Training and development Essay

“It’s all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you’re properly trained.”
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain
Among the forces influencing the workplace and learning the following could be mentioned:
Globalization;
Need for leadership;
Increased value placed on knowledge;
Attracting and winning talent;
Quality emphasis;
Changing demographics, changing diversity of the workforce;
New technology;
High performance model of work.
The correct training activity provides an increased productivity, knowledge, and employees’ loyalty. Companies have external, internal, and online options of training and development. In order to arrange a regular training and learning process the company should first of all create a proper learning environment. The next step is to communicate the expectation of learning process. There also can be a support in a form of various opportunities, for example, a right to use a professional library, an online learning, flexible schedules, and conference participation. Organization has to be creative in providing different opportunities for training.
When a company contracts with a vendor in order to perform an activity previously performed by the company that is called outsourcing. Outsourcing relationships are very popular in a wide variety of business activities and the market for these services is constantly growing.
Personnel, economic, control, data characteristic, organizational characteristics, vendor and contract issues are the factors that mainly influence the outsourcing decision. Once these factors have been analyzed,, the decision on outsourcing is made.
For the analysis I’ve chosen BP, the world known company which operates in oil and gas industry. After the tragic event in the Mexican Golf, it has restricted its code of conduct. He company recognizes the strategic importance of training programs, it’s unique challenges for organizations, especially in oil and gas business, where there is no opportunity for a company like this to work alone. It’s almost always a cooperation of partner companies, suppliers and outsourcing companies as well.
BP’s primary reasons for outsourcing are: developing the technological advances, improving core competencies and the customer service delivery processes. There is also a high risk factor for BP. Companies like BP, that are involved in high risk industries (such as oil and gas industry) choose to insure their risks by handing over the job to a vendor with advanced expertise in this field. (Gainey T., Klaas B., 2003, April),
Indisputably, the training needs assessment in order to be effective and efficient. The training manager determines the following elements – who, what, when, where, why and how of training before it actually happens.
The analysis should consist of the information about:
objectives of organization;
tasks of training;
required skills and competencies for the job;
characteristics of individuals that need this training.
Within the frames of organizational analysis the following elements are examined: organizational goals and available resources, state of the economy, environmental influence, work force demographics, changing technology, social and political trends, willingness and support of support for training (both of top management, employees).
An organization that promotes the learning and continuously transforms itself, in order to remain competitive in the business, is called a learning organization. It has the following key features: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning. According to the systems thinking concept, in learning organization all the characteristics must be apparent at once; if something is missing then the organization may not achieve its objectives.
Regarding the personal mastery, it’s the commitment by an individual person to the process of learning. If the workforce can learn quicker it becomes a competitive advantage for the employer. (O’Keeffe, T. ,2002).
Theories, assumptions, memories of individuals and organizations are defined as mental models. Mental models need to be challenged and then the company has a chance to become the learning organization. Individual visions of the employees create a common, shared vision of the organization. Shared or team learning is the sum of individual learning, individual persons should be to engaged in dialogue and should have a shared understanding in order to create the team learning.
As an example of learning organization, let’s take a look at Nokia’s experience. It’s a known telecommunication giant that began as a pulp meal. Nokia has been the leader of innovation in the world of telecommunications for almost a century. The company keeps it touch with the changes, including policies, change of trends, or technological changes.
Employees’ productivity, their knowledge and loyalty are provided by correct training, development and education. ( Zemke R. and Kramlinger T., 1982)
The mentoring programs are also very effective. The mentor helps the mentored to find answers; it enables t mentored to gain experience of learning. For example, in Nokia, there is a mentoring program that links objectives and tasks with mentoring. It’s actually a one of the modern way of developing individuals in organizations. There is a variety of different methods of mentoring, like external or internal. (Marquardt, M. J. ,1996)
Career tracking (or so called career path) is definition of career plan within the company. When employees are prepared to be rewarded without necessarily holding a managing position this process is called dual career path. Dual career path is a perfect way to motivate employees.
Forms of dual career path can vary (for example, it may be a participation in the main company’s decisions or mentoring of other employees).