NATURE OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENTIn simple

terms, training and development refers to the

imparting of specific skills, abilities and knowledge to an
employee. A formal definition of training &d e v e l o p m e n t
is… it is any attempt to improve current or future
e m p l o y e e performance by increasing an employee’s
ability to perform through learning,usually by changing
the employee’s attitude or increasing his or her skills
andk n o w l e d g e . T h e n e e d f o r t r a i n i n g &
d e v e l o p m e n t i s d e t e r m i n e d b y t h e employee’s
performance deficiency, computed as follows:Training &
Development need = Standard performance – Actual
performance.We can make a distinction among training,
education and development. Suchdistinction enables us
to acquire a better perspective about the meaning of
theterms. Training, as was stated earlier, refers to the
process of imparting specifics k i l l s . E d u c a t i o n , o n t h e
other hand, is confined to theoretical learning
i n classrooms.Table 1. Training and Education Differentiated
T r a i n i n
g E d u c a t
i o n
A p p l i c a t i o n T h
e o r e t i c a l
O r i e n t a t i o n J o b
E x p e r i e n c e C l a s
s r o o m
L e a r n i n g S p e c i
f i c
T a s k s G e n e r a l
C o n c e p t s N a r r o w
/ P e r s p e c t i v e B r o a d
P e r s p e c t i v e
Training
refers to the process of imparting specific skills.
Development
refers to the learning opportunitiesdesigned to help employees
grow.
Education
is theoretical learning in classroom. T h o u g h t r a i n i n g a n d
education differ in nature and orientation, they
a r e complementary. An employee, for example, who
undergoes training is presumedto have had some formal
education. Furthermore, no training p rogramme
iscomplete without an element of education. In fact,
the distinction between training and education is getting
increasingly blurred nowadays. As more andmore
employees are called upon to exercise judgments and to
choose alternativesolutions to the job problems, training
programmes seek to broaden and developthe individual
through education. For instance, employees in well -
paid jobsand/or employees in the service industry may
be required to make independent
decision regarding there work and their
relationship with clients. Hence,organization
must consider elements of both education and
t r a i n i n g w h i l e planning there training
programmes.Development refers to those learning
opportunities designed to help employeesgrow.
Development is not primarily skill-oriented. Instead, it
provides generalknowledge and attitudes which will be
helpful to employees in higher positions.Efforts towards
development often depend on personal drive and
ambition.Development activities, such as those supplied
by management developmentalprogrammes, are generally
voluntary.To bring the distinction among training,
education and development into sharpf o c u s , i t m a y
be stated that “
training is offered to operatives
”, whereas“
developmental programmes are meant for employees in higher
positions”
.
Education however is common to all the
employees
, t h e r e g r a d e s notwithstanding.
AIMS/OBJECTIVES OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
The fundamental aim of training is to help the organization
achieve its purpose bya d d i n g v a l u e t o i t s k e y
resource – the people it employs. Training
m e a n s investing in the people to enable them to perform
better and to empower them tomake the best use of their
natural abilities. The particular objectives of trainingare
to:
•
Develop the competences of employees and improve their
performance;
•
Help people to grow within the organization in
o r d e r t h a t , a s f a r a s possible, its future needs for human
resource can be met from within;
•
Reduce the learning time for employees
s t a r t i n g i n n e w j o b s o n appointment, transfers or
promotion, and ensure that they become fullycompetent
as quickly and economically as possible.
INPUTS IN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENTS
Any training and development programme must contain
inputs which enable theparticipants to gain skills, learn
theoretical concepts and help acquire vision tolook into
distant future. In addition to these, there is a need to
impart ethical orientation, emphasize on attitudinal
changes and stress upon decision-makingand problem-
solving abilities.
Skills
Training, as was stated earlier, is imparting skills to
employees. A worker needsskills to operate machines,
and use other equipments with least damage
or scrap. This is a
basic
skill without which the operator will not be able to
function.T h e r e i s a l s o t h e n e e d f o r
motor
skills. Motor skills refer to performance of specific
physical activities. These skills involve training to move
various parts of one’s body in response to certain
external and internal stimuli. Common motor skills
include walking, riding a bicycle, tying a shoelace,
throwing a ball and
driving a car. Motor skills are needed for all employees –
from the clerk to thegeneral manager. Employees,
particularly supervisors and executives, need
interpersonal
skills popular known as the
people
skills. Interpersonal skills areneeded to understand one self
and others better, and act accordingly. Exampleso f
interpersonal skills include listening,
p e r s u a d i n g , a n d s h o w i n g a n understanding of
others’ feelings.
Education
The purpose of education is to teach theoretical concepts and
develop a sense of reasoning and judgement. That any
training and development programme mustcontain an
element of education is well understood by HR specialist.
Any suchp r o g r a m m e h a s u n i v e r s i t y p r o f e s s o r s
a s r e s o u r c e p e r s o n s t o e n l i g h t e n participants
about theoretical knowledge of the topic proposed to be
discussed.In fact organizations depute or encourage
employees to do courses on a parttime basis. Chief
Executive Officers (CEO’s) are known to attend
refresher courses conducted by business schools.
Education is important for managersand executives than
for lower-cadre workers.
Development
Another component of a training and development is
development which is lesss k i l l o r i e n t e d b u t
stressed on knowledge. Knowledge about
b u s i n e s s environment, management principles and
techniques, human relations, specificindustry analysis and
the like is useful for better management of the company.
Ethics
There is need for imparting greater ethical
o r i e n t a t i o n t o a t r a i n i n g a n d development
programme. There is no denial of the fact that ethics are
largelyignored in businesses. Unethical practices
abound in marketing, finance and production function in
an organization. They are less see and talked about in
thepersonnel function. If the production, finance and marketing
personnel indulge inu n e t h i c a l p r a c t i c e s t h e f a u l t
rests on the HR manager. It is his/her duty
toenlighten all the employees in the organizat ion
a b o u t t h e n e e d o f e t h i c a l behavior.E x h i b i t #
1White Collar Crimes
The findings of the KPMG’s fraud survey for 1998,
confirm the prevalence of white collar crimes in
corporate India. The survey has pegged the loss due
todelinquencies at Rs.200 crore s but KPMG feels
that it is only the tip of the iceberg. According to the
study, 66% of the respondents feel that the frauds
willincrease.Respondents have cited kickbacks and expenses
accounts as the most frequenttypes of internal frauds, and
patent infringements, false representation and
secretcommissions as the most favored external crimes.
Among management frauds,window dressing of balance
sheets is the hot favorite followed by more creativeones
like fudging MIS and giving wrong information.
Attitudinal Changes
Attitudes represent feeling and beliefs of individuals
towards others. Attitudeaffects motivation, satisfaction
and job commitment. Negative attitudes need tobe
converted into positive attitudes. Changing negative
attitudes is difficult because –1.Employees refuse to
changes2.They have prior commitments
3.
And information needed to change attitudes may not be
sufficientNevertheless, attitude must be changed so that
employees feel committed to theorganization, are motivated
for better performance, and derive satisfaction fromthere
jobs and the work environment
Decisions Making and Problem Solving Skills
Decision making skill and problem solving skills focus on
method and techniquesfor making organizational decisions
and solving work-related problems. Learningrelated to
decision-making and problem-solving skills seeks to improve
trainees’abilities to define structure problems, collect and
analysis information, generatealternative solution and make
an optimal decision among alternatives. Training of t h i s
type is typically provided to potential
m a n a g e r s , s u p e r v i s o r s a n d professionals.E x h i b i t #
2 T r a i n i n g i n p u t s a t H L L The training and
development affords at HLL are designed to
d e v e l o p t h e following:1.Helping employees satisfy
personal goals through higher level of skills
andcompetencies2.Facilitating higher contribution at
there present jobs and preparing them for the next level
of responsibilities3 . D e v e l o p i n g i n d i v i d u a l s a n d
teams to meet the total needs of
t h e organization
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AS SOURCE OF
COMPETITIVEADVANTAGE
Companies derive competitive advantage from
t r a i n i n g a n d d e v e l o p m e n t . Training and development
programmes, as was pointed out earlier, help
removeperformance deficiencies in employee. This is
particularly true when - (1) thed e f i c i e n c y i s c a u s e d
by a lack of ability rather than a lack of
m o t i v a t i o n t o perform, (2) the individual(s) involved
have the aptitude and motivation need tolearn to do the
job better, and (3) supervisors and peers are supportive
of thedesired behaviors.Training & Development offers
competitive advantage to a firm by removingperformance
deficiencies; making employees stay long; minimized
accidents,scraps and damage; and meeting future employee
needs.There is greater stability, flexibility, and capacity
for growth in an organization.Training contributes to
employee stability in at least two ways.
Employeesbecome efficient after undergoing training.
Efficient employees contribute to thegrowth of the
organization. Growth renders stability to the workforce.
Further,trained employees tend to stay with the
organization. They seldom leave the company.
Training makes the employees versatile in operations. All
rounderscan be transferred to any job. Flexibility is
therefore ensured. Growth indicatesprosperity, which is
reflected in increased profits from year to year. Who else
butwell-trained employees can contribute to the prosperity of
an enterprise? Accidents, scrap and damage to machinery
and equipment can be avoided or minimized through
training. Even dissatisfaction, complaints, absenteeism,
andturnover can be reduced if employees are trained
well.F u t u r e n e e d s o f e m p l o y e e s w i l l b e m e t
through training and development p r o g r a m m e s .
Organizations take fresh diploma holders or
graduates asapprentices or management
trainees. They are absorbed after
c o u r s e completion. Training serves as an effective
source of recruitment. Training is aninvestment in HR with
a promise of better returns in future. A company's training
and development pays dividends to the employee and
theorganization. Though no single training programme
yields all the benefits, theorganization which devotes
itself to training and development enhances its
HRc a p a b i l i t i e s a n d s t r e n g t h e n s i t s
competitive edge. At the same time,
t h e employee's personal and career goals are furthered,
generally adding to his or her abilities and value to the
employer. Ultimately, the objectives of the
HRdepartment are also furthered.
The Benefits of Employee Training
How Training Benefits the Organization:
•
Increases job satisfaction and recognition
•
Moves a person towards personal goals while improving
interactive skills
•
Satisfies personal needs of the trainer (and trainee)
•
Provides the trainee an avenue for growth and a say in his/her
own future
•
Develops a sense of growth in learning
•
Helps a person develop speaking and listening skills; also
writing skillswhen exercises are required. Helps eliminate fear
in attempting new tasks
Benefits in Personnel and Human Relations, Intra-group & Inter-
group Relationsand Policy Implementation:
•
Improves communication between groups and individuals:
•
Aids in orientation for new employee and those taking new
jobs throughtransfer or promotion
•
Provides information on equal opportunity and affirmative
action
•
Provides information on other government laws and
administrative policies
•
Improves interpersonal skills.
•
Makes organizational policies, rules and regulations viable.
•
Improves morale
•
Builds cohesiveness in groups
•
Provides a good climate for learning, growth, and co-ordination
•
Makes the organization a better place to work and live
THE TRAINING PROCESS
Figure #1 below outline important steps in a typical training
process.
Lack of skillor KnowledgeOther Causes

TrainingNon-trainingMeasures

PerformanceDeficiencywhen there is performance deficiency.

Inadequacy in performance may be due tolack of skill or
knowledge or any other problem. The problem of
performance d e f i c i e n c y c a u s e d b y a b s e n c e o f
s k i l l s o r k n o w l e d g e c a n b e r e m e d i e d b y training.
Faulty selection, poor job design, uninspiring
supervision or some personal problem may also result
in poor performance. Transfer, job redesign,improving
quality of supervision, or discharge will solve the
problem. Figurebelow illustrates the assessment of
individual training needs and remedial measures.Figure
#2 Needs Assessment and Remedial
Measures A s s e s s m e n t o f t r a i n i n g n e e d s m u s t a l s o
f o c u s o n a n t i c i p a t e d s k i l l s o f a n employee.
Technology changes fast and new technology demands
new skills. Itis necessary that the employee be acquire
new skills. This will help him/her toprogress in his or
her career path. Training and development is
essential toprepare the employee to handle more
challenging tasks. Deputation to a part-time MBA
programme is ideal to train and develop such
employees.I n d i v i d u a l s m a y a l s o r e q u i r e n e w s k i l l s
b e c a u s e o f p o s s i b l e j o b t r a n s f e r s . Although job
transfer common as organizational personnel demands
vary, theydo not necessarily require training efforts.
Employees commonly require only anorientation to new
facilities and jobs. Recently however, economic forces
haven e c e s s i t a t e d s i g n i f i c a n t r e t r a i n i n g e f f o r t s
i n o r d e r t o a s s u r e c o n t i n u e d employment for many
individuals. Jobs have disappeared as technology,
foreigncompetition, and the forces of supply and demand
are changing the face of our industry. Assessment of
training needs occurs at the group level too. Any change
in theo r g a n i z a t i o n s s t r a t e g y n e c e s s i t a t e s t r a i n i n g
o f g r o u p s o f e m p l o y e e s . F o r example, when the
organization decide to introduce a new line of products,
salespersonnel and production workers have to be trained to
produce, sell and servicethe new products. Training can
also be used when high scrap or accident rates,
Training techniques represent the medium of imparting
skills and knowledge toemployees. Obviously, training
techniques are the means employed in thetraining
methods. Among the most commonly used
techniques are lectures, films, audio cassettes, case
studies, role playing, video-tapes and simulations.
Table #3
presents the list of training techniques along with their
ranking basedo n e f f e c t i v e n e s s . T h e h i g h e r t h e
r a n k i n g ( 1 i s t h e h i g h e s t r a n k ) , t h e m o r e effective
the technique is.Table # 3 Training Methods and the Activities
for which they are
usedOrientingNewEmployees,Introducing,InnovationsIn
Products&
ServicesSpecialSkillsTrainingSafetyEducationCreative,Techn
ical
&ProfessionalEducationSales, Administrative,Supervisory
&ManagerialEducation
1
2
3
4
5
A . O n t h e JobTraining
OrientationTraining
Y
N
N
N
N Jobinstructiontrai
ningY
Y
N
N
N Apprenticetrainin
gY
Y
N
N
N Internships
& AssistantshipN
y
N
Y
Y J
o b
R o t a
t i o n
Y N N N
Y C o
a c h
i n g
N Y Y
Y Y
B . O f f t h e JobMethods
V e s
t i b
u l e
Y Y N
N N L
e c
t u
r e
Y Y
Y Y
Y SpecialStudy
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
F i
l m
s Y
Y Y
Y Y
T e l e
v i s i
o n s Y
Y Y Y Y
Conferenceor Discussion
Y
N
Y
Y
Y C
a s e
S t u
d y N
N N N
Y R o l
e
P l a y
i n g N
N N Y N
S i m
u l a
t i o
n Y Y
Y Y N
ProgrammedInstructions
Y
Y
Y
Y
3 Laboratorytrainin
gN
N
3
3
N
Y=Yes; N-No
At this point, it is worthwhile to elaborate on important
techniques of training. Weexplain the following-lectures,
audio-visuals, on-the-job training, programmedinstruction,
computer aided instruction, simulation and sensitivity training.
Lectures:
Lecture is a verbal presentation of information by an
instructor to alarge audience. The lecturer is
presumed to possess a considerable depth
of knowledge of the subject at hand. A virtue of this
method is that is can be usedfor very large groups,
and hence the cost per trainee is low. This method
ismainly used in colleges and universities, though its
application is restricted intraining factory employees. (See
Table #3)Limitations of the lecture method account for
its low popularity. The method v i o l a t e s t h e
principle of learning by practice. It
c o n s t i t u t e s a o n e - w a y communication. There is no
feedback from the audience.. Continued lecturing islikely to
bore the audience. To break the boredom, the lecturer
often resorts toa n e c d o t e s , j o k e s a n d o t h e r
attention-getters. This activity may
e v e n t u a l l y overshadow the real purpose of instruction.
However, the lecture method can bemade effective it if is
combined other methods of training.
Audio-visual:
Visuals Audio-visuals include television slides, overheads,
video-types and films. These can be used to provide a wide
range of realistic examplesof job conditions and
situations in the condensed period of time. Further,
thequality of the presentation can be controlled and will
remain equal for all traininggroup. But, audio-visuals constitute
a one-way system of communication with no
Table #4 The Relative Effectiveness of training Methods
Training Knowledge Changing Problem Interpersonal Participant
Knowledge Method Acquisition Attitudes Solving Skills Acceptance
retention Rank Rank Skills Rank Rank Rank Case study 2 4 1 4 2
2Conference 3 3 4 3 1 5 Lecture 9 8 9 8 8 8 Business games 6 5 2 5 3
6 Films 4 6 7 6 5 7 Programmed 1 7 6 7 7 1 Instruction Role Playing 7 2 3 2
4 4SensitivityTraining 8 1 5 1 6 3Television 5 9 8 9 9 9Lecture
scope for the audience to raise doubts for
clarification. Further, there is no flexibility of presentation
from audience to audience.
On the job Training (OJT)
Majority of industrial training is of the on-the-job-training
type. OJT is conducted at the work site and in the
context of the job.Often, it is informal, as when an
experienced worker shows a trainee how to perform the
job tasks.OJT has advantages. It is the most effective
method as the trainee learns by experience, making
him or her highly competent. Further, the method is
leastexpensive since no formal training is organized. The
trainee is highly motivatedto learn he or she is aware of the
fact that his or her success on the job dependson the training
received. Finally, the training is free from an artificial situation
of aclassroom. This contributes to the effectiveness of the
programme.OJT suffers form certain demerits as well.
The experienced employee may lackexperience or
inclination to train the juniors. The training programme itself is
notsystematically organized. In addition, a poorly
conducted OJT programme islikely. to create safety
hazards, result in damaged products or mater ials,
andbring unnecessary stress to the trainees.
OJT
is conducted at the work site and in the context of the job. It is,
much time,informal. An experienced worker shows a trainee
how to work on the job.
Programmed Instruction (PI)
This is a method where training is offered withoutthe
intervention of a trainer. Information is provided to the trainee
in blocks, either in a book of thought a teaching machine. After
reading each block of material, thelearner must answer a
question about it. Feedback in the form of correct answersis
provided after each response. Thus, programmed instruction
(PI) involves:1.Presenting questions, facts, or problems to
the learner 2.Allowing the person to
respond3.Providing feedback on the accuracy of his or
her answers4.If the answers are correct, the learner
proceeds to the next block. If not, he or she repeats the
same.The main advantage of PI is that it is self-paced-
trainees can progress throughthe programme at their own
speed. Strong motivation is provided to the learner torepeat
learning. Material is also structured and self -
contained, offering much scope for practice.T h e
disadvantages are not to be ignored. The scope
f o r l e a r n i n g i s l e s s , compared to other methods of
training. Cost of preparing books, manuals andmachinery
is considerably high.
Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI)
This is an extension of the PI method. The speed
memory and data-manipulation capabilities of the
computer permit
greater utilization of basic PI concept. For example, the
learner's response maydetermine the frequency and
difficulty level of the next frame.CAI is an improved system
when compared to the PI method, in at least
threer e s p e c t s . F i r s t , C A I p r o v i d e s f o r
a c c o u n t a b i l i t y a s t e s t s a r e t a k e n o n t h e computer
so that the management can monitor each trainee's
progress andneeds. Second, a CAI training programme
can also be modified easily to reflecttechnological
innovations in the equipment for which the employee
is beingtrained. Third, this training also tends to be
more flexible in that trainees canusually use the
computer almost any time they want, and thus get
training whenthey prefer. Not to be ignored is the fact
that from CAI is as rich and colorful asmodem electronic
games, complete with audio instruction displays. A
deterrentwith regard to CAI is its high cost, but repeated use
may justify the cost.
Simulation:
A simulator is any kind of equipment or technique that
duplicates asnearly as possible the actual conditions
encountered on the job. Simulation then,is an attempt to
create a realistic decision-making environment for the
trainee.Simulations present likely problem situation and
alternatives to the trainee. For example, activities of an
organization may be simulated and the trainee may
beasked to make a decisi on in support to those
activities. The results of thosedecisions are reported
back to the trainee with an explanation of what
wouldhave happened had they actually made in the
workplace. The trainee learns fromt h i s f e e d b a c k a n d
improves his/her subsequent simulation and
w o r k p l a c e decisions.The more widely held simulation
exercises are case study, role playing and vestibu1
training.
Case Study:
is a written description of an actual situation in
business which provokes, in the reader, the need to
decide what is going on, what the situationreally is or what
the problems are, and what can and should be done. Taken
fromthe actual experiences of organizations, these cases
represent to describe, asaccurately as possible, real
problems that managers have faced. Trainee studiesthe cases
to determine problems, analyses causes, develop alternative
solutions,s e l e c t t h e b e s t o n e , a n d i m p l e m e n t i t .
C a s e s t u d y c a n p r o v i d e s t i m u l a t i n g discussions
among participants as well as excellent opportunities for
individualsto defend their analytical and judgment abilities. It
appears to be an ideal methodto promote decision-making
abilities within the constraints of limited data.
Role playing:
generally focuses on emotional (mainly human relations)
issuesrather than actual ones. The essen ce of role
playing is to create a realistic s i t u a t i o n , a s i n c a s e
study, and then have the trainee assume the
p a r t s o f specific personalities in the situation. For
example, a male worker may assumethe role of a
female supervisor, and the supervisor may assu me
the role of amale worker. Then, both may be given a
typical work situation and asked to r e s p o n d a s
they expect others to do. The
c o n s e q u e n c e s a r e a b e t t e r understanding
among individuals. Role playing helps promote
interpersonalrelation. Attitude change is another result
of role playing. Case study and roleplaying are used in
MDPs
Vestibule Training:
utilizes equipment which closely resembles the actual
onesused on the job. However, training takes place away from
the work environment. A s p e c i a l a r e a o r a r o o m i s s e t
aside from the main production area and
i s equipped with furnishings similar to those found in the
actual production area.T h e t r a i n e e i s t h e n p e r m i t t e d
to learn under simulated conditions,
w i t h o u t disrupting ongoing operation s. A primary
advantage of vestibule training it relieves the employee
from the pressure of having to produce while learning.
Theemphasis is on learning skills required by the job. Of
course, the cost of duplicatefacilities and a special trainer is an
obvious disadvantage.The advantage of simulation is the
opportunity to 'create an environment' similar to real
situations the manager incurs, but without the high costs
involved shouldthe actions prove undesirable. The
disadvantage is (i) it is difficult to duplicate thepressures and
realities of actual decision-making non the job and (ii)
individualsoften act differently in real-life situations than
they do in acting out a simulatedexercise.
Sensitivity Training:
Sensitivity training uses small numbers of trainees,
usuallyfewer than 12 in a Group. They meet with a
passive trainer and gain insight intotheir own and
others' behavior. Meeting have no agenda, are held
away fromworkplaces, and questions deal with the 'here
and now' of the group process.Discussions focus on 'why
participants behave as they do, how they perceiveone
another, and the feelings and emotions generated in the
interaction process.The objectives of sensitivity training are to
provide the participants with increaseda w a r e n e s s o f t h e i r
own behavior and how others perceive them -
g r e a t e r sensitivity to the behavior of others, and
increased understanding of group’s processes.
Specific results sought include increased ability to
empathize witho t h e r , i m p r o v e d l i s t e n i n g s k i l l s ,
greater openness, increased tolerance
o f individual difference and increased conflict-resolution skills.
The drawback of thismethod is that once the training is
over, the participants are themselves againand they resort
to their old habits.Sensitivity training can go by a variety of
names-laboratory training, encounter groups, or T- groups
(training groups). Table 9.9 shows some more techniques
of training.E x h i b i t # 3 T r a i n i n g g o e s T e c h n o -
S a v v y In today’s electronic world, the World Wide Web
(WWW) is all pervasive. Theinternet and intranet are changing
the face of training and learning. Using a PC, amodem and a
web browser, it has become possible to learn online.Web-
based courses through distance learning are virtual.
An employee cansimply connect to the Internet study the
syllabus options available, and enroll for the courses
electronically. He or she can then receive a. course work
online andeven take tests and advance to the next level-all
from his or her own house.
Global giants like Motorola and Ford Motor are
reaping the benefits of virtuallearning. Employees of
Motorola have access of self -paced computer
basedtraining (CBT) material through the firm's
Intranet Motorola offers nearly one hundred online
courses, mostly in information technology.Virtual learning
presents its own challenges. The biggest being an
infrastructureto connect the entire organization across
the seven seas. Web servers, ISDNlines, laptops, and
personnel computers are the basic requisites. But
thesefacilities will payoff in the long-run. Firms investing in
virtual learning technologiescan slash their training budgets by
30 to 50 per centLearning through the web can be very
convenient for' employees. There are nofixed schedules or
limitations of time. One can attend the course at home, in
theevening when one is at leisure, or while traveling to
work. The learners do nothave to depend on the trainer's
availability.It is not just the technical programs: soft skills
can also be learnt electronically.O n e f i r m u s e d a
CDROM manual to impart soft-skills like
p e r f o r m a n c e management, coaching, and interviewing
skills. The CDROM based training wassupplemented with
shared learning via teleconferencing, where
managersdiscussed key learning’s and asked for
clarifications. Face to face, role-playingexercises were
added for the human touch.One advantage of computer-
based soft-skills training is that it helps
maintainanonymity in situations that may be discomforting for
trainees. For example, role-playing exercises, may call for
sharing personal information with strangers. Thiscan be
avoided in a virtual-learning setting, till the time the learner
becomes moreopen and flexible.It reads like who is who in
using virtual learning. Motorola and Ford are only thetwo.
There are others too. IBM, for example, has a virtual
university, IBM GlobalCampus, to provide its employees
continuous skills-driven-Learning opportunitiesvia the
corporate intranet across the globe.Federal Express has
turned to interactive multimedia for a more effective
trainingsystem. Employees have the facility to get
training via personnel computers during regular working
hours at any time convenient to them.Texas Instrument has
been using satellite-based and CBT for a long time.
Thefirm's satellite broadcast links employees in countries all
over the world, includingGermany, Italy, France, England,
Japan, and India.Boeing delivers interactive training to its
22,000 managers globally through ac o m m u n i c a t i o n
service that uses the satellite broadcast
technology. Oneapplication of the service was a
short strategic planning skills course
f o r employees in Boeing offices in US, Japan, Australia,
and Western Europe. Thecourse participants viewed the
workshops on monitors in corporate conference
rooms as well as on large-screen video-projection equipment
in auditoriums. Theonline training was supplemented with
small-group work with a site facilitator,presentations via
satellite from Boeing experts, workbook exercises, and
audiointeraction with instructors. Boeing reported
savings of $ 9 million in travel costsalone.Table #
5 Techniques of
Training T e c h n i q u
e D e s c r i p t
i o n
I c e B r e a k e r s G a m e s t o g e t
t e a m m e m b e r s k n o w e a c h
o t h e r L e a d i n g G a m e s E x e r c i s e
t o e a c h d i f f e r e n t s t y l e s o f
l e a d e r s h i p S k i l l G a m e s T e s t
t o d e v e l o p a n a l y t i c a l
s k i l l s Communication GamesExercise to
build bias free listening and
talkingS t r a t e g i c p l a n n e r s G a m e s t o
t e s t a b i l i t y t o p l a n a h e a d Team
building gamesExercise requiring
collaborative effortR o l e
r e v e r s a l E x e r c i s e t o
t e a c h p l u r a l i t y o f
v i e w D o u b l i n g B r i n g o u t
t h e i d e a s t h a t a r e n o t
o f t e n e x p r e s s e d T a g
T e a m s O n e r o l e p l a y e d
a l t e r n a t e l y b y t w o
p a r t i c i p a n t M i r r o r i n g T r a
i n i n g w i t h e x t e r n a l
p e r s p e c t i v e M o n o d r a m a
I n s i g h t i n t o a g i v e n
i n t e r a c t i o n Shifting physical
positionhighlighting of communication
problemsS t r u c t u r e d r o l e p l a y i n g R o l e p l a y
with predetermined objectiveM u l t i p l e
role playingProviding a common focus
of discussionB u i l t - i n -
t e n s i o n T e a c h i n g t h e
i m p o r t a n c e o f r e s o l v i n g
m a t t e r S h a d o w i n g W o r k i n g
u n d e r a s e n i o r t o w a t c h
a n d l e a r n Outward bound
trainingAdventure sports for teams9 +
1 + 2 3 S e l f - a s s e s s m e n t b y
a l e a d e r o f l e a d e r s h i p
s k i l l s L a t e r a l
T h i n k i n g T h i n k i n g r a n d o m l y t o
c o m e u p w i t h n e w
i d e a s Morphological AnalysisListing of
alternative solution to problemsG o r d o n
TechniqueSteering a discussion to
crystallize solutions Attribute
ListeningIsolation, selection and
e v a l u a t i o n o f a p r o b l e m Cross-Cultural
TrainingProgrammes to tech specifics of
varied cultures
What should be the Level of Learning?
The next question in designing traininga n d d e v e l o p m e n t
programme is to decide on the level of learning.
A s w a s pointed out earlier, the inputs passed on to trainees in
training and developmentprogrammes are education, skills,
and the like.In addition, there are three basic levels at
which these inputs can be taught. Atthe lowest level, the
employee or potential employee must acquire
fundamentalk n o w l e d g e . T h i s m e a n s d e v e l o p i n g a
b a s i c u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f a f i e l d a n d becoming
acquainted with the language, concepts and
relationships involved init. The goal of the next level is
skills development, or acquiring the ability to perform
in a particular skill area. The highest level aims at increased
operationalproficiency. This involves obtaining additional
experience and improving skillsthat have already been
developed.34 All the inputs of training can be offered
atthe three levels. How effectively they are learned
depends on several principlesof learning.
Learning Principles:
Training and development programmes are more likely
tobe effective when they incorporate the following principles of
learning:1 . E m p l o y e e m o t i v a t i o n , 2.Recognition of
individual differences, 3 . P r a c t i c e
o p p o r t u n i t i e s , 4 . R e i n f o r c e m e n t , 5.Knowledge of
results (feedback), 6 . G o a l s 7 . S c h e d u l e s o f
learning,8.Meaning of material, and9.Transfer of
learning.
Motivation
to learn is the basic requisite to make training and
developmentprogrammes effective. Motivation comes
from awareness that training fetchessome rise in status
and pay. Motivation alone is not enough. The individual
musthave the ability to learn. Ability varies from
individual to individual and this difference must be
considered while organizing training programmes.Regardless
of individual differences and whether a trainee is learning a
new skillo r a c q u i r i n g k n o w l e d g e o f a g i v e n t o p i c ,
t h e t r a i n e e s h o u l d b e g i v e n t h e opportunity to practice
what is being taught.Practice is also essential after the
individual has been successfully trained. It isalmost
impossible to find a professional cricket player who does
not practice for several hours a day. Practice can be a form
of positive reinforcement.
Reinforcement
may be understood as anything that (i) increases the
strength of response and (ii) tends to induce repetitions
of the behavior that preceded thereinforcement.
Distinction may be made between positive
reinforcement andnegative reinforcement. Positive
reinforcement strengthens and increasesbehavior by
the presentation of desirable consequences. The
reinforcement(event) consists of a positive experience for
the individual. In more general terms,we often say that
positive reinforcement consists of rewards for the
individualand, when presented, contingent upon behavior,
tends to increase the probabilitythat the behavior will be
repeated. For example, if an employee does
somethingwell and is complimented by the boss, the
probability that the behavior will berepeated will be
strengthened. In negative reinforcement, the individual
exhibitsthe desired behavior to avoid something
unpleasant. An example might by anemployee who does
something to avoid incurring a reprimand from his or
her boss. If an employee who had the habit of coming late to
work, assuming this asan unpleasant experience, the
employee might begin to come on time to avoidcriticism.
Thus, the effect of negative reinforcement is avoidance of
learning.
Knowledge of results
is a necessary condition for learning. Feedback about
theperformance will enable the learner to know
where he or she stands and to initiate corrective action if
any deviation from the expected goal has taken place.
There are certain tasks for which such feedback
is virtually mandatory for l e a r n i n g . A c r a n e
operator, for example, would have trouble
l e a r n i n g t o manipulate the controls without knowing
how the crane responds to control actions.
Goal setting
can also accelerate learning, particularly when it is
accompanied byknowledge of results. Individuals generally
perform better and learn more quicklywhen they have
goals, particularly if the goals are specific and
reasonablydifficult. Goals that are too difficult or too
easy have little motivational value.37further, goals will
have better motivational value if the employee has a
scope for participation in the goal-setting process.Probably
one of the most well-established principles of learning is that
distributedor spaced learning is superior to continuous
learning. This is true for both simplelaboratory tasks and for
highly complex ones.
Schedules of learning
involve (i) duration of practice sessions, (ii) duration of
restsessions, and (ill) positioning of rest pauses. All
the three must be carefullyplanned and executed. A
definite relationship has been established
b e t w e e n l e a r n i n g a n d meaningfulness of the
subject learnt. The more meaningful the material,
thebetter is the learning process. What is learnt in training
must be transferred to the job. The traditional approach
to transfer has been to maximize the
identicalelements between the training situation and the
actual job. This may be possiblef o r t r a i n i n g s k i l l s s u c h
as maintaining a cash register, but not for
t e a c h i n g leadership or conceptual skills. Often, what is
learned in a training session facesr e s i s t a n c e b a c k a t t h e
job. Techniques for overcoming resista nce
includecreating positive expectations on the part
of trainee's supervisor, creatingopportunities to
implement new behavior on the job, and
e n s u r i n g t h a t t h e behavior is reinforced when it occurs.
Commitment from the top management tothe training
programme also helps in overcoming resistance to
change.Though, it is desirable that a training and
development programme incorporatesall these principles,
seldom is such a combination effected in practice.
Conduct of Training:
A final consideration is where the training
a n d development programme is to be conducted. Actually, the
decision comes downto the following choices:
1.
At the job itself
2.
On site but not the job-for example, in a training room in the
company
3.
Off the site, such as in a university or college classroom, hotel,
a resort, or a conference centresTypically, basic skills are
taught at the job, and basic grammar skills are taughton
the site. Much of interpersonal and conceptual skills are learnt
off the site.
Implementation of the Training Programme:
Once the training programme has been designed, it
needs to be implemented.Implementation is beset with
certain problems. In the first place, most managersare action-
oriented and frequently say they are too busy to engage
in trainingefforts. Secondly, availability of trainers is a
problem. In addition to possessingcommunication
skills, the trainers must know the company's
philosophy, its objectives, its formal and informal
organizations, and the goals of the trainingprogramme.
Training and development requires a higher degree
of creativitythan, perhaps, any other personnel
specialty.S c h e d u l i n g t r a i n i n g a r o u n d t h e p r e s e n t
w o r k i s a n o t h e r p r o b l e m . H o w t o schedule training
without disrupting the regular work? There is also the
problemof record keeping about the performance of a
trainee during his or her trainingperiod. This information
may be useful to evaluate the progress of the trainee
inthe company.Programme implementation involves action on
the following lines:1.Deciding the location and organizing
training and other facilities.2.Scheduling the training
programme3 . C o n d u c t i n g t h e
p r o g r a m m e 4.Monitoring the progress of trainees.
Evaluation of the Programme:
The last stage in the training and development
process is the evaluation of results (see Fig. #1).
Since huge sums of money are spent on training
andd e v e l o p m e n t , h o w f a r t h e
programme has been useful must
b e judged/determined. Evaluation helps determine the
results of the training anddevelopment programme. In
practice, however, organizations either overlook or lack
facilities for evaluation.
Need for Evaluation:
The main objective of evaluating the training programmesis to
determine if they are accomplishing specific training
objectives, that are,correcting performance deficiencies. A
second reason for evaluation is to ensurethat any changes in
trainee capabilities are due to the training programme
andnot due to any other conditions. Training programmes
should be evaluated todetermine their cost effectiveness.
Evaluation is useful to explain programmefailure, should
finally, credibility of training and development is greatly
enhancedwhen it is proved that the organization has benefited
tangibly from it.
Principles of Evaluation:
Evaluation of the training programme must be basedon
the principles:1 . E v a l u a t i o n s p e c i a l i s t m u s t b e c l e a r
about the goals and purposes
o f evaluation.2.Evaluation must be
continuous.3.Evaluation must be
specific.4.Evaluation must provide the means and
focus for trainers to be able to appraise themselves, their
practices, and their products.5.Evaluation must be based
on objective methods and standards.6 . R e a l i s t i c
target dates must be set for each phase of
t h e e v a l u a t i o n process. A sense of urgency must be
developed, but deadlines that areunreasonably high will
result in poor evaluation

Criteria for Evaluation:

The last column in Fig. 9.1 contains a number
o f potential goals
1.
Training validity
: Did the trainees learn during training?
2.
Transfer validity
: What has been learnt in training, has it been
transferredon the job enhanced performance in the work
organization?
3.
Intra-organizational validity
: Is performance of the new group of trainees,for which
the training programme was developed, consistent
with theperformance of the original training group?
4.
Inter-organizational validity
: Can a training programme validated in
oneorganization be used successfully in another
organization?These questions often result in different
evaluation techniques.
Techniques of Evaluation:
Several techniques of evaluation are being used
inorganization may be stated that the usefulness of
the methods is inversely proportional to the ease with
which evaluation can be done.One approach towards
evaluation is to use experimental and control
groups.Each group is randomly selected, one to receive
training (experimental) and theother not to receive
training (control). The random selection helps to assure
theformation of groups quite similar to each other.
Measures are taken of therelevant indicators of
success (e.g. wo rds typed per minute, quality
piecesproduced per hour, wires attached per minute)
before and after training for bothgroups. If the gains
demonstrated by the experimental groups are better
thanthose by the control group, the training programme is
labeled as successful. A n o t h e r m e t h o d o f t r a i n i n g
evaluation involves longitudinal or time -
s e r i e s analysis. Measures are taken before the
programme begins and are continuedduring and after
the programme is completed. These results are
plotted on agraph to determine whether changes have
occurred and remain as a result of thetraining effort. To further
validate that change has occurred as a result of trainingand
not due to some other variable, a control group may be
included.One simple method of evaluation is to send a
questionnaire to the trainees after the completion the
programme to obtain their opinions about the
programmesworth. Their opinions could through
interviews. A variation of this method is tom e a s u r e
the knowledge and/or skills that employee
p o s s e s s a t t h e commencement and completion of a
training. If the measurement reveals that ther e s u l t s a f t e r
training are satisfactory, then the training may
b e t a k e n a s successful.In order to conduct a thorough
evaluation of a training programme, it is importantto assess
the cost and benefits associated with the programme. This is a
difficultt a s k , b u t i s u s e f u l i n c o n v i n c i n g t h e
m a n a g e m e n t a b o u t t h e u s e f u l n e s s o f training.Some
of the costs that should be measured for a training
programme includen e e d s a s s e s s m e n t c o s t , s a l a r i e s
of training department staff, purchase of
equipment (computers, videos, handouts),
programme development costs, evaluation costs,
trainers' costs, rental facilities and trainee wages during
thetraining period.The benefits to be compared with the cost
are rupee payback associated with theimprovement in
trainees' performance, their behavioral change, and the
longevityof the period during which the benefits would last
Closed-loop System
Referring to Figure #1, it may be observed that the model
suggests that a trainingprogramme should be a closed -
loop system in which the evaluation processprovides
for continual modification of the programme. The
information maybecome available at several stages in
the evaluation process. For example, aneffective
monitoring programme might show that the training
programme has notbeen implemented as originally planned. In
other instances, different conclusionsmight be supported by
comparing data obtained from the evaluation of
training.In addition, even when the training programme
achieves its stated objectives,there are always
developments that can affect the programme, including the
newtraining techniques or characteristics of trainees.
Obviously, the development of training programme needs to
be viewed as a continuously evolving process.
E-LEARNING
E-learning refers to the use of Internet or an
organizational intranet to conducttraining on-line. E-
learning is becoming increasingly popular because of the
largenumber of employees, who need training. Take
Wipro, for example, out of its17,500 employees,
2,500 are on site and 15,000 employees are in off -
shorecenters at Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune
and Delhi. How to organizetraining for all these? Wipro
also has a policy of subjecting any employee for atwo-
week training every year. E-learning helps Wipro
considerably. Similarly, atSatyam nearly 80% of the 9,000
employees are logged into the in-house
learningmanagement system for various courses.
Infosys has al most 10% of its total training through e-
Learning.E-learning has come a long way from its early days
when it was used extensivelyfor technical education such
as learning new languages and familiarization withnew
technologies. Today, firms are introducing soft skill modules as
well. Satyamuses e-learning modules on management
provided by Harvard Manage Mentor P l u s . S a t y a m
has even tied up with Universitas 21 -a
c o n s o r t i u m o f 1 6 international universities and Thomson
learning-for an on-line MBA.It is not that e-learning
replaces traditional training system. In fact, e-
learningbecomes more effective when blended with
traditional learning methods. Manyfirms use e-Learning as
a prerequisite before classroom training popularly
calledblended training, a combination of electric learning
with classroom approach.
Routine training such as orientation, safety and
regulation compliance is besthandled in classrooms.
Learning that requires discussion, tutoring and team-workcan
go on-line, though it might also stay in the classroom.
Requisites for E-Learning
: E-Learning does not simply mean putting
existingcourses and materials on a website. Following
requisites need to be providedbefore launching learning on-
line:
•
Sufficient top management support and funding needs to be
committed todevelop and implement e-Learning
•
Managers and HR professionals need to be "retrained" to
accept the ideathat training is being decentralized and
individualized.
•
Current training methods (compared to e -Learning)
are not adequatelymeeting organizational training needs.
•
Potential learners are adequately computer literate and have
ready accessto computers and the Internet
•
Sufficient number of learners exists and many of them
are self-motivatedto direct their own learning.
Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Learning
: E-Learning is advantageous inas much as it is self -
paced, allows for consistency and incorporates built -
inguidance and help. There are problems nevertheless. E-
Learning tends to causet r a i n e e a n x i e t y , a s m a n y
may not be ready to accept or have access
t o computers and Internet. Table #6 brings out the
advantages and disadvantagesmore
comprehensively.Table #6
Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Learning
A d v a n t a g e s
D i s a d v a n t a g
e s
•
I t i s s e l f p a c e d . T r a i n e e s c a n proceed on their own
time
•
May cause trainee anxiety
•
It is interactive, tapping multipletrainee senses
•
Not all trainees may be ready for e-Learning
•
A l l o w s f o r c o n s i s t e n c y i n t h e delivery of training
•
Not all trainees may have easy a n d
u n i n t e r r u p t e d a c c e s s t o computers
•
E n a b l e s s c o r i n g
o f services/assessments
a n d appropriate feedback
•
Not appropriate for all trainingcontent (e.g.
leadership, cultural change)
•
Incorporates built -in guidanceand helps for trainees to
use whenneeded
•
Requires significant upfront 'costand investment
•
It is relatively easy for trainers toupdate content
•
No significantly greater learningevidenced in research
studies
•
C a n b e u s e d t o e n h a n c e instructor-led
training
•
Requires significant
topmanagement support to
b e successful
Success Factors
It is worth pointing out that organizations using e-
Learningexhibit a number of common success factors:
•
Cultural change has taken place about how training and
learning happensand is delivered;
•
E-Learning is closely aligned to the needs of the business;
•
E-Learning is closely "blended" with other types
o f t r a i n i n g s u c h a s classroom activities and is not used to
wholly replace other activities;
•
Learning needs that drive the technology rather
t h a n t h e o t h e r w a y around;
•
E-Learning has ongoing support from a senior level
and is marketedeffectively throughout the organization;
•
A range of people with different skills are
i n v o l v e d , i n c l u d i n g e x p e r t trainers, facilitators,
champions of e -Learning and specialist web
andgraphic designers
IMPEDIMENTS TO EFFECTIVE TRAINING
There are many impediments which can make a training
programme ineffective.Following are the major hindrances:
Management Commitment is Lacking and Uneven
Most companies do notspend money on training.
Those that do, tend to concentra te on
managers,technicians and professionals. The rank-and-
file workers are ignored. This mustc h a n g e , f o r , a s a
result of rapid technological change, combined
w i t h n e w approaches to organizational design and
production management, workers arerequired to learn
three types of new skills: (i) the ability to use technology, (ii)
theability to maintain it, and (ill) the ability to
diagnose system problems. In an increasingly
competitive environment, the ability to implement rapid
changes inproducts and technologies is often essential for
economic viability
Aggregate Spending on Training is Inadequate
Companies spend minusculeproportions of their revenues
on training. Worse still, budget allocation to trainingis the first
item to be cut when a company faces a financial crunch.
Educational Institutions Award Degrees but Graduates Lack Skills
This is thereason why business must spend vast sums of
money to train workers in basicskills. Organizations also
need to train employees in multiple skills.
Managers,particularly at the middle level, need to be
retrained in team -playing skills,entrepreneurship skills,
leadership skills and customer-orientation skills.
Large-scale Poaching of Trained Workers
T r a i n e d w o r k f o r c e i s i n g r e a t demand. Unlike
Germany, where local business groups pressure companies
notto poach on another company's employees, there
is no such system in our country. Companies in our
country, however, insist on employees to sign 'bondsof
tenure' before sending them for training, particularly
before deputing them tou n d e r g o t r a i n i n g i n f o r e i g n
countries. Such bonds are not effective as
theemployees or the poachers are prepared to
p a y t h e s t i p u l a t e d a m o u n t s a s compensation when the
bonds are breached.
No Help to Workers Displaced because of Downsizing
Organizations aredownsizing and de-layering in order to
trim their workforces. The governmentshould set apart
certain fund from the National Renewal Fund for the purpose
of retraining and rehabilitating displaced workers.
Employers and B Schools Must Develop Closer Ties
B Schools are often seena s : r e s p o n d i n g t o
Labour-market demands. Business is seen
a s n o t communicating its demands to B Schools. This must
change. Businessmen musts i t w i t h D e a n s a n d
structure the courses that would serve the
p u r p o s e o f business better.
Organized Labour can Help
Organized Labour can playa positive role
i n imparting training workers. Major trade unions in our
country seem to be busy inattending to mundane issues
such bonus, wage revision, settlement of disputes,and the like.
They have little time in imparting training to their members.
HOW TO MAKE TRAINING EFFECTIVE?
 Action on the following lines needs to be initiated to
make training practice effective:1.Ensure that the
management commits itself to allocate major
resourcesand adequate time to training. This is what high-
performing organizationsdo. For example, Xerox Corporation,
in the US invests about $ 300 milliona n n u a l l y , o r a b o u t
2.5 per cent of its revenue on training.
S i m i l a r l y , Hewlett-Packard spends about five per cent of
its annual revenue to trainits 87.OC: workers.2 . E n s u r e
that training contributes to competitive
s t r a t e g i e s o f t h e f i r m . Different strategies need different
HR skills for implementation. Let traininghelp employees at all
levels acquire the needed skills.3.Ensure that a
comprehensive and systematic approach to training
exists,and training and retraining are done at all
levels on a continuous and ongoing basis.4 . M a k e
learning one of the fundamental values of the
c o m p a n y . L e t t h i s philosophy percolate down to all
employees in the organization.5.Ensure that there is proper
linkage among organizational, operational andindividual
training needs.6.Create a system to evaluate the
effectiveness of training. (Evaluation of training has
been discussed above.)
Newspaper Article on Training & Development
On August 4
th
2006
Finance and marketing are passé -thefunction
that really rocks India Inc istraining. Corporate
Dossier takes youdeep inside the massive in-
house trainingdepartments created by
knowledgecorporates, to find how they are
poweringtheir growth
Training fires the corporate engine
At the SEEPZ, Andheri , office of TCS in Mumbai, Dilip
Kumar Mohapatra, 56,g l o b a l h e a d f o r l e a r n i n g
and development , is occupied these days
with
something very unusual for people his age —
computer games. Okay, we’re exaggerating.
Mohapatra’s team is actually developing an online game
that willbe part of the induction kit for new hires, and
will familiarise TCS inductees around the world —
Buffalo, New York to Hangzhou, China — with the culture
of the company. “The challenge is to get everyone on to
the common global TCSculture,” says Mohapatra. To
get a sense of this challenge, consider that
thesoftware major’s workforce across 34 countries adds
up to 71,200 people from53 nationalities. And with 2,500
new people being recruited every month, traininghas to find
creative ways to keep pace.Up north in Gurgaon, BPO
player IBM Daksh is taking training equally seriously—
its training group is christened the Talent
Transformation Business Unit(TTBU, and is run like a
separate business with its own finance controller ,
qualityhead, an administration and transport wing, and a
dedicated HR representative.It is even held
accountable for output measures of its trainees,
such as voice quality, rejection rates, cost of delivery
and customer satisfaction metrics. “Webelieve that training
is the most important lever to deliver high quality talent, witha
direct impact on client satisfaction. That explains our
disproportionate focus onthis function,” says Pavan Vaish,
COO, IBM Daksh.While TCS and IBM Daksh are not the
only ones — others like Infosys, Wipro,Genpact and ICICI
Bank, face similar challenges of hiring and training people ona
large scale — they are perfect examples of
h o w t h e i n - h o u s e t r a i n i n g department has become
crucial, in fact, core to the growth and success of India’snew
age behemoths. And it shows in the investments being
made by these companies into traininginfrastructure and
resources. Infosys has a staggering $125 million annual
outlayfor training and development, while TCS too
invests a comparable figure on training. Accenture’s
global spends on training and development has been
$546million (for September-August 2005).
Need of the Hour
In the knowledge economy, it’s no longer enough to put your
employees throughthe occasional training module a few times
a year. Companies looking to operateand compete in a
global market need to constantly skill and reskill their
people,and training is becoming a 24/7/365 affair, cutting
across geographies and timerestrictions. To deliver this
training on this scale and frequency, technology is key—
media-rich content, video -on-demand, chat and
online self -tutorials have ensured that most of the
learning for employees takes place at the place, andtime,
of their convenience. “Technology has made training
asynchronous,” saysTV Mohandas Pai, director HR, Infosys,
where 30% of training is now IT enabled.For ICICI Bank’s
27,800 employees — a bulk of them at the operational level —
e-learning is a way of life when it comes to skill
u p g r a d a t i o n . “ F o r u s t h e classroom is the most
inefficient way (to train),” says HR head K
Ramkumar,whose training team conducts 190 e -
learning programmes annually. What’s interesting is
that by bringing in the convenience of anytime, anywhere
learning,c o m p a n i e s h a v e m a n a g e d t o p u t t h e
s o m e o f t h e o n u s o f l e a r n i n g o n t o employees. This
is further re-inforced by linking training hours completed, to
theindividual’s overall performance score. “The responsibility
of gaining competencyhas been shifted to the learner, since
competencies are now closely aligned withappraisals,” says
MP Ravindra, VP- Education & Research, and Infosys.But
nowhere does training assume greater importance than in the
BPO industry.W i t h t h o u s a n d s o f f r e s h g r a d u a t e s
h a n d l i n g c u s t o m e r q u e r i e s , t h e r e ’ s a n ongoing
need to equip them with the necessary soft and
specialized skills. Says Aashu Calapa, executive VP, HR
at ICICI One-Source, “40% of our recruits arefresh
graduates, and with most jobs being customer -facing
ones, clients are paranoid about the quality of people
we employ.” Periodic and, often, frequentchanges in the
global business environment, have put greater
pressure ontraining departments to bring employees
up to speed on the latest rules and regulations in their
clients’ industries. Calapa recalls that OneSource
associateswere once required to write two tests for a UK-
based client — one on the dataprotection act and other
on the money laundering act, and to pass they had
toscore 18 out of 20 points.
Also, with BPO companies looking to move up the value
chain, people need tobe coached in new skills.
“Traditional training was just about behavioral
andtechnical training,” says Rahul Varma, head HR
(India), Accenture. “No w, itincludes cultural and
value training, understanding your own as well as
your clients’ organization, as well as the industry in
which one is working. There isalso a need to get people
ready for potential jobs that we may want them to takeup.”
Changing From the Inside-Out
The really big shift, of course, is that from being a HR
support function, traininghas moved on to becoming an
independent entity within the organization. “Our s u p p l y
chain is mission critical to us,” says Piyush
M e h t a , s e n i o r V P H R , Genpact. “When you keep
training as part of HR, it gets buried. To give it
theimportance of an independent function, we treat it as
one.” And it shows — lastyear, Genpact spent close to
$8 million on training, and has 313 trainers alongwith 70
part-time specialists who also conduct domain-specific
training for its25,000-strong workforce across the
world.Monitoring of training quality is just as important.
IBM Daksh has been workingw i t h I B M ’ s r e s e a r c h
labs to develop a tool called Sensei, a
p e r f o r m a n c e evaluation grid that assesses voice quality
and generates a statistical score. It’sbeing tested and
will be rolled out later this year. Lyndon J D’Silva , VP,
TalentTransformation Business Unit, IBM Daksh, says,
“We believe the only way toproduce quality output is to
quantify it.” It also has eight people dedicated to R&Din
training, who conduct research and refine training
methods, after feedbackfrom trainers and business units.
With scalability becoming an problem,
D’Silvab e l i e v e s t e c h n o l o g y w i l l
increasingly be training’s best
b e t . Rapid scaling up in IT and ITES companies is
also putting pressure on the training machinery, and like
most other business functions, training is faced witha t a l e n t
shortage. “Trainers are definitely scarce — in
n u m b e r s , a n d i n capabilities,” says Varma. While
many companies are outsourcing part of
their requirement of trainers, others believe in growing
them internally, since the best
trainers are line managers and executives who have
spent time and understandthe business first hand.
Runaway Train
Accenture follows what it calls a ‘leaders teaching leaders’
approach for technicalt r a i n i n g , w h i l e c r o s s - c u l t u r a l
and communication training is outsourced
t o vendors. At ICICI Bank, senior executives are required
to spend time trainingothers, and this helps decide
whether they get on the ‘Leadership Talent List’
of potential fast trackers. Infosys links training to
individuals’ performance. Trainers are also required to
keep updating their skills and knowledge, and
mostcompanies have structured ‘train-the-trainers’
programmes in place. Having aglobal presence helps
in leveraging training resources and sharing
expertisea c r o s s c o n t i n e n t s . T C S r o t a t e s i t s
t r a i n i n g f a c u l t y b e t w e e n t h e I n d i a n a n d overseas
locations, and even brings down people f rom other
countries here.“This way, cross-culturalisation happens
better,” says Mohapatra.
New Challenges
It’s clear that the quality of the internal training capability
will be among a keydriver of business success in the
future. Not surprisingly, investment in
traininginfrastructure is a priority for most HR heads and
CEOs, and coping with scale isa big issue. “Expanding
the talent pool, managing incidental changes in
thetraining modules and scalability are the challenges the
training department facest o d a y , ” s a y s R a v i n d r a .
Expanding internal resources is one way.
B u i l d i n g external partnerships with educational institutions is
another — so companies likeTCS, Infosys, and Accenture
have been developing joint programmes for trainingpeople at
these institutions before they join the company. TCS runs an
AcademicInterface initiative, wherein its own faculty
teaches at academic institutes, andthis helps in better
branding for the company, as well.Mohapatra lists
globalization and M&As as the two biggest tests of his
trainingdepartment’s effectiveness in the future — in
terms of integrating a globallydiverse workforce into
a single platform, and ensuring a seamless merger
of cultures during acquisitions . The existing model of
training also needs to adaptwith changing business needs
from time to time. For instance, TCS’s Learning
&Development group is currently working on a project
(codenamed Pygmalion) tod e v e l o p t r a i n i n g
programmes and tools for a new cadre of people
t h a t t h e company has never hired before — plain
graduates.For others like ICICI Bank, who’re in the retail
banking and finance business, thechallenge is in
extending the in -house training capabilities to a
larger pool of Direct Sales Associates (DSAs) outside the
company and make them compatiblewith the company
culture. Ramkumar says work is on for a certification
processwhereby outside partners will be remunerated
according to their assessment scores after training.
BPO firms like ICICI One -Source have mooted the
National Assessment of Competence (NAC)
programme, a joint certification and assesment
programmewith Nasscom to expand the employable
talent base for the industry. If it works,this initiative could
enable training departments to focus on building higher
endcompetencies in fresh inductees from day one. “We’re
clear that training is one of the pillars that we’re going to build
our future on,” says Calapa.On July 31
st
2006
Infosys plans largest training centre…Infosys to set up world's largest
training hub…
MYSORE: Software major Infosys plans to invest Rs.809
crores ($176 million) onexpanding its global education
centre in the next one year, company
executivessaid.Over the next one year, the NASDAQ-
listed firm planned to set up a new 9,000-seat training
facility here, which would enable training of 13,500
individuals in asingle sitting, they said. An additional 7,750
hostel rooms were under construction, making it a total
of 10,000 rooms. "When fully completed it will house five food
courts, one employeecare centre, one multimedia centre
making it undoubtedly the largest trainingfacility in the
world," an official said.
The company's Mysore campus is spread over 335
acres and it currently has 6,378 employees. It has three
million square feet of built up area, and work is
inprogress to build another 3.2 million square feet.Deputy
Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh
Ahluwalia on Mondayinaugurated the company's fourth
software development block here, set up withan
investment of Rs.85 crores. It can seat 2,500 people.
Daily News & Analysis
Online learning gets a thumbs-up from corporates
On August 16
th
2006BANGALORE: Indian software service firms spend six to
eight weeks in trainingfresh recruits before deploying them on
projects. With more projects on hand andh i r i n g i n
thousands, software companies are looking at
i n n o v a t i v e w a y s t o maximize the productivity of their
employees and ensure faster deployment.Now, online
learning companies are focusing on building content that
aims tohelp IT firms save training time and costs on
employees.“The speed at which technology firms can
develop, modify and deploy the e -learning content is
the key parameters for improving quality of the
employeetalent,” Sanjeev Fadnavis, associate vice-
president, business development, atHarbinger Knowledge
Products told DNA Money.
Agencies generally rope in internal and external faculties
(from India and abroad)for training. “Most faculties are
specialized and bring to the table expertise in aparticular
area.So, for planning and strategizing, we may call
someone from HLL, while for softskills we may bring
someone from IIM – Bangalore,” says Deshpande.
JWTconducts functional workshops for senior -level
staff, level -wise workshops toupgrade skills and
middle-management workshops. “These workshops
seelectures, brainstorming and a time-bound deliverable
action plan,” says SapnaSrivastava. Ashish Bhasin
informs that a team of four from the US and the UK
recentlytrained 25 people in Lintas India on the
Worldwide Planning Tool Kit. These 25people will, in turn,
train others to bring about a cascading effect. “We are
gettingthe best practices when required, and at the same
time exporting knowledge. A lot of fresh knowledge is
created in India in areas like rural marketing, design,etc
that we are ready to export,” says Bhasin. Lintas,
meanwhile, has set up itso w n N o r t h - p o i n t C e n t r e
of learning to empower managers with
u p d a t e d knowledge and decision-making skills.Some of
these programmes are often modeled on those
developed by parentcompanies. Says Deshpande: “Al l
media companies under WPP exchange training
programmes on modules, content, role etc. We
sometimes adapt andsometimes share best practices
with others.” For its part, O&M has an HR andTraining
leadership group in Asia Pacific that plans regional
programmes andoversees training plans.Young talent is
given more opportunity to grow as well. O&M nominates
thosewho have worked for 3-4 years for the regional
programme ‘Adopt a Country’,which is held thrice a
year across different Asia -Pacific centres. A buddy
ischosen and the two buddies get an opportunity to visit each
other’s country.The programme is intended to help
youngsters build networks across differentregions, work
on projects together and develop a sense of belonging.
GroupMhas a programme called Fast Trackers for young
achievers, where youngstersa r e p u t t h r o u g h a l o t
more grind in terms of opportunities, sent to
d i f f e r e n t regions, allowed to work with bigger clients and
groomed to take on additionalresponsibilities. Lowe
sends two people, typically one planner and one
creativeor servicing person, for its ‘global young
achiever’ forum, which is held once ayear.High fliers and
the crème de la crème of the talent pool can also look
forward toattending special workshops. JWT nominates
its top-level staff (those identifiedto head offices) for its
international programme ‘Sam Meek’, and introduced a
topachiever’s programme in December 2005.
O&M sends its senior staff for the regional senior
management developmentprogramme (SMDP), a
five-module programme sprea d over 15 months.
AndLowe has introduced programmes like ‘media
training for non-media’, ‘IMAGTraining for non-IMAG’
and ‘advertising workshop for non-advertising’.
Case Study: Article
Training Employees of IBM through E-Learning
“E-learning is a technology area that often has both first-tier
benefits, such asreduced travel costs, and second -tier
benefits, such as increased employee performance that
directly impacts profitability."
-Rebecca Wettemann, research director for Nucleus
Research
In 2002, the International Business Machines
Corporation (IBM) was ranked f o u r t h b y t h e
Training magazine on it’s “The 2002 Training
T o p 1 0 0 ” . T h e magazine ranked companies based
on their commitment towards workforce development
and training imparted to employees even during periods of
financialuncertainty.Since its inception, IBM had been
focusing on human resources development:The company
concentrated on the education and training of its employees as
anintegral part of their development. During the mid
1990s, IBM reportedly spentabout $1 billion for
training its employees. However, in the late 1990s,
IBMundertook a cost cutting drive, and started looking for
ways to train its employeeseffectively at lower Costs. After
considerable research, in 1999, IBM decided touse e-
Learning to train its employees. Initially, e-Learning was used
to train IBM'snewly recruited managers.

groups, using these products. Hence, this tier focused

more on developing thecollaborative skills of the
learners.Though training through e -Learning was very
successful, IBM believed that classroom training was
also essential to develop people skills. Therefore,
thefourth tier comprised a classroom training program, own as
'Learning Lab.' By thet i m e t h e m a n a g e r s r e a c h e d
this tire, they all reached a similar level
o f knowledge by mastering the content in the first three tiers.
Managers had to passan online test on the content
provided in the above three tiers, before enteringthe
fourth tier. In the fourth tier, the manag ers had to
master the informationacquired in the above three
tiers and develop a deeper understanding and
abroader skills set. There were no lectures in these
sessions, and the managershad to learn by doing and by
coordinating directly with others in the classroom.The
tremendous success of the Basic Blue initiative
encouraged IBM to extendtraining through e-Learning to its-
sales personnel and experienced managers aswell. The e-
Learning program for the sales personnel was known
as 'SalesCompass,' and the one for the experienced
managers, as 'Managing@ IBM.' Prior to the
implementation of the Sales Compass e-Learning program,
the salespersonnel underwent live training at the
company's headquarters and trainingcampuses. They also
attended field training program, national sales conferencesand
other traditional methods of training. However, in most of
the cases thesemethods proved too expensive, ineffective
and time-consuming. Apart from this,coordination problems
also cropped up, as the sales team was spread across
theworld. Moreover, in a highly competitive market, IBM could
not afford to keep itssales team away from work for weeks
together.Though Sales Compass was originally started in 1997
on a trial basis to help thes a l e s t e a m i n s e l l i n g
business intelligence solutions to the retail
a n d manufacturing industries, it-was not implemented on
a large scale. But with thesuccess of Basic Blue, Sales
Compass was developed further. The content of the new
Sales Compass was divided into five categories including
Solutions (13courses), industries (23 courses), personal
skills (2 courses), selling skills (11courses), and tools and
job aid (4 aids).The sales personnel of IBM across the globe
could use the information from their desktops using a web
browser. Sales Compass provided critical information
tothe sales personnel helping them to understand
various industries (including automotive, banking,
government, insurance etc) in a much better manner.
Thei n f o r m a t i o n o f f e r e d i n c l u d e d i n d u s t r y
s n a p s h o t , i n d u s t r y t r e n d s , m a r k e t segmentation,
key processes, positioning and selling industry
solutions andidentifying resources.I t a l s o e n a b l e d t h e
sales people to sell certain IBM products
d e s i g n e d f o r Customer Relationship Management
(CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business
Intelligence (BI), and so on. Sales Compass also trained
thesales personnel on skills like negotiating and selling
services. Like the Basic Blueprogram, Sales Compass also
had simulations for selling products to a specific