Introduction
Employee training and development is important in any organization that wants to have quality employees. In addition, organizations must invest in training and development of both the new and experienced employees while the human resources department must understand the process that should be followed in training and development of employees.
Training and development can be summarized into a five-stage process. First, it is necessary to identify and assess the training needs of the employees. Secondly, training objectives must be set to ascertain the exact desired results (Cummings and Worley, 2008, p.467). During the training process, these objectives should be reviewed regularly to make sure that training is in line with the objectives (Rae, 2000, p.48).
Thirdly, a training program should be designed addressing the training needs. The fourth step is conducting of the training program while the last stage is evaluation and feedback. PriceWaterHouse Coopers, Microsoft Corporation and General Mills have been successful in their training and development of employees.
This has contributed greatly to their high performance and earned them a competitive edge over their competitors. This paper will discuss how these three firms investment in training and development has contributed to their high performance and competitiveness in the market.
Price Water House Coopers (PWC) Training and Development
PWC is one of the top training organizations since it invests in training and development of both its new and existing employees. Training is a continuous process in pricewaterhouse coopers right from day one. On-the-ob training is offered to all employees, with the new employees starting with an induction program and getting to learn the company’s policies, salaries and benefits, performance expectation as well as rules in the organization.
On-the-job training also involves training at the workstation where the employees get to learn about the job by doing it practically. Each employee at PWC is assigned a coach irrespective of his level who continuously coaches the employee as he/she progresses with work. Coaching requires trust, patience and confidence from both parties and this creates a conducive working environment (Jackson and Werner, 2008, p.307).
Through coaching, the strengths of the employee are built on, while the weaknesses are turned into strengths. Coaching improves the overall performance of the organization since employees will rarely make deadly costly mistakes therefore saving the company losses and holds it reputation high (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006, p.215).
At PWC, there is planned progression of how employees progress from lower level positions to higher-level positions.
However, this does not just come automatically as moving from lower level to higher level is based on merit and normally determined by an employee’s hardwork, character as well additional formal training, and character among other variables. Employees are therefore motivated to give their best and this improves the performance of the organization (PriceWaterHouse Coopers, 2010).
Pricewaterhouse coopers also arrange foe conferences, workshops, and seminars for its employees. Such seminars, workshops and conferences are aimed at covering broad topics related to identified employee training needs or general business topics and issues affecting the audit industry and business in general (Holbeche, 2009, p.251).
Employees are also trained on social corporate responsibility and this improves the image of the firm to the outside world. This gives the company a competition edge since it holds a good reputation in the society and the corporate social responsibility activities serve as a form of advertising. Price water house coopers understand that learning is a continuous process.
It employs graduates from all disciplines who are then trained in their line of choice. This gives diversity to the labor force and improves on performance since all employees are trained to work as a team irrespective of their diversity. PWC focuses on providing formal education to the employees. New employees are advised to take a professional course such as ACCA or CPA.
Employees receive generous support from the organization in terms of finances and time to study. They get full sponsorship of courses taken and during exams; they are given study leave (Gitman and McDonald, 2008, p.211). Such arrangements motivate employees to work hard and give their best. In addition, they want to take advantage of such opportunities that allow them to grow in their career.
In addition, an international program allows employees to travel internationally and have exposure. The programme also integrates various training programs. Employees are also provided with online training and they can access reading materials related to their job online. To facilitate easier access of such information, almost each employee is provided with a laptop, which is eventually paid for in installments.
Training process in PWC does not end after the training. The firm then conducts performance and evaluation after sometime. The primary objective of evaluation is to establish whether the training objectives were met.
It assesses whether employee performance has improved and whether there are more training needs that need to be met. After evaluation, the necessary course of action is taken. The firm tries to strike a balance between the costs associated with training and the benefits to be received from such training.
Microsoft Corporation Training and Development
Microsoft Corporation appreciates the importance of employee training and development. The company focuses on establishment and development of employee training programs that will enhance company performance giving and give it a competitive edge over the competitors. This discussion explains how Microsoft Corporation integrates its training program to achieve high performance and remain competitive.
At Microsoft Corporation, the main goal of the training and development manager is to design a training programme that will be of value to both the company and the employee. He understands that the training resources should be appropriately allocated in order to take advantage of maximum benefits.
However, such a position at MC is very tasking and therefore challenges the holder to plan and schedule the training project appropriately. MC has tried to solve its dilemma in planning and scheduling the training projects by coming up with a two-stage process namely; roll out initiative and plan template.
The two stages involved start with defining the objectives/goals to be achieved from the training and the mission statement. This helps the organization determine resources required to facilitate the training. A thorough analysis of training needs as well as the participating departments is conducted.
The company also makes a decision as to whether the training should be done in-house or outsourced (Microsoft Corporation website, 2010).
Microsoft corporation for qualified personnel to provide the training and assesses their ability to deliver quality service. All the departments participating in the training are normally informed of the specific dates, time, and venue. This ensures proper time management in the implementation of the training program and gives the participants a chance to know hence maximize on the opportunity.
By developing such a programme, the company is able to establish the main weakness in the employees by reviewing the past needs and then work on such weaknesses and turn them into strengths in order to improve its performance and competitiveness (Heijden, Klink and Meijs, 2009, p.5).
Microsoft Corporation normally conducts its training online and therefore creates a website for the training. Online training makes it easy and convenient to conduct the training since the participants do not have to be there physically (Cummings and Worley, 2008, p.420). It can be done to employees located at different geographical locations at the same time provided they can access the website.
Microsoft normally uses learning space 4.0 in carrying out its online training, which is effective in that it has many web-based options, installation does not require programming skills, user learning curve is minimal, and it is compatible with AICC-compliant third-party training content (Info World Media, 2002, p.2).
This actually saves on costs that would otherwise be incurred on travel allowance, accommodation and other expenses that would be involved if there were physical movements. Such cost minimization techniques makes the company improve on performance giving it a competitive edge over the others.
Employees who complete such training programmes successfully are given certificates of participation and completion and this boosts their morale to attend such training programs. Microsoft Corporation recognizes the need to evaluate the effectiveness of the training.
Normally, a questionnaire is designed to evaluate on the effectiveness and efficiency of the program and the feedback is usually used to design future training programmes and make improvements where necessary. Such an evaluation ensures that the firm matches the training needs of the employees with the training program.
The firms’ performance and competitiveness is enhanced since old unnecessary training programs are faced out and replaced with those that address current and future needs of the firm. Microsoft corporation recognize that the industry in which it operates in has various challenges and the main one being invention and innovation.
Technological change is inevitable, MC ensures that employees are up to date with the latest technology especially in software developments. Such employees will be tempted to stay longer in the company, which in return contributes to overall performance of the organization (Network World, 2000, p.41).
General Mills Training and Development
General mills understand that human resource management is key to quality results and performance. It ensures seeks to have a pool of human resource that possesses the right skills and knowledge. Such a goal can only be realized if training and development is made a continuous process to the employees in order to increase their wealth of ideas and skills (Yasgoor and Bressler, 2008, p.297).
Newly recruited employees go through an induction program to make them familiar with the company operation, policies, and rules. They are also allowed to create an individual development plan with assistance from their manager (General Mills website, 2010).
Employees therefore get to know what they need in order to grow and prosper in their career in terms of skills, experience, knowledge, and resources. Such plans makes employees strive to achieve their set goals and in so doing, contribute positively towards company performance. To help with provision of formal training, the firm has established an institute known as General Mills Institute.
The institute equips employees with the necessary formal training programs that are required to develop effective, efficient, and confident company leaders. For example, newly recruited employees are trained on core business essentials such as business indicators and other areas that are important in achieving GMs goals and objectives.
The firm also understands the dynamic needs that are necessary in achieving different career goals hence provides formal training to personnel in various departments such as human resource, marketing, information technology among others.
This ensures that the firm gets well-bred professionals in such areas who are able to serve and satisfy the customer need. Once the customers are satisfied, it is easier to retain them and win their loyalty and eventually this contributes to high performance (Wick and Pollock, 2010, p.307).
Gm also uses off the job training technique such as web-based learning. Employees access managerial training from the web since they are provided with tools to help them access information and they are also trained on the techniques to apply. Web based learning saves a lot of time for the company and the costs that could have been incurred in moving, hiring training facilitators and so on.
It also makes it easier to access the information at a time that is convenient to the employee. This helps in reduction of overall company costs improving its profitability. Gm supports those employees who enroll for job-related courses in approved institutions by either paying their fees or refunding what they have spent (Goldsmith and Lyons, 2006, p.198).
Employees who perform well are also given study leave to further their education. Such arrangements ensure that employees continue to enhance their skills resulting to better performance and productivity of both the firm and the employee.
A special loan program is also availed to employees who wish to pursue studies or courses that are not work-related and even better to finance education of family members. Such a loan program makes employee feel that educational welfare of their families is taken care of thus they are able to concentrate better work with less worries.
Conclusion
Training and development of employees is unavoidable in all organizations. It is a very expensive investment to the company but the benefits that arise because of such investment outweigh the costs (Green, 2002). Organizations must therefore design a viable training and development program.
From the discussion above, it is evident that successful organizations integrate both on the job and off-the job training. Proper training and development improves both company’s performance and competitiveness in the market.
Reference List
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