Abstract
The purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of determining the development needs of an individual, to explain the process of identifying individual needs and the methods that may be applied in formalising training for the individual.
Development needs
This may be viewed as any learning activity which is directed towards future needs rather than present ones, thus the purpose is to strengthen future human capital requirements. It is also focused on increasing chances of individual growth. Samples of development needs may include a need for managers to be able to utilise new facilities in the work place, replacement of retiring staff with a new one, and a necessity to prepare employees to accept change (Bigge & Shermis 2003).
Importance of determining the development needs of an individual
Generally, the benefits are that with a well trained and thoroughly oriented workforce; they will turn out a high standard of goods or services, probably in a more cost-effective manner than the others, and, therefore, with a better chance of achieving organisational goals (Bigge & Shermis 2003). An outline of potential benefits of identifying development needs of an individual may include:
Increase in personal repertoire of skills;
- Increased job satisfaction;
- Increased value of employee in the labour market which refers to the general view of that employee within the realms of the industry;
- Improved prospects of internal promotion which refer to high chances of raising up the managerial ladder;
- Stable labour force which means to have an internal client that is able to counter challenge forces of employee turnover;
- Updating the quality of manpower, which is achieved through continuous education plan;
- Developing strength for survival, which is attained through having a team that adopts to change rapidly;
- Expansion and diversification.
- Utilisation of production at optimum level.
- Improving moral of employees, which refers to a positive inward feeling of an individual towards a particular task or duty.
- Preventing managerial obsolesces, which is achieved by ensuring that the team is up to date with the new changes in the industry.
Systems of identifying individual needs
Every business process training can be very wasteful if not carefully planned and supervised. Without a logical systematic approach, some training may only be a proof of sheer waste of resources (Megginson & Boydell 1984). The systematic approach to identifying the development needs may follow varying programs such as the following ones:
- Job is analysed and defined. This may be achieved through counter referencing of job recruitment and specification and outlined job description at the time of induction.
- Reasonable standards are established. This may be achieved through contrasting the new expectations versus the experienced employees (Internal clients).
- The employees being considered for training are studied to see if the required performance standards are being attained through a probable effective training program. Such programmes are custom made as a result of needs identification (Training gaps).
- Identifying the training gaps. Though it may be due to faults in the organization, such as poor materials, defective equipment, compromised job description. It is, however, of vital importance to highlight an answered questions that rise out of the daily operations of the production unit. These questions may be why there is an increase of wastage, increased absenteeism, compromised on quality of the final product. Such questions become the foundations and solutions of training gaps.
- Training is given and appropriate records kept. Such records are considered useful in evaluation and validation of the training program conducted. This is further described with mnemonic “APPROACH”.
Management by objective clearly shows a different technique by reviewing measureable performance in job descriptions, any disparities between expected standards and performance levels show possible training needs, also known as training gaps (Mager 2004).
Methods Used to Formalize Training for the Individual
Systematic survey and analysis of training needs will be concluded and revealed by making an effective training program analysis which may be summarized by a training proposal in the form of a training plan. The training plan may be different which is explained by the different results of development needs analysis, but basically the criteria of formulating a training plan that answers solutions to training gaps may take a format that answers concerns under the following headings.
- Programme Aims: a general statement as to what the intention of the training is. A sample may be: “This programme is to improve the skills of frontline managers in troubleshooting the issues of tetra pack packaging unit, to avoid unexpected breakdown of the machine.”
- Target groups: identification of those for whom the training is intended (All grade 6 frontline managers and those involved in maintenance of production packaging unit).
- Programme contents: this may address the topics to be covered, the learning objectives, activities to be employed, and the methods of learning proposed. Ideally, this is what handles solution of training gaps as outlined in the needs analysis.
- Programme Evaluation: proposals for estimating the relative success of the training in respect to objectives achieved and level of validation done. This dictates weather the programme met its core purpose.
- Administration and costing: details of timetable for programme, location of activities, release of staff from normal duties, expenses and costs. Ideally, this handles the logistics of the training programme. Though most of the critics are that the expenses of training existing staff are too high as compared to recruiting new employee who are already trained in the field under focus. It is also argued that the time consumed in training the staff is much more than that used to introduce the new staff that is much qualified and that is already experienced.
- Training staff: his handles identification of staff to be deployed, both specialist trainers and line or departmental staff, as required. This is often in off-job training plans. They may be out sourced or picked form the pool of high performing employees (Tyler 1969).
Conclusion
From the findings of this report, it is evident that every organization is faced with the dilemma of Human resource development, as a key component in any firm. Factor that dictates the ample plan of training is dictated by circumstances around the training gap, degree of change desired, resources available and economic value of the programme to the organization
Works Cited
Bigge ,Morris L. and S. Samuel Shermis. Learning Theories for Teachers. 6th edn. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Print.
Mager, Robert F. Preparing Instructional Objectives. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House, 2004. Print.
Megginson, David and Tom Boydell. A Manager’s Guide to Coaching. London: British Association for Commercial and Industrial Education, 1984. Print.
Tyler, Ralph W. Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969. Print.