In its operation, Parsons Brinkerhoff appreciates the fact that developing a strong human capital is one of the ways through which it can attain a high competitive advantage. According to Armstrong (170), an organization can enhance the productivity of its employees through training. To ensure that the construction manager hired contributes towards the attainment of the firm’s goals, the manager will go through a training program after completion of the orientation.
Need for the training
Parsons Brinkerhoff’s management team has realized the fact that the construction industry is increasingly becoming dynamic. To enhance its competitiveness in the industry, the firm’s management team has appreciated the importance of training the manager to ensure that he or she executes the duties assigned more effectively and efficiently.
Readiness for the training
The organization has developed a comprehensive training program. The training program has taken into consideration several components which include an employee training manual on technical and practical skills and operational policies and procedures. Parsons Brinkerhoff will conduct the training online through the organization’s intranet system to ensure ease in the training process. Additionally, the firm has set aside a substantial amount of money in its annual budget to cater for the training cost.
The objective of the training
The training program is designed to equip the construction manager with sufficient skills to ensure that he or she performs his or her duties more effectively and efficiently. Some of the skills that the organization intends to equip the employees through the training program include;
- How to negotiate and execute contracts with various clients.
- Administrative skills are related to enhancing the employee’s productivity, for example, enhancing teamwork.
- How to evaluate the quality of work done by employees under the manager’s supervision.
- Practical skills are aimed at ensuring safety within the work environment.
Training responsibility
Parsons Brinkerhoff will assign the training to internal and external trainers. The decision to conduct the training internally was motivated by the need to equip the construction manager with various organizational strategies. Additionally, conducting training internally is more cost-effective. The internal training will be conducted by specialists from other departments. Some of the specialists to undertake the training include the Chief Engineer, Design and Building Manager, Proposal Support Manager, and the Lighting Designer. On the other hand, external training will be conducted by 2 specialists who will be outsourced from well-established construction management companies. have substantial knowledge and experience regarding various duties that the construction manager will be required to execute.
Training method
To ensure successful transfer of skills to the employee, several training methods as outlined below will be integrated.
On-job coaching
This will entail assigning the specialists the responsibility of training the employee. The specialist will be required to equip the manager with techniques that enable him or her to perform the duties assigned to the customer’s satisfaction. He will also train the construction manager on the most important interpersonal skills in the workplace.
Internal training course
The organization will also integrate an internal course to train the construction manager on various organizational policies, procedures, and strategies. This will ensure that the manager adheres to the organization’s operational policy.
Evaluating the training program
The firm will use both pretests and posttests to determine the success of the training program. The tests will be aimed at evaluating the candidate’s skills and knowledge prior to and after the training. A review of the construction manager’s job performance will be conducted to determine whether the manager’s job performance improved. Additionally, the firm will also review the overall performance of the construction department.
Works Cited
Armstrong, Michael. Armstrong’s strategic human resource management. London: Kogan Page, 2011. Print.