Training is an attempt to improve employee performance on a currently held job or one related to it. This usually will lead to changes in specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, or behaviors. These changes can result to long-term productivity. However, it often the case that companies only consider training for new hires. Many feel that training is just a way of introducing to the new hire the culture of the organization. It is also an opportunity to impart with them the lessons that senior employees had that helped them in furthering the growth of the company.
According to Allis (2003), the quality of the employees are determined by their development through training and education. In turn, quality employees are factors in defining the long-term stability and profitability of the company. It is a fact that the rigorous hiring process of many companies a ways of ensuring that they will only be hiring the best of the best.
However, this is not enough to say that the people they hire will be delivering effective performances. It might be true that they can see potential in those people and that is why they hired them. Nevertheless, these potentials cannot be put into use unless they are accordant with the company’s visions. This is the reason why training must take place.
Training of employees’ pertains to giving the employees the basic knowledge necessary for them to be able to perform their tasks. In addition, employee training will also enhance the inherent capacity of the employees. Development needs to be dealt with continuously enhancing employees’ abilities through training to match the changes in the business industry.
According to Graham and Salas (2002), training is being used to facilitate education. In addition, training is also seen as a tool to retain employees, improve corporate culture and design incentive programs for employees (Graham & Salas, 2002).
Trainings are also being conducted so that the company will be able to create a pool of employees that can readily and adequately replace those who have left the company. Due to fast technological developments, employees must be continuously and/or regularly trained to be able to adapt to the developments that will affect the company. Training also motivates a team by allowing them to become more efficient. If a company is able to train and develop highly-competent employees then they will be able to fill positions needed for expansion (Allis, 2003 ).
Since training can develop efficient employees and create rooms for expansion, this means that training can also result to lower employee turnover rates. According to a survey conducted by Sibson and Company (as cited in Cooper, 2000), high turnover rates resulted to 38 percent decrease in earnings and stock prices in 4 industries. This means that many companies are losing precious capital in attempting to replace the employees that left the company. So if training can reduce turnover rates, it means that companies will also be able to reduce costs of operation.
The results of training and development start a chain reaction. When the company is able to produce effective employees then their profitability will increase. When this happens, they will also be able to compensate their employees based on their contribution to the company’s growth. In turn, it will create a feeling of satisfaction that will motivate them to improve further their efficiency and then the cycle will once again begin (Parker, 2005).
This means that training motivates employees. Training motivates employees by empowering them. Through training, they acquire skills and knowledge that will help them in improving their performance. According to the intrinsic motivation theory, the feeling of autonomy drives employees to persist in their work.
In addition, autonomous employees report that they enjoy their work and they have high interest in their work as well (Deci 1975). White (1959) added that people are motivated when the feel that they affect their environment. This means that employees will be motivated if the feel and see that they are competent in what they do. Therefore, in order for employees to become competent in their work, they must undergo continuous training to enhance their skills.
Consequently, when employees exhibit excellence, employers must see to it that they are being reward. This is to let employees know that their hard Work and work competence are being recognized. As such, it can be said that the implementation of an efficient rewards system is a result of effective employee training. Pay is an integral concern of the organization. In addition, Schuster and Zingehim (1992) stated that pay is explicitly associated with business performance. This means that pay or reward systems also act as motivators for employees.
People work because they want career opportunities that would allow them to explore their capabilities as individuals and team players. People want to grow and this drives them to improve themselves in the workplace. However, it is also a fact that people work because they have financial gains, which is one of the main factors why people work. Therefore, if companies have reward systems, involving monetary benefits, employees will have something to look forward to when they are able to do a good job. This means that financial benefits or reward can drive employees to worker harder and be more competent in what they do.
However, money does not always answer the needs of employees as stated earlier. Employers must recognize that their employees are human beings who have hopes and dreams that they want to fulfill. This means that there must be a balance between the kinds of reward the companies provide their employees. It is essential that the holistic need of a person for improvements be taken into consideration upon the formulation and implementation of key activities such as training, motivating and rewarding.
Reference
Allis, R 2003, Zero to Millions: How to Build a Company to One Million Dollars in Sales Virante Inc.: Raleigh, NC.
Cooper, E 2000, Turn, Turn, Turn. More Business, viewed 6th April, 2006, http://www.morebusiness.com/running_your_business/ management/d968034020.brc.
Deci, EL 1975, Intrinsic Motivation. Plenum: New York.
Graham,HD & Salas, E 2002, Creating, Implementing and Managing Effective Training and Development: State-of-the-Art Lessons for Practice. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.
Parker, O 2005, The Real Bottom Line on Training: It’s How, Not How Much. Conference Board of Canada, viewed 6th April, 2006, http://www.conferenceboard.ca/humanresource/training-inside.htm.
Schuster, JR & Zingheim, P 1992, The New Pay: Linking Employee and Organizational Performance. Lexington Books: New York.
White, RW 1959, ‘Motivation reconsidered: the concept of competence, Psychological Review, 66, pp. 297–333.
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