Improving Training and Development and Performance Appraisal Systems
Effective human resource management is essential for the success of the organization. Training and development ensure that employees have the required knowledge and skills to perform their job functions. Performance appraisal systems evaluate employees’ work outcomes, which is necessary to inform various organizational decisions. This paper aims to evaluate training and development and performance appraisal systems in a retail company selling office supplies.
Training and Development Analysis
Employee training and development begins with new hire onboarding. Effective new hire training should include the following steps: developing an onboarding program, setting expectations, introducing goals, assigning a mentor, and providing feedback (Maurer, 2017). New hire training should continue during the first year, gradually transitioning to traditional employee training and development (Maurer, 2017). By offering employees continuous training, organizations show that they sincerely care about them, and it helps to increase retention rates (Maurer, 2017). In the company under review, all the mentioned steps are used for new hiring onboarding. However, the training lasts only three months, after which employees are supposed to know their goals, expectations, benefits, safety rules, and job duties. Therefore, it is recommended that the company extends new hire training up to a year.
Not only new staff needs training; current workers also have to update their skills and knowledge. The staff’s training needs should be evaluated at three levels: organization, job, and individual (Beardwell & Thompson, 2017). At the organizational level, it is necessary to identify knowledge and skills essential for achieving the company’s goals. At the job level, interviews with workers and supervisors are needed to define job responsibilities. Finally, individual learning needs are determined by analyzing a person’s knowledge gaps and failures in performance. When assessing the effectiveness of the provided training, HR managers should focus on evaluating practice, process, and experience (Beardwell & Thompson, 2017). The data needed to make conclusions include observation of employees’ reactions and behaviors, performance indicators, and results of interviews with workers and their supervisors.
When suggesting employee training, workers’ learning styles should be considered. Beardwell and Thompson (2017) argue that adults already have learning experiences that work for them and are ready to acquire new knowledge and skills needed for their job. Therefore, it may be suggested that training and development programs should let employees choose learning styles convenient for them. Human resource planning will influence future training and development by aligning the content of training programs with organizational goals and personal knowledge gaps. A plan to shape employee behavior within the company will also be important because workers’ conduct plays a significant role in helping the organization achieve its objectives.
Performance Appraisal Analysis
There are several best practices for planning employee performance appraisals. For the company under review, one best practice will be appraising all workers who contribute to the organization’s success. Although it is required to annually appraise employees working at least 20 hours a week for 135 days in a row, those working fewer hours also help the company achieve its goals and deserve an appraisal (The University of Texas at Austin, 2020). The second best practice will be asking leaving managers to provide interim appraisals (The University of Texas at Austin, 2020). These managers have a greater knowledge of employees’ performance than those who will be appointed to their position after them, so their contribution to employee appraisal will be valuable.
For the organization under review, a 360-degree appraisal method will be used. This approach includes self-assessment, as well as information from colleagues and supervisors about the employee’s work and its impact (Beardwell & Thompson, 2017; SHRM, 2018). Because of its objectivity, this approach is considered one of the best appraisal methods (SHRM, 2018). The two common problems with appraisals include inaccurate information and personal bias (SHRM, 2018). To avoid inaccurate information, one should take the time to collect reliable information about employees’ performance from multiple sources. For the second problem, HR managers should avoid favoritism and assess all workers impartially and objectively. To ensure effective human resource planning, such components as assessing manpower requirements, workforce analysis, recruitment and selection, training and development, and performance management.
References
Beardwell, J., & Thompson, A. (2017). Human resource management: A contemporary approach. Pearson Education.
Maurer, R. (2017). New employee onboarding guide. SHRM. Web.
SHRM. (2018) Managing employee performance. Web.
The University of Texas at Austin. (2020). Staff performance appraisal guide for 2020. Web.