Long-Term Training Program Over the

¶ … Long-Term Training Program Over the last several years, a shift has been taking place in the job market. What has been happening is a variety of jobs, have begun to face increasing amounts of competition. This is because globalization has been creating a change, in how companies are able to sell their different products and services. As the lower trade barriers, have meant that many of these organizations can outsource jobs from: the high paying regions of the world to areas that are developing.

This gives corporations increasing amounts of leverage in maximizing their profit margins. However, for the local economy, this means that there is a severe loss of jobs, to areas of the world that have lower wages. A good example of this can be seen by looking at: the number of jobs that have been lost in the United States to outsourcing since 2000. As the manufacturing sector has lost 5.5 million jobs, out of this number 2.1 million were lost over the last two years.

This has caused 42,000 factories to close and it has placed another 90,000 at risk of shutting down. What all of this shows, is the increasing amounts of competition that businesses are facing from globalization. (Elk 2010) to adapt to these different changes, all companies need to have an effective employee training program that will address these issues. To determine how to create this kind of strategy requires analyzing a number of factors to include: examining performance management, the organizational needs, skills & competencies, individual and occupational training needs.

Together, these different elements will provide the greatest insights as to how businesses can effectively implement an employee training program. Once this occurs, an organization can adapt to the changes that are taking place: inside the industry and address the needs of the company. Performance Management To effectively compete against the increasing number of players in an industry, means that all companies must have an effective training strategy.

This is important, because the amount of time and money that is spent in developing this plan; will help the staff be able to quickly adjust to changes that are taking place in the economy. When you have an effective training program that is followed up by continuing education, you are creating a strategy that will change the culture in: the organization and improve its ability to respond to customer demands.

As a result, the most logical point to begin establishing any kind of training program is: to address the issues of performance management. Simply put, this is when you are looking at analyzing the accomplishments of: staff members and executives. This is taking place, through using various tools (such as: reviews and evaluations), to see the effect that everyone is having, on helping the organization achieve its goals.

The problem is that many companies can overly rely on this tool, as they will use this as a way to: improve accountability and help increase their effectiveness to respond to changes. This challenging, because these kinds of evaluations could hide what is really taking place at the company. As managers have been known to have their judgment clouded, when conducting performance reviews. This means that employees or executives, who are productive, could receive unfavorable reviews (based on a particular manager's feelings).

Once this occurs, the odds increase that key ideas could be lost, which may have been vital in helping the organization to adapt to future challenges. At which point, this person could go to the competition and begin sharing their ideas with them. Over the course of time, this can lead to a serve loss of talent at the company, placing their competitive advantages and upward earnings momentum in jeopardy. (Gitman 2009) A good example of this can be seen with Enron.

One of the main tools that the former CEO, Jeff Skilling, used to evaluate talent was: the annual performance reviews. These were: the toughest evaluations in corporate America and they were utilized to find employees that will follow the directives managers without question. On the surface, this appeared to be a good way of evaluating talent. Yet, in reality it was a way for managers to rid the company of employees who were considered to be mavericks.

This is because they could refuse, to engage in certain activities for: ethical reasons or they may have placed their personal lives ahead of the objectives of the company. At which point, they lost key talent and had no way of evaluating the overall risks of the projects they were engaging in. This led to the fraud, as these employees, followed the company line without question.

This is troubling, because it meant that when the company was engaging in transactions that were: not financially prudent or illegal, no one questioned these activities. (Sullivan 2002) (Gitman 2009) Therefore, all performance management tools must be integrated into the strategy, while not having an over reliance on the opinions of one manager. Instead, the strategy must embrace an approach that allows employees to anonymously evaluate supervisors. At the same time, executives will conduct their traditional reviews of: employees and team members.

This is important, because this kind of approach will objectively determine if there is a problem manager in the company. While it is simultaneously; evaluating the actions of team members, by not overly relying on the opinions of one manager. Instead, this approach is using the views of employees, to determine if a particular executive could be contributing to the problem. Once this occurs, it will help to improve the performance management procedures, by objectively looking for issues between: supervisors and staff members.

(Gitman 2009) Organizational Needs Addressing organizational needs is when you are looking at the medium and long-term goals of the company. You are then comparing these objectives, with the changes that are taking place in the economy and the sector. This is important, because understanding the various organizational needs, will help to create an effective strategy that can adjust with shifts that are occurring. as, managers can use them to determine how to set various targets for: select departments and teams going forward.

Once this occurs, an organization has an effective strategy for addressing the underlying profitability objectives. At which point, the can be able to: increase their market share and adapt to changes that are taking place in the economy / industry. (Gitman 2009) Skills and Competencies Skills and competencies is when you must be able to identify those individuals, who have the skills that the company needs.

You must then place them, in areas where they can utilize these strengths to: improve productivity and the overall quality of products / services that are being provided to customers. Once this takes occurs, it will help to increase output, while maintaining a stable cost structure. In the electric utility as well as natural gas distribution / generation business, this means that employers must: quickly identify and place staff in areas where they can address the most pressing issues facing their organization.

The reason why, is because a shift has been taking place in the industry, as a number of employees will be eligible for retirement in the next few years. A good example of this can be seen in the United States, where nearly 30 to 40% of the staff that works in this field is expected to retire in the next ten years. This problem is not just isolated to America. Instead, it is a trend that is occurring in many developing and developed nations around the world.

When you combine this with the expected increasing demand for: electricity and natural gas, this means that in the future some kind of strategy must be embraced by employers. That will place staff members in locations that are making the most effective use of their talents. To achieve these objectives all companies must be able to: identify certain skills and competencies to address these problems in the future.

(the Human Resources Transformation 2011) Individual Training Needs As far individual training needs are concerned, all organizations must use an approach that will address the challenges facing: every employee and company. While at the same time, they will take into account the needs of the individual. This means, that in order to increase productivity, those employees who have special talents and skills must receive some kind of competitive compensation package.

Once this takes place, any kind of training programs must: address specific individual issues that could have an impact, upon employees going the extra mile for the company. At which point, you can begin creating specific programs that will assess the talent of the employee. This could be accomplished through having everyone take various assessment exams prior to their employment. As this will identify any kind of possible areas that could have an impact upon: addressing the company's immediate and long-term needs.

You can then, have employees who have a natural aptitude for certain jobs going to: various offsite and on-the-job training programs. This will help to give them the specific skills to: address the shortfalls in the organization and it will help to tackle any kind of future challenges. Once this occurs, it means that a company can: increase productivity and maintain the kind of talent necessary to remain competitive in the future.

(Gitman 2009) (Rothwell 2004) Occupational Training Needs At the same time, any kind of training program must take into account the different occupational needs for each position. This will be different from one job to the next, as the more critical roles will require additional amounts of training and follow up. While other positions, will have less stringent training requirement. Once the different individual strengths have been assessed, is when you want to begin placing each person in the appropriate training program for a particular occupation.

In general, you want to focus on ensuring that the immediate and future needs of the most critical positions are staffed first. Then, you would want to begin filling the support positions with various employees. This means that you must have a number of different training modules that are geared toward specific jobs inside the organization. As this will take into account, the intensity of the training and the time that will be required to ensure that everyone understands their roles.

As you will discuss a number of different elements during this process to include the specific aspects of their jobs, ethics, company policies / procedures and understanding the changes that are taking place inside the industry. Once the training has been complete you will then have continuous follow up on: addressing possible issues and how they can be overcame. This is important, because this kind of approach will tackle the specific occupational needs inside an organization.

While at the same time, it is addressing the changes that could be occurring in the industry or the economy. As this approach will ensure that any kind of training modules are adapting to these challenges. At which point, the company can address the issues that: they are facing and avoid the biggest problems that are effecting most organizations (being prepared for change). Once this occurs, it means that a corporation be able to evolve with the shifts that are occurring inside the industry or the marketplace.

(Gitman 2009) (Rothwell 2004) Developing a Medium to Long-Term Training Program The different factors that have been covered earlier are providing a generalized background about how a business can create an effective employee training program. Yet, beneath the surface there a number of principals that must be embraced the most notable include: implementing an initial strategy that will address the immediate / future needs of the company, determining where to place talent, creating efficient evaluation procedures and having regular amounts of continuing education.

Implementing an initial strategy that will address the needs of the company, is when you are taking into account: the short- and long-term aspects of any kind of training program. In this case, you want to ensure that it is tackling: the medium term and long-term challenges they are facing. As the training: will encompass these elements and take into account future changes that could take place.

This is important, because it will ensure that any of needs that are facing an organization are addressed through the training program (which helps to increase productivity). (Hasen 2011) Determining where to place talent is when you are evaluating the different aptitudes and strengths of employees. During the initial phases of training program, is when everyone should take some kind of assessment examination. That will decide where they would work best inside the company. This is important, because you are specifically identifying: various strengths that a.