Nicole Karow-McBroom
April 24, 2010
HRM: 310
Professor Schultz Ph.D.
Training and Employee Development in the Workforce
One of the most important areas in Human Resource Management is the area of employee training and development. From the point of being hired all the way up to the point of separation, training is essential in order to keep employee skills sharp, updated and help decrease turnover and increase retention. The ultimate goal of a Human Resource system is to ensure the effectiveness of a company’s mission and competitive edge using its employees. Having been a training manager for our district with my previous employer, I witnessed just how much of an effect a good training program, or lack thereof, can affect all the other functions of HRM.
Implementing a comprehensive and well run training program is important for all work organizations because it is not only necessary, but it can also aid in many other parts of the Human Resource process. Every company needs a training program in place in order to bring in a new associate. Whether it is classroom, virtual, one on one or re-training, if it is not thorough, the program will not be successful.
An employee that has had successful training has more job knowledge, a higher sense of commitment, feels more valued and is more likely to remain with the company longer than one that has had unsuccessful or incomplete training.
It is also important to not only focus on training, which puts the emphasis on an individual employee’s current job in the present, but also employee development. Development helps the company focus on the long term and prepare for future work demands. (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, Cardy, 2007) Developing existing employees also makes them feel valued and helps them keep their skills sharp. By developing existing employees, the company can also save money in the long run, another crucial point.
A company puts a lot of time, money and energy into recruiting and hiring the...