Training and development may sound synonymous, but they are not. Training focuses more on providing employees with specific skills or helping them correct deficiencies in their performance. Development is an effort to provide employees with the abilities the organization will need in the future (Gómez-Mejía, Balkin & Cardy 2012, 286.)
There are many challenges managers must think in the training process. It includes three phases: assessment, development and conduct of training. Training can be done on the job or off the job, and there are many techniques to do it. Socializing employees is very important, it includes orientation and informing new employees (Gómez-Mejía, Balkin & Cardy 2012, 306.)
Career development must be a key business strategy if a company wants to survive in nowadays competitive and global business environment. Management needs to decide who will be responsible for development, how much emphasis is appropriate and how the development needs of a diverse workforce will be met. Career development includes three phases: an assessment phase, a direction phase and a development phase. Employees need to be active too in this process. (Gómez-Mejía, Balkin & Cardy 2012, Chapter 9.)
McDonald’s is using 3D virtual reality to train their managers. McDonald’s started five years ago with gamification, when they developed a game to train front-line staff. They noticed, it saved training costs. When using gamification as a learning method, there are three main things that need to be considered when motivating people to learn: autonomy, mastery and purpose. They’ve also used a board game as a learning method. McDonald’s thinks learning has to be fun and in gamification there is no need for a hard push (Milne 2016.)
Nando has succeed with their training programme. Their management coaching aims to that people would take more responsibility for their own development, the development of others and the growth of the business. All their new employees go through ten days of on-site training. They have arranged a course to managers, where they wanted to improve management teams’ communication skills. Also, they have a “buddy” system, where there are two “buddies” at every restaurant responsible for training (Pollitt 2006.)
Fortune’s 2019 Best Companies to Work For top three companies had all the same in common: an organizational culture that values its people, core values and impact on the world. Learning and development plays a significant role in cultivating a strong organizational culture. First on the list is Hilton, which has “Hospitality for All” approach to treating employees with the same respect that they give to customers. Hilton’s vice president thinks it’s important that employees don’t only think they have a job, but that they have a career with Hilton. The second on the list is Salesforce, which has built a culture that focuses on valuing and empowering not only its people but other communities as well. And the third, Wegman Food Markets, Inc.’s employees still rate it as a great place to work, even though salaries are relatively low. Learning and development has played a major role in cultivating their organizational culture, and this highlight the power of culture (Gallo 2019.)
References
Gallo, S. 2019. Fortune’s 2019 Best Companies to Work For: An Inside Look at the Role of Learning and Development. Training Industry. URL: https://trainingindustry.com/articles/strategy-alignment-and-planning/fortunes-2019-best-companies-to-work-for-an-inside-look-at-the-role-of-learning-and-development/ Accessed: 10 February 2020
Gómez-Mejía, R. L., Balkin, B. D., Cardy L. R. 2012. Managing Human Resources. Seventh Edition. Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Milne, J. 2016. Super-sized gamification for training – McDonald’s is lovin’ it. Diginomica. URL: https://diginomica.com/super-sized-gamification-for-training-mcdonalds-is-lovin-it Accessed: 10 February 2020
Pollitt, D. 2006. Nando’s tastes success through training. Human Resource Management International Digest. URL: https://www-emerald-com.ezproxy.haaga-helia.fi/insight/content/doi/10.1108/09670730610656879/full/pdf?title=nandos-tastes-success-through-training-expanding-restaurant-firm-retains-a-family-feel Accessed: 10 February 2020
