Training and Development: The American National Red Cross Research Paper

Introduction

The field of training and development has changed significantly during the past several years, reflecting both its role and importance in achieving higher employee performance and meeting organizational goals. Training and development has become very important as the crucial link between organizational status and the changes in the market or environment.

Training and development helps the organization towards having informed workers as paradigms shift and technology changes. This essay provides an overview into the training and development activities in American National Red Cross based on personal observations.

The American national Red Cross

The American Red Cross organization is an umbrella organization of many community based organizations in the United States that offer humanitarian help or response in case of a disaster (The American National Red Cross, 2009). The American Red Cross offers numerous training opportunities both to its staff, volunteers and general public.

All training is aimed at making individuals prepared enough to handle disasters or conflicts. American Red Cross relies heavily on volunteers. It is reported that 96% of the total work force in the organization are volunteers (The American National Red Cross, 2009). These volunteers need proper training and orientation before they can be deployed to do humanitarian work.

The second core aspect of its operations is training the general public on issues to do with safety and health. The training programs they offer to the general public aim at preparing the public for emergencies and general hygiene in the homes

Some of the disasters that Red Cross responds to include earthquake related devastation like the Haiti disaster, weather related disasters e.g. tsunamis and floods. The most common local disasters that American Red Cross deals with are fires in homes, road accidents, and any other home or work place accidents. The American National Red Cross does not only deal with emergencies and disasters.

Additionally, the American National Red Cross has blood donation drives and is one of the senior suppliers of blood to hospitals in the US (The American National Red Cross, 2009).

Additionally, the American Red Cross works closely with the military. Wherever there are military operations, the Red Cross plays the role of providing support services and attending to the wounded alongside military health officers. Moreover, they also provide message delivery services for the military from wherever to wherever around the globe (The American National Red Cross, 2009).

The American Red Cross works closely or in connection with the international Red Crescent Movement and Red Cross. It participates actively in the conflict resolution efforts around the globe. However, its major focus is on helping the victims of such conflicts. For example, conflicts and disasters often displace many people. Red Cross works to reunite and reconnect dispersed or separated families.

The American Red Cross is part of the international network that offers tracking services for separated individuals. It also offers messaging services for people around the globe who are dealing with either disasters or conflicts (The American National Red Cross, 2009).

Training and Development in the American Red Cross

Traditionally, only commercial organizations were preoccupied with achieving effectiveness or a competitive advantage. Due to scarce resources, even humanitarian organizations have moved towards adopting best management practices for efficiency and effectiveness. Most organizations appreciate the importance of human resource training and development. Organizations are as effectives as the work force i.e. people make organizations become more competitive or better placed in the market (Armstrong, 2006, 85).

Research indicates that only organizations that have right employees manage to achieve a competitive advantage (Craig, 1996, p. 21). Most importantly, such organizations invest heavily in ensuring employee skills and competencies are well aligned towards achievement of organizational goals (Aswathappa 2006, 34). This is ensured through training and development.

In organizations, training and development is done for two major purposes. Training helps motivate employees while at the same time aligning their skills and competencies with organizational needs. This is to mean that training and development is important both for the individual employee and the organization (Cole, 2005, p. 75). It helps improve employee effectiveness and efficiency as the employee is introduced to more information or skills. In turn the organization is able to cope with changing technologies or social spheres.

In the American Red Cross, training and development or capacity building is at the core of their services. Training is done to introduce new entrants to Red Cross procedures, to orient volunteers and staff to a given operations peculiarities or as a form of reward for hard work. After being too involved in the field as a way of refreshing the employees, training is one option available to them.

Apart from training for staff and volunteers, the Red Cross provides training programs to the general public that aim at preparing them for disaster. Individuals are trained in how to live in a healthy way free from hazards i.e. body healthy and environmental safety. The training targets families, individuals and workers in different industries. The regular training revolves around such basic skills like first aid, how to perform CPR, swimming. These trainings are done by the volunteers across the country.

All volunteers coming into American Red Cross are taken through an orientation. The orientation serves to introduce the entrants to the general work done by the organization. Orientation also helps towards aligning volunteers or new staff’s experience, knowledge, skills and interests with disaster program or service opportunities.

The training offered by American Red Cross to its staff and volunteers aims at helping them to become better equipped in humanitarian help execution, training of community in health and safety and emergency response. The staff is equipped by cutting edge knowledge and skills so as to respond properly to disasters train others effectively and offer appropriate help in the appropriate way.

Training Needs Assessment

Training Needs Assessment is done both at individual, organizational and community levels. At the individual level, American Red Cross looks into the training needs of its volunteers and employees. Depending on their level of training and anticipated deployment, the volunteers and staff are given holistic training that enables them respond or work properly.

Individuals volunteering with the Red Cross are evaluated on general knowledge in safety, health and disaster issues. Depending on whether the individual has had any related training or not, they are admitted into orientation programs or formal training programs. Most volunteers are specialists in the different fields and thus Red Cross training and development only works to align their skills and experience with the humanitarian causes that it serves.

At the organizational level, just as Green (2002, p. 56) advises, training needs assessment is done with respect to particular assignments or causes and their peculiar characteristics. The organization continuously scans the present and future for risks, safety hazards, and possible disasters thus continues to prepare its people for appropriate response.

When a particular disaster or challenge occurs its peculiarities are analyzed and arising needs inform training in the organization. For example, given the disaster in Haiti, special trainings are carried out for those going to Haiti. These special trainings aim at helping the volunteers understand what to expect and what would be the appropriate responses.

At the community level, needs assessment is done with the aim of equipping community members with appropriate skills especially in the emergency situations the group is prone to. Community trainings are basic, however, needs assessment are done to establish the training needs of each group. Often community members who are interested in training in basic life saving skills come to Red Cross centers.

The training for community members is kind of standard but efforts are made to contextualize it. If an area is prone to tsunamis, efforts are made to encourage given attitudes or understands that would facilitate proper response in case of such a disaster occurring.

Components of American Red Cross Training Programs

Training and development in organizations has two components i.e. new entrant training and continuing education (Laird and Sharon, 2003, p.14). Training and development in the American Red Cross introduces new entrants to the American Red Cross operations and build capacity of already staff and volunteers already in operation. The new employee or volunteer program aims at equipping them with necessary skills and information necessary for successful participation in humanitarian operations.

Continuing education in the American Red Cross takes the form of sponsored further studies for employees. Once an employee has worked with the organization for sometime, they receive sponsorship to pursue further studies in line with personal intentions and the overall organizational manpower forecasts. Continuous education is taken very seriously as they help staff to be informed of dynamics that affect or continue to affect their personal growth and work effectiveness.

The personal career development goals and the organizational relevancy are key drivers in continued education for employees (Gary, 2004, p. 38). Education affords them progress in their careers while at the same time enabling achievement of long term organizational goals. The new skills and knowledge acquired, instrumentally helps staff towards better and efficient service in the organization.

Due to the long history of American Red Cross, numerous materials have been developed over time that aid in training. The training materials include training manuals and syllabus that is followed when tackling the different sessions. New volunteers often are introduced to Red Cross’s guiding policies, procedures and philosophy. Then there is introduction to basic skills and competencies necessary in a disaster operation or when responding to an emergency.

After the introductory or orientation sessions, new entrants or volunteers are attached to team leaders. From their team they are exposed in an on job kind of training. On job training is a mandatory aspect of training and development (Rae, 2000, p. 83). In the American Red Cross, new entrants are given assignments alongside other more experienced members of the team. This is necessary so that they may receive support and help as necessary during work or operations.

Once one has acclimatized to work and is now an independent worker in his or her team, continuing education is considered for him or her. Continuing education as already discussed is important because is helps employees expand on their knowledge and skills.

Additionally, it also serves as a way of refreshing after many tiring months or years in the field. Continuing education has two components; internal and external. Internal is when the training is done within the Red Cross training centers. External is when the training is done in formal institutions of learning e.g. universities.

Training Programs Design

As discussed under the Training Needs Assessment, training programs are designed depending on given work or site related peculiarities. There are general programs that aim at helping volunteers and general public to be more prepared towards emergency response or handling of disasters. These programs are basic and standard; the cover the same kind of topics or courses. The basic skills or courses include CPR, swimming, dealing with home hazards, responding to fires, and fist aid.

Volunteers being deployed in the different roles e.g. blood collection, disaster response etc are taken through specialized programs. Such specialized programs or briefings are critical to ensuring coordinated and appropriate response at the site. Site peculiarities are discerned ad communicated to volunteers and staff. For example, if an area requires certain cultural or religious stipulations, the volunteers are helped as to respond appropriately.

Formal further education for staff is encouraged depending on discerned future needs in the organization. It is fortunate that most of the volunteers and staff come with specialized skills. However, through training need forecasts, the future needs in the organization are taken care of. Forecasting the future needs of the organization is a critical aspect or function of the human resource managers (Saleemi, 2005, p. 82).

The training and development function in American Red Cross works closely with the staff and volunteers to identify talent for development. Once an individuals training needs have been established, they are either given an opportunity to train further in a formal institution, they are given senior staff to mentor them or just given appraisal that encourages them to think of further development in a given area.

The community training programs are designed with the needs of given social units in mind. Some red cross chapters have gone ahead and designed programs that target organization in its area of operation. Such programs often aim and massive sensitization on health and safety measures and appropriate responses to accidents or disasters.

The courses offered are often full day or half day courses. Some of the topics covered in such like programs include general hygiene, communication skills (proper communication is important in disaster response operations, health and safety procedures, medication administration, stopping infection spread, dealing with contamination, rescue or disaster operation planning, handling operation related stress etc.

Training programs Delivery

In the American Red Cross, training programs are delivered in a number of ways. Often individuals are invited to the Red Cross training centers for formal learning in given issues. Formal classes are given and assessments done. The classes often have theory and practical sessions in which students demonstrate the learnt skills.

The trainings are also delivered on a one to one basis. The one to one training sessions are often for otherwise busy individuals who can not fit into the general courses offered at the training centers. Of recent, one on one training programs are also offered online by some Red Cross chapters. Other trainings are delivered in the field, in other institutions such as schools or business organizations.

The training and development instructors are well trained individuals equipped with learning materials and other technologies. Guided by the philosophy of continuous improvement, the training programs are always improved on based on changing societal structure and increasing disaster ranges. The instructors provide written reading material and other helpful tools for further exploration and practice by participants in training.

Training Program Effectiveness: Monitoring and Evaluation

The training and development programs are of no use unless they are effective and efficient (Sims, 1998, p. 113). Programs delivery has to be properly time, and professionally delivered. Additionally, what is delivered has to be of consequence or substance. The effectiveness of a training program largely depends on mode of delivery and content.

The American Red Cross instructors continuously seek to improve their training programs by monitoring and evaluating the existing programs. Monitoring and evaluation of programs is largely dependent on receiving feedback from beneficiaries or participants in the programs. Feed back helps trainers understand what has met expectations and what needs improvement.

The other way of ensuring effectiveness or thoroughness in understanding is by every worker becoming a trainer of sorts (Reid & Barrington, 2003, p. 98). In the American Red Cross, every experienced volunteer or staff is a trainer. Their work necessarily consists in sensitizing community, teaching community basic health and safety measures or orienting new entrants.

Follow up communication is another sure way of ensuring training effectiveness (Sims, 1998, p. 114). This follow up process involves participants being sent newsletters and other pertinent informational materials for their own consumption. This helps especially in communicating new ideas, changes or expounding on already well known concepts.

Through magazines and other publications availed to staff, volunteers and other stakeholders, continued learning on American Red Cross operations is facilitated. There is also a lot of information regularly posted on American Red Cross’ website or the websites of its constituent chapters.

Conclusion: Overall evaluation

Having looked into the training and development programs at American Red Cross, it is clear that the training programs are elaborate and well developed. However, the aspect of employee development is not well catered for. The organization heavily on volunteers and does not offer much room for development. An individual entering American Red Cross with the aim of growing through ranks may not find enough space for such. The organization only offers opportunities for those whose goal is to contribute to humanitarian causes.

The lack of clear development guidelines or even opportunities is understandable. The motivation for working in such an organization is necessarily different from why one would work with Microsoft Inc. further; the volunteers are expected to be people who are interested in contributing their time in kind of charity to a humanitarian cause then moving on to their desired careers.

A large percentage (96%) of workforces in the organization is volunteers and that may explain why the organization does not have an explicit development plan targeting all employees.

However, like in every industry, some of the young volunteers go into the organization in the hope of starting as volunteers but growing steadily to become full time employees. Although the percentage of permanent staff is limited due to nature of work, the organization needs an employee development plan.

The training and development department needs develop mechanism that allow for a sort of career progression for young volunteers. If the aspect of development can be elaborately looked into, the training and development programs run by American Red Cross are effective enough.

Reference List

Armstrong, M. (2006). A handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10^th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Aswathappa, K. (2006). Human Resource and Personnel Management (Text and Cases). 5^th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Cole, G. A. (2005). Personnel and Human Resource Management. 5^th Ed. Birmingham: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Craig, L. R. (1996). The ASTD Training and Development Handbook: a Guide to Human Resource Development. 4^th Ed. New York: McGraw – hill.

Gary, D. (2004). Human Resource Management. 9^th Ed. New York: Prentice Hall.

Green, G. (2002). Training and Development. Chicago: John Wiley & Sons.

Laird, D. & Sharon, S. N. (2003). Approaches to Training and Development. 3^rd Ed. Massachusetts: Perseus Books Group.

Rae, L. (2000). Effective Planning in Training and Development. London: Kogan Page Publishers.

Reid, M. A. and Barrington, H. (2003). Training Interventions: Managing Employee Development. 2^nd Ed. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House.

Saleemi, N.A. (2005). Personnel Management Simplified. 2^nd Ed. Nairobi: Kwani Publishers.

Sims R.R. (1998). Reinventing Training and development. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group.

The American National Red Cross. (2009). American Red Cross. 27^th January, 2010. Retrieved from https://www.redcross.org/