Introduction
The training of staff, also known as staffing, is the process by which employees are instructed on the proper ways of carrying out tasks that they are entrusted to do during employment. This term is usually confused with the term development. This involves aiding the employees attain their full potential and aims at improving the performance of the entire organization.
At times, the quality of the work produced by the employees in an organization is poorer than what is expected of them. There are various factors that could be contributing to the low quality of production. The supervisor (management) should assess whether the quality problem is a training problem.
If the problem is due to a training problem, then it is proper for the management to train the employees since training of employees is important if the organization needs to maintain good quality products and services (Werner & Bower, 1995).
Factors that contribute to low quality from employees
One of the reasons employees’ performance can be affected is due to lack of proper training. When employees are not trained enough for the work, they would not have the necessary skills to do the work and this would lead to poor quality. Another reason is the lack of motivation. Motivation is important for employees since it gives them the morale to work more effectively.
Therefore, managers should motivate employees daily or frequently in order for them to do the best they can. Motivation may be monetary or non-monetary. Monetary motivation may be in form of pay rises or monetary gifts. Although this form of motivation works, it is not long lasting since money may be used and forgotten about. However, non-monetary forms may be equally effective and last longer.
One of the non-monetary forms of motivation includes recognizing or giving the employees attention. Recognizing and appreciating the employees for their achievements is important.
It is even better when this is done in public so that the employees get attention and feel appreciated. Making such recognitions in public may be in the form of giving the employees a round of applause. Offering trophies is another way of applauding them.
Another factor that leads to poor employee performance is a bad working environment. The working environment should be conducive for the employees to perform effectively. The working environment includes the working conditions at the workplace.
This may include as simple things as the comfort of the workplace. The physical appearance of the workplace is important in order to motivate employees to work effectively and comfortably.
Another factor that decreases the performance of employees is the overworking of employees. Overworking employees makes them too tired to maintain the same level of performance. Employees need to have time to rest after some time of intense work.
This would give them time to regain their strength and be motivated to work more. Therefore, the manager or supervisor should allow for breaks between working periods or allow employees to leave the workplace after some productive hours of work.
Diagnosing poor performance
In cases where the performance of employees has been altered by unknown reasons, it is important for the management to diagnose the problem in order to be in a better position to tackle the problem.
The management should try to find out whether the reason is due to lack of motivation or lack of the ability (training) to do it. If the management believes that the low performance is due to less effort from the employees, then it would be required to put more pressure on them in order for them to increase their efforts.
However, if the actual issue is the lack of ability, then putting more pressure on the employees would only worsen the situation. Through this, the management would be able to properly diagnose the problem (Buxbaum, 1995).
Another way the management could try to know the problem is by conducting a survey study that could include the provision of questionnaires to the employees.
This way, the management can get to understand some of the challenges facing the employees and determine whether it is due to lack of motivation or due to training problems. If the reason has been determined to be due to lack of training, then the management can retrain the employees in order to make them more effective.
Role of training employees
Training employees is important for the organization if it is to be highly productive. One of the roles (benefits) of employee training is to improve the morale of employees. This is because employees get job security. Training employees also ensures that there is less supervision required.
Training also increases the chance for the employees to be promoted. Training also decreases the chances of errors or accidents occurring in the workplace. Increased productivity is also a result of training (Abbatt, 1992).
Conclusion
Employee training is important for any organization in order for the employees to perform effectively and to the best of their ability. Low quality from the employees may be due to many reasons but management should diagnose the problem in order to know how to tackle the issue in the best way possible. If the reason for low performance is due to training issues, then training the employees is important.
References
Abbatt, F. (1992). Teaching for better learning. A guide for teachers of primary health care staff. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Buxbaum, A. (1995). Training impact evaluation workbook. London: Macmillan.
Werner, D., & Bower, B. (1995). Helping health workers learn. Cambridge, MA: Palo Alto.