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INDU1113: HRM Functions Coursework G Symon

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BU/PG 35.00% 26/03/2010

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000582188
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Shiv Joshi

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HRM FUNCTIONS

INDU 1113

HOW THE ROLE OF THE TRAINER HAS BEEN CHANGED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS?

BY SHIV PRASAD JOSHI 000582188

SUPERVISED BY Dr. GRAHAM SYMON Mr. DAVID EDWARD WILLIAM Ms. ANGELA BOWLES

Introduction

And, of course, method is very important as is a high-quality specialist (trainer) working with you to keep you going in the right direction for your improvement and to help create results. Sergei Bubka Ill introduce you to our learning and development manager, is a usual statement for us to hear, but it is not always clear what the role involves or what skills the person doing it might have. A trainer adds many strings to his bow, as he moves form one stage to another. He tend to emerge from the rank of people who have a depth of skills in a craft or profession who wish to pass on what they have learned.The complete trainer is a vital cog in organizational success and, in the present climate, recovery. Many individuals come to training with different ideas and different expert path. That is, they are so good and what they do that someone thinks about them, Hey, you can train other to do this! And Voila! a trainer is born. Training and development has been considered the most important aspect of the organization today, and as the time changes there is change in the methodologies and in the role of those people who uses these methodologies(Trainer). Change is the need of time and now its time to change. There has been discussion from a very long time that what exactly should be the role of trainer, because it changes as per the need of the organization and market. The problem with most of the folks, who are appointed or selected as a trainer is that they dont know exactly about their role, that what kind of duties they are going to perform, because sometimes their roles would be global as a consultant or manager, and other might be task driven like instructional, designer or presenter. Basically role of a trainer depends on training, as the need changes the role changes.

Traditional Role of the workplace Trainer

As Gold (2001) reports, under an objective perspective, the trainers role is to teach the [participants] a well-circumscribed body of information within a well-defined learning environment (p. 36). Yeung (2001) nicely summarizes the ways in which traditional training and education have historically been viewed (see Table 1). Table 1: Traditional and Advance view of learning Traditional Learning Main Source of Information Teacher and text book Advance Learning Various Resources on Internet

Format of Information Presentation Format Interaction Type Interaction Space

Text Linear Synchronous Time/Space- bound Class Room

Multimedia Hypermedia Asynchronous/synchronous Time/Space free networked world

Instructional emphasis Objectives

Acquiring Knowledge Specific, predefined

Building Knowledge General, negotiable

Source: Yeung (2001, P.7)

Yet there are different studies which have examined required competencies of trainer Rossett and Sheldon (2001) provide a current profile of the conventional roles and skills of training professionals (see Table 2).

Table 2: Expanding role of training Professionals Conventional Roles and Skills Design and Develop Develop Individual Brainpower Develop Content Knowledge Expanded Roles and Skills Develop and Purchase Manage Organizational Brainpower Develop individual learning power, establish association, find relevant material and make meaning. Focus on organizational readiness and management of knowledge resources. Create and nurture place bound and online environment that continuously support and develop people. Broker system to be used before and after classes Perform analysis to customize and tailor content Manage Knowledge Resources Develop programme for managers and students as learner Measure contribution to strategic goals Proactive Problem solcing

Deliver or coordinate classes Develop and produce events and products Coordinate short term events and interactions Deliver from content inventory Share skill and knowledge Focus on employees as learners Measure butts in seats and web hints Reactive Problem Solving

Source: Rossett and Sheldon (2001) In an earlier study conducted by Dare and Leach (1998), the trainer competencies originally proposed in McLagans (1989) Models for HRD Practice were found to provide an important basis for the preparation of HRD professionals.These 25 competencies can be arranged into the following four broad categories:

Technical competencies: adult learning understanding, career development theories and techniques understanding, competency identification skill, computer competence, electronic-systems skill, evaluation skill, media selection skill, objectives preparation skill, training and development theories and techniques. Business competencies: budget and resource management skill, business understanding, organization behavior understanding, organization development theories and techniques.

Interpersonal competencies: coaching skill, feedback skill, group process skill, negotiation skill, presentation skill, questioning skill, relationship-building skill, writing skill. Intellectual competencies: data-reduction skill, information-search skill, visioning skill.

Teacher versus Coach The major philosophical change in the field of the training was shifting of trainer, who was working as an information provider to that of a coach in which he or she orchestrate the learning process as a leader or guide to their learners. Influenced by constructivist and andragogical philosophies, facilitators aid the learners through the creation of authentic tasks and help them to integrate their understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection (Gold, 2001). Trainers role in competency- based system Competency based system provides a kind of environment to the trainee so that they can become competent, productive and can perform their job in more effectively and efficiently. Trainer plays the biggest role in competency based system or we can say that trainer has been nominated as the most important player in competency based system. In the past it was not like that, trainer were not supposed to plan or some kind or justification, they just do the training, but now scenario has been changed totally. Today trainer has to determine what the trainee is capable of learning and then they have to decide about the training and development of those trainees. Global Roles of a Trainer Trainers are those people who spend their most of their life in making other people capable to do their job effectively and efficiently. There roles becomes now the global role. Global roles include consultant, coach, performance improvement specialist, manager and technical guru. Consultant The role of the trainer is basically as a supportive system in an organization because in organization he exist to assist the rest of the organization to improve its performance. Consultant helps the organization in getting different solutions (for example: hiring a new employee, or purchasing a new equipment). Managing a consultant in an organization is fruitful because he/she enables the organization to gather relevant information and data and to make the right recommendation to the organization. Manager Manager in itself has a global image. He is the person who leads or directs all or some part of the organization whether it is tangible or intangible. Making decisions at major parts in an organization was to be done by top management people but now the charge has been taken

away by the Manager, with that they have to perform several different tasks, which bring them up as a global trainer or Global manager. Coach One of the most efficient ways to develop people either mentally or physically is coaching. A coach helps an individual to identify the potential in self and helps to make plan so that an individual can achieve the goal. Just like an athletic coach, a coach in an organization helps individual to refine the techniques of their working, gives mental encouragement. Basically these coaches dont do anything by their own, rather they put the individual in that situation so that they can become more stronger for the future challenges. Performance Improvement Specialist Performance improvement specialist is just a part of Trainer, consultant and part business manager. Like a consultant performance improvement specialist look the different situation in big format to address different available solutions. While on the other side both trainer and performance improvement specialist works to improve the performance of the organization but the distinction lies in the fact that performance improvement specialist looks all approaches to solve the problem, not just training related approaches. A trainers work emphasis on the aspect where there is lack of knowledge and skill in employees, which are effecting their ability to do a job but on the other hand performance improvement specialist give emphasise on each and every aspects of the organization which helps to improve the poor performance of the organization. Technical Guru Technical Guru does not refer here that a persona should be profound in all the aspect of the technicality. It means that person who is aware about that what technological capabilities an organization has, both people and equipment. Are employees literate about the computers? Do they have sufficient knowledge? Do they have access to the computer? Do their computer contain speaker internet and other material which are useful for them to work properly? This is all because technology enables us to deliver training to all the participants across the globe, right at their desks. Task Oriented Trainer Today, both people and organization gives more emphasis on those tasks which are visible to the observers, so that they can do a proper analysis. Here the role of trainer becomes more tasks oriented. These tasks typically result in an end product or at least a move along a project plan path. You can use these descriptions when people ask, What do you do? The role which a trainer play on behalf of tasks are as follows: (a) Training Designer (b) Training Developer (c) Presenter (d) Marketer (e) Facilities Manager and Meeting Planner

(f) Evaluator

Conclusion The role of trainer is now totally shifting, earlier he/she was a content expert but now due to the changing role of learning process they have to play different vital roles at different times. Trainers will need to become motivators and mentors, interpreters (especially of noncodified knowledge) and . . . expert earnerspeople who lead the learning process by breaking the trail and setting the right personal example (Yeung, 2001, p. 10).

References:. Dare, D.E., & Leach, J.A. (1998). Preparing tomorrows HRD professionals: Perceived relevance of the 1989 competency model. In R.J. Torraco (ed), Proceedings fo the Academy of Human Resource Development conference (pp 252-259). Lincoln: University of Nebraska.

Gold, S. (2001). A constructivist approach to online training for online teachers. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 5(1), 35-57. McLagan, P. A. (1989). Models for HRD practice. Training and Development Journal, 43(9), 49-59. Rossett, A., & Sheldon, K. (2001). Beyond the podium:Delivering training and performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Yeung, D. (2001). Quality assurance of Web-based learning in distance education institutions. Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 4(4).