This paper will recommend best training practices that can help McDonalds to stay competitive in the Canadian market. The company usually has eleven crew positions within any McDonalds Canada restaurant. The McDonalds Crew Development program has four steps: Prepare, Present, Try and Follow up. This model therefore guides the process through which the company trains its staff.
The current training practices in McDonalds have various strengths. On the job training helps employees to acquire vital skills that enable them perform their responsibilities more effectively. The training program is linked with organisational objectives and trainees get to understand the company’s culture and practices.
Cross -training gives employees an opportunity to be skilled in different areas of the firm’s operations. This makes it easy for employees to multi task. They are able to perform different functions effectively and this boosts productivity levels. The 4 step training model used by McDonalds helps it to save valuable time and costs (McDonalds Case Study, 2012).
The company’s employees are likely to become demoralised after training because they are highly supervised. These employees may lack confidence in their own abilities because of the extreme supervision they undergo during training. The training approaches that are used by McDonalds do not suit individual traits and talents of each employee.
This approach does not offer ways through which individual talents of employees can be harnessed for the greater benefit of the firm. Electronic learning approaches are time consuming and ineffective in helping trainees acquire the necessary knowledge. This proves problematic when a trainer wants to monitor the progress of each trainee (McDonalds Case Study, 2012).
The company updates its training materials electronically because of the fast-paced nature of its operations. Trainers and learners have access to updated information which they easily obtain from a central source. Employees are trained with the most current information which improves their knowledge and understanding.
The company has implemented various strategies to reduce training costs (McDonalds Case Study, 2012). The use of focus groups has opened up channels of communication and employees are able to share their thoughts freely regarding training procedures. This approach helps the firm to structure its training programs in a way that suits employees’ operations so as to achieve better results.
The company needs to improve its training approaches. The four step model is not suitable for all employees and therefore, more individualised training programs should be implemented. Individual talents of employees need to be harnessed and utilised for the benefit of the firm.
Employees should be given more time to discover their talents and skills during training for them to become more creative and innovative (Kleynhans, 2006, p.129). Less supervision will increase employees’ morale. The company experiences a high turnover of employees. McDonalds needs to implement policies which offer employees job security and satisfaction to reduce high rates of staff turnover.
The training program needs to be specialised to focus on making each worker more knowledgeable in specific areas. The emphasis on cross training can make workers to become less skilled in crucial areas of the firm’s operations. Trainers need to be encouraged to interact more with trainees.
This approach will encourage openness and cooperation in the firm (Kleynhans, 2006, p.130). Electronic learning needs to be improved to suit employees’ interests, skills and abilities. This approach will improve the level of knowledge employees acquire after training.
References
Kleynhans, R. (2006). Human resource management. London: Pearson.
McDonalds Case Study (2012). Training Practices in McDonalds.