Development of an Employee Training Program

The development and implementation of an appropriate Training Program for Culbreth & Associates’ new client will undergo three major phases. The three phases will include the preparatory activities, actual implementation of the training program, and post-training activities to measure the impact of the training on both organizational and participant levels. Clearly, the type of the training program that will be developed is an Employee Training Program. The specific type of program will depend on the goals of the requesting organization and the learning needs of the employees in terms of â€Å"attitudes, behaviors, competencies, or skills. † (Brady, 2005, p. 1) Thus, the training program could address a variety of concerns, from improving employee-management relationships, enhancing the work environment, improving departmental communications, or fostering cultural competence in the workplace. Preparatory Activities: Planning and Designing the Training Program The first step that will be taken in the development of the training program is to consult with the client to clarify the objectives and expectations that the organization wishes to achieve for the entire program and to determine the extent of support that the management is willing to extend to facilitate and reinforce the changes that could arise from the training. The next step will involve identifying the existing strengths and problem areas in the organization. This will be done through the conduct of training needs analysis on three levels: the organization, tasks, and the individual person/employee. Arthur, et. al. (2003) notes that a systematic needs assessment can guide and serve as the basis for the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of the training program. † (p. 236) In particular, a knowledge of organizational environment, needs, and resources vis-a-vis employee capacities would help determine the goals of the training program. McNamara (2008) suggests that â€Å"it is important that goals be designed and worded to be â€Å"SMARTER† (an acronym), that is, specific, measurable, acceptable to you, realistic to achieve, time-bound with a deadline, extending your capabilities and rewarding to you. The goals of the training will influence the kind of input needed by the participant and match the training methods to their interests and skill levels. After the data from the training needs analysis has been assessed, the training design and module development will commence. This activity will involve searching, choosing, and combining the most appropriate and most effective training strategies and activities based on identified training needs. It would also involve the formulation of the benchmarks for learning or improvement that would be used to measure and evaluate the success of the training. After the training design and module have been completed, the training program will be subjected to pre-testing activities to determine whether the content is appropriate and if it utilizes the most effective approach based on the learning needs of the participants. Training Program Implementation The actual conduct of the training program will after the training design, modules, and participant preparation have been completed. During the actual training, participants will be involved in a variety of activities, from lecture-workshops to simulation and role-playing performance designed to facilitate the necessary changes in attitudes, behaviors, and skills while building on existing strengths and knowledge. The training program will also be structured in such a way that both the trainers and participants have feedback mechanisms to improve the over-all training design and to track their progress in achieving the goals of the training. After the training, an evaluation of the training will be conducted wherein the trainer, participants, and requesting organization will assess training effectivity based on the critierias for learning that were previously developed vis-a-vis the output of the training. Post-training Activities: Training Transfer Monitoring and Evaluation The last step in the training program is the monitoring of training transfer in the actual workplace to determine the impact of the training conducted. This is important since the real effects of the training can only be measured based on positive impact on the actual work environment that can be directly attributed to the learning outcomes of the training program. (Lim & Morris, 2006, p. 85) Hence, the Human Resource Department of the client will be asked to keep records of the training goals and to conduct timely assessments of employee progress in terms of desired workplace attitude, behavior, and capabilities that could provide the basis of more intensive employee development and training programs. Works Cited: Arthur, W. Jr., Bennett, W. Jr., Edens, P. S., & S. T. Bell (2003). Effectiveness of training in organizations: a meta-analysis of design and evaluation features. Journal of Applied Psychology 88(2): 234–245. Brady, Kathleen. (2006) Designing effective training programs. NALP Bulletin. Lim, Doo Hun & Michael Lane Morris (2006). Influence of trainee characteristics, instructional satisfaction, and organizational climate on perceived learning and training transfer. Human Resource Development Quarterly 17(1): 85-115. McNamara, Carter (2008). Complete guidelines to design your training plan. Retrieved August 6, 2008 from http://www.managementhelp.org/trng_dev/gen_plan.htm