees become more self-reliant
and proactive.
8. Encouraging Continuous Learning – Fosters a culture of self-improvement and
professional growth.
9. Developing a High-Performing Workforce – Shapes employees into valuable assets
for long-term success.
10.Strengthening Organizational Culture – Aligns employees with company values,
vision, and goals.
___________________________________________________________________________
● Training needs arise due to gaps between actual and expected performance, behavior,
and attitude.
● Factors leading to training needs:
○ Poor performance affecting organizational success.
○ Technological changes requiring skill upgrades.
○ Employees' requests for training.
○ Changes in market trends, policies, or organizational strategy.
● Training needs can be determined through surveys, feedback, performance
appraisals, and role analysis techniques.
● Objectives guide the program and ensure alignment with organizational goals.
● According to O. Jeff Harris Jr., training should focus on:
○ Improving operative skills (job-specific tasks).
○ Enhancing interpersonal skills (team collaboration).
○ Strengthening decision-making skills (problem-solving).
Step 3: Selection & Designing of the T&D Programme
2. Learning – Assesses knowledge and skill acquisition through pre- and post-tests,
practical exercises, or demonstrations to ensure training objectives are met.
3. Behavior – Evaluates whether employees are applying learned skills in their
workplace, using performance reviews, supervisor feedback, or observations.
4. Results – Analyzes the overall impact of training on business outcomes, such as
productivity, quality, revenue, or employee retention, using KPIs and financial
metrics.
● Feedback should be collected from trainees, trainers, and managers to refine future
training programs.
● Helps assess if the training objectives were met and what improvements are needed.
___________________________________________________________________________
Training is not a one-size-fits-all process, and organizations must choose the most effective
training method for their employees. This might include On-the-Job Training (OJT), Job
Rotation, Apprenticeships, Internships, Classroom Lectures, E-Learning, Simulations,
and Vestibule Training.
· Small organizations often rely on OJT as their primary training method due to cost
constraints.
· While OJT is suitable for entry-level jobs, it may not always be the most efficient
way of training.
2. Job Rotation
· Job rotation involves moving employees laterally across different job roles to expand
their skill set and knowledge.
· This method is used to increase motivation and provide employees with exposure to
various tasks.
· Employers often rotate new hires through different departments (e.g., marketing,
finance, operations) before they settle into a permanent role.
3. Apprenticeships
· Employees train under a seasoned mentor, gaining both theoretical knowledge and
practical skills.
· This method is commonly used in skilled trade or craft jobs such as construction,
carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work.
· Internships are structured programs that allow students or fresh graduates to gain
work experience in their chosen field.
· Interns gain real-world experience, enhance their skills, and increase their
employability in competitive job markets.
5. Classroom Lectures
· Many organizations use this method along with other techniques to deliver a large
amount of information in a short time.
· Examples include training for financial advisors and insurance agents, where
classroom instruction is essential.
6. E-Learning
· For example, UPS used simulation games to train truck drivers, reducing training
failure rates from 30% to 10%.
· Research indicates that a combination of online and face-to-face training is often
more effective than purely online training.
7. Simulations
o Case studies
o Role-playing
o Computer-based simulations
· For example, pilots and military personnel use simulations to train in controlled
environments before handling real-world situations.
8. Vestibule Training
· Vestibule training involves learning with actual work tools and equipment in a
training environment rather than on the job.
· It closely mirrors real workplace conditions but allows employees to practice safely
without affecting actual business operations.
· This method is ideal for manufacturing, aviation, and technical industries where
employees must master using machinery or equipment before handling them in
real settings.
Summary
Each training method has its advantages and is used based on organizational needs, job roles,
and employee skill levels. Some key takeaways include:
· OJT and Apprenticeships provide hands-on experience but may lack structured
learning.
· Simulations and Vestibule Training are essential for high-risk jobs where errors in
real work conditions can be costly.
Each organization must evaluate these methods to choose the most effective training
approach for their employees.
___________________________________________________________________________
1. Training evaluation
2. Purpose of training evaluation
· Efficiency – Evaluates time consumption, possibilities for shortening the training, and
alternatives like on-the-job training or job aids.
· Cost-effectiveness – Assesses whether the training is worth the investment and identifies
the primary beneficiaries.
· Judging Merit or Worth – Measures the value and success of the training.
· Generating Knowledge – Provides data for future training research and development.
4. Greater Credibility for Training Staff – Validates their contribution to training success.
9. Justification for Future Training Sponsorship – Provides evidence for funding further
training programs.
10. Improved Expertise for Training Designers – Helps design more effective, result-oriented
training initiatives.
11. Participant Feedback for Learning Outcomes – Encourages trainees to align their
learning with defined objectives.
12. Personnel Development Support – Provides evaluation data for promotions and career
growth decisions.
Training evaluation plays a crucial role in measuring the success of training programs,
improving their quality, and aligning them with organizational goals.
The evaluation of training is the process of determining the effectiveness and impact of a
training program. It should be based on sound principles to ensure its relevance, reliability,
and practicality.
1. Clarity
● The evaluator must be clear about the purpose of evaluation to set appropriate
standards and criteria.
● The training objectives, both general and specific, should be well-defined.
● For example, if a leadership training program aims to enhance decision-making skills,
the evaluation must be structured to measure improvements in that specific skill.
2. Objectivity
● The evaluation process should be free from biases and conducted in a fair manner.
● Objectivity ensures that the assessment is based on measurable standards rather than
subjective opinions.
● This requires:
○ Designing valid and reliable research instruments.
○ Using quantitative and qualitative data to support findings.
○ For example, instead of relying only on feedback forms, a leadership program
could use pre- and post-training decision-making tasks to objectively
measure improvement.
3. Reliability
● The instruments used for evaluation must yield consistent results across different
situations and evaluators.
● The evaluation should be repeatable with similar findings, ensuring accuracy.
● Example: A pre-test and post-test administered to different groups of trainees should
yield similar learning outcomes when using the same curriculum.
4. Feasibility
5. Customization
● The evaluation design and approach should be tailored to specific training levels and
objectives.
● One evaluation method may not be suitable for all types of training.
● Example: A soft skills training program may need a different evaluation approach
compared to technical skills training, which can be measured through practical
application.
Training evaluation is broadly classified into Formative and Summative Evaluation, with
further subcategories.
1. Formative Evaluation
● It answers questions like, “Are the goals and objectives suitable for the targeted
audience?” “Are the methods and materials appropriate to the event?” “Can the event
be easily replicated?”
● Helps refine the training program while it is still ongoing.
Key Features:
2. Summative Evaluation
Key Features:
Phillips built upon Kirkpatrick's model by adding a fifth level focused exclusively
on Return on Investment (ROI) measurement. The model quantifies the financial costs
and benefits associated with a training program to determine its monetary value. While
the first four levels remain unchanged from Kirkpatrick’s model, the fifth level
introduces ROI analysis through:
● Cost vs. benefit comparison
● ROI percentage calculation
● Intangible benefits realization
● Expectancy table analysis
Level 1: Reaction
In common with the Kirkpatrick Model, the Phillips ROI Model begins by evaluating the
participants’ reaction to the training they received.
Level 2: Learning
The second level of the Philips ROI Model evaluates what, if any, learning took place during
the training.
Level 4: Impact
While the fourth level of the Kirkpatrick taxonomy focuses purely on results, the Phillips
ROI model is much broader and looks at the impact of the training. This helps identify
whether factors other than training were responsible for delivering the outcomes.
The Phillips ROI Model found favor with organizations who wanted to assign a monetary
value to the results of the training. Given the cost and complexity of applying an ROI
analysis, however, only around five to ten percent of training courses actually require a full,
five-level evaluation.
In 1970, Peter Warr, Michael Bird, and Neil Rackham published their book, Evaluation of
management training. Their framework for evaluating training became known as the ‘CIRO
model’ and offers businesses a way of evaluating training needs and results.
Unlike other models such as Kirkpatrick’s Model that can be applied to a broad range of
training and evaluation programs, the CIRO model is specifically aimed at evaluating
management training.
CIRO is an acronym that stands for the four levels which make up this approach to learning
evaluation. They are:
● Context
● Input
● Reaction
● Output
The CIRO model is hierarchical, meaning that practitioners must start by studying ‘Context’,
before moving through ‘Input’, ‘Reaction’ and ‘Output’.
Stage 4: Outcome
This stage of the CIRO Model involves presenting information about the results of the
training.
The CIRO Model is a practical way of evaluating management training and has found favor
with many organizations the world over.
Roger Kaufman and John M. Keller published Levels of evaluation: Beyond Kirkpatrick in
the winter 1994 edition of Human Resource Development Quarterly. This work became
known as Kaufman’s Five Levels of Evaluation and is commonly referred to as Kaufman’s
Model of Learning Evaluation.
Like the Phillips ROI Model, Kaufman’s model was closely based on the Kirkpatrick Model
and made a few changes and modifications.
These are:
● Kaufman divided Kirkpatrick’s Level 1 (Reaction) into two parts: 1a, “Input”, and 1b,
“Process.”
● Kaufman introduced a fifth level that evaluates the impact of the training on both the
organization’s customers and on society.
Kaufman’s Model takes the following approach:
1a. Input: At this stage, the evaluator looks at the resources that are used to conduct
instruction. Are the resources what is needed for the instruction?
1b. Process: At this stage, the evaluator looks at how the instruction is delivered. Is the
delivery method efficient and acceptable?
2. Acquisition: At this stage, the evaluator determines if the learners acquired the
knowledge they were taught and if they applied it in their work.
3. Application: At this stage, the evaluator determines how well the learners used the
knowledge they were taught.
4. Organizational payoffs: At this stage, the evaluator determines how the learning
impacted the organization.
5. Societal outcomes: At this stage, the evaluator determines how the learning impacted
the company’s clients or the larger society.
An entry test is conducted before training to assess trainees' existing knowledge and skills. It
helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and tailor the training content. To ensure effectiveness:
Ongoing evaluation ensures learning progress and allows trainers to adjust their methods. It
includes: