Training used to be what people had to sit through during the first few days or weeks of a new job in order to learn how a company does day to day business. This was often listening to someone drone on and on about the kinds of expectations and procedures that the company has and exactly what to do when you come across specific situation. Luckily, times have changed. We now see that training is more than just something someone has to sit through to be able to do a job, we know that it is the key for better job performance and company success. Training has changed in several very key ways:
- Training has moved from just a sit and get lecture to an actual learning experience (Noe, 2010). We understand that learning has to be directly related to employee motivation and to helping them be the best employees that they can possibly be. Instead of being content driven, learning is person driven and is effectively differentiated for individual employees.
- Learning can be related to customer service and an investment in employees. If you look closely at the structure of Nokia, it is evident that they are investing in a strategy that involves using their employees to the top of their ability (Noe, 2010). Taking their employees, molding the brightest into management and investing in people has become a successful business strategy that is profitable both fiscally and for their employees.
- Training can be successful, and is something that is measurable with a balanced scorecard. Successful training can encorporate customers, internal processes, innovation and learning and finances to make sure that they are able to prove that the training was successful. In looking at these four important stakeholders, it is evident that training has been a success.
Looking at training as a building block to the future rather than, as a monotonous link to operations is the future. Making sure that employees have the tools, motivation and tools is the key to the success of everyone.
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Gene,
ReplyDeleteYou spent a lot of time emphasizing the negative use of training. With only 90 seconds less time should have been sent on sitting through monotonous and more time on the positive advantages of effective training. You made a very good point about how investing in people has become a very successful business strategy that is profitable. But you never said how and why this was profitable. In you last bullet, what did you mean my the comment; "Training can be successful, and is something that is measurable with a balanced scorecard." You also mentioned four stakeholders, yet I only see one, the customers.
Dr. Burke