The With The Quality And Quantity Essay Example
The With The Quality And Quantity Essay Example

The With The Quality And Quantity Essay Example

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  • Pages: 11 (2839 words)
  • Published: June 22, 2018
  • Type: Research Paper
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Modern employees, particularly those in younger generations, have a range of expectations when it comes to their jobs. Some are looking for faster opportunities for promotion or well-defined career paths. However, companies that have a flat organizational structure might find it difficult to fulfill these employees' desires for advancing in their careers.

Alternatively, companies can consider establishing initiatives that are appealing to employees. One such initiative involves providing training and development opportunities to individuals. Effective planning for training and development involves considering both personal and organizational factors. When done well, the benefits include improved performance, expanded skillsets and knowledge, increased capability for higher-level job roles, and personal fulfillment. By enhancing employee motivation, individuals will be motivated to keep progressing in their jobs and careers through training and development. This motiv

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ation is a critical factor in retaining employees.

Training and development is important for keeping employees interested and engaged. However, there are cases where employees leave after completing their training or demand higher pay to match their new skills. Such behaviors betray the trust of companies and make them hesitant to invest in employee development. Some companies even use training bonds to protect their investment. This assessment aims to determine the correlation between training and development and employee retention.

The main objective of this paper is to examine the impact of employee training and development on their length of employment in a company, using a survey method. The hypothesis suggests that employees who are satisfied with training and development opportunities are likely to have longer tenures. In conducting a literature review, it is discovered that the significance of training began to gain traction in the late 19th century as

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a result of concerns about inadequate quality and competitiveness within the workforce.

The government initially prioritized training due to concerns about a potential shortage of skilled workers and long-term unemployment. However, the training methods used during this time were inadequate and resulted in low-quality training. After the war, when full employment became more common, employers and employees agreed that employers should take on the main responsibility for staff training. This change led to a transformation in training methods through national agreements between employers and unions that focused on apprenticeships. These agreements were tailored to each industry's specific customs and practices (History of HRD, 2011).

The formal and ongoing efforts of organizations to enhance the performance and self-fulfilment of their employees through different methods and programs are referred to as training and development in the modern workplace. These efforts have a wide range of applications, including instruction in specific job skills and long-term professional growth. In recent years, training and development has evolved into a formal business function, becoming an integral part of strategy and a recognized profession with its own theories and methodologies. Companies of all sizes are increasingly embracing continuous learning and other aspects of training and development to foster employee growth and build a skilled workforce. Generally, the terms "training" and "development" are used together to depict the overall improvement and education of an organization's employees.

Training programs focus on specific and measurable goals, such as operating machinery, understanding processes, or performing precise procedures. Developmental programs, on the other hand, target broader skills like decision making, leadership, and goal setting, which can be applied in various situations (Training and Development). In today's rapidly changing workplace, training

and development are crucial for employees to stay competitive and marketable. Companies emphasize training employees on knowledge and skills that align with evolving business needs, allowing them to build internal capabilities and maintain a competitive edge.

And during times of turbulence, training has been implemented as an effort to assist companies and employees in navigating the economic downturn by preserving jobs and simultaneously investing in skill development for future recovery. Employee Loyalty, a fundamental aspect of human nature characterized by unwavering dedication and faithfulness, plays a crucial role. Many of the Fortune 500 companies attribute their prosperity to the enduring influence of customer and brand loyalty. However, employees differ from consumers in their perception of loyalty. While employees desire to exhibit loyalty and have it nurtured and recognized by employers, not all employees interpret loyalty in identical manners.

According to Ferri-Reed (2011), employees from varied backgrounds have varying perspectives on loyalty and the factors that influence their loyalty towards their employers. In the past, corporations fostered trust among employees by assuring them of protection and support. In exchange, employees prioritized their specific company above all else, driven by the promise of long-term opportunities and increased rewards for remaining loyal.

However, in recent economic downturns, numerous companies have turned to lay-offs as a primary strategy to survive. These lay-off actions have fostered a perception that companies prioritize their shareholders and executives over their employees. Consequently, employees no longer feel compelled to remain loyal to their employers during prosperous times. Employee loyalty has waned over the years as employees have come to realize that dedication is no longer recognized or rewarded in today's corporate world. Furthermore, the notion of trading

loyal service for job security is seen as obsolete. Other contributing factors include demanding working conditions, limited opportunities for advancement, and decreasing compensation. Conversely, during periods of economic prosperity, many companies experience substantial growth in alignment with the overall economy.

As companies experience growth and expand their staff to meet demand, there will be a need for increased hiring. This will create a competitive talent market known as the "employees market," where employees have more power. If employees are dissatisfied with their current job, they may explore other opportunities that offer better prospects and compensation packages. As a result, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face particular challenges in attracting and retaining employees.

To attract and retain top candidates, companies need innovative recruitment and retention methods. However, simply attracting skilled individuals is not enough to succeed in retaining talent; effective strategies for keeping them are also necessary. Thus, the initial step towards achieving talent retention success is preserving current employees while simultaneously hiring the best for the future (Palmer). Employee loyalty plays a vital role as excessive voluntary turnover has a negative impact on a company's financial performance.

The cost of replacing an employee can reach up to five times their yearly compensation. Companies worldwide are grappling with the task of retaining their best employees while also attracting new talent, resulting in a significant interest in enhancing employee bonds. There must be a change in emphasis from employer-centered tactics to retention strategies that match employee expectations. One successful approach is investing in employee training and development.

Creating a work environment that encourages employees to view it as not just a job but also as a place for career advancement and

goal pursuit is crucial for companies. One effective method in retaining employees is to highlight training and development as an integral part of the company's identity. This approach holds particular significance for smaller businesses, as it helps counter the trend of employees seeking opportunities at larger multinational corporations due to their perceived better prospects. Many employees perceive multinational corporations as offering superior development programs, an area where local small and medium enterprises often lack resources. Moreover, multinational corporations bolster their reputation as desirable employers by actively recruiting from universities and emphasizing the potential for career growth and training.

According to attendees at the Korn Ferry Leadership Transformation conference, training and development opportunities were identified as the most effective factors for engaging and retaining key talent in organizations. This was closely followed by compensation and benefits (Korn Ferry, 2011). The opportunity for employees to enhance their job and career skills is a significant motivation and retention factor. In fact, it is one of the most crucial factors in motivating employees. By offering training and development opportunities, companies can cultivate dedicated employees who benefit both the business and themselves. "When employees receive training, they become more skilled and valuable, increasing their chances of promotion or advancement within the company. Consequently, they are more likely to remain with the company for an extended period, contributing through taxes while staying in our area," explained David Morrison, Director of External Education.

"(Murray, 2011). These are also areas where management and Human Resources can enhance the value of training and development by allowing employees to pursue their own interests and directions, rather than just company-assigned directions. Employees will appreciate the support for their

personal learning, in addition to support for knowledge relevant to their current job. One way to do this is by offering training credits that employees can use for any courses they choose. It is important for companies to recognize that fostering a lifelong learner is essential for keeping employees engaged and influencing their tenure with the company."

The purpose of this survey is to examine employee opinions and perceptions on job commitment, training quality, and attitudes towards training in order to establish correlations between these areas. By ensuring the appropriate type and range of training and development activities, we can enhance employee motivation and potential retention. Surveys provide a systematic approach to collect data from a larger number of people within a short time frame, enabling us to study relationships between variables such as attitudes and received training. Our research objective is to determine if there is a connection between employee satisfaction with training opportunities and their intentions to remain with the company. Additionally, the survey aims to identify potential areas for improvement in terms of training and development opportunities within the company. To gather data, we will survey at least 50 respondents from a workgroup consisting of 400 employees.

The Likert Scale is a scale consisting of six points. The scale ranges from "Strongly agree" to "Strongly disagree". Each item on the scale requires respondents to rate their level of agreement or disagreement with each dimension. It is worth mentioning that there is no neutral option, and the scores on the scale range from 1 to 6. The Likert scale calculates the scores for each respondent, and these ratings indicate the attitudes of the sample towards

the statements in the questionnaire (Brace 2004, 86). The survey aims to improve recall and encourage participants to provide accurate responses.

To ensure an orderly flow and maintain the respondent's interest, we have designed a sequence of questions in the email survey. Our chosen medium for this survey is a web-based platform like Surveymonkey or Zoomerang. Each member of the workgroup will receive a personal invite to participate in the survey through their corporate email address. Maintaining confidentiality is a priority to ensure honest responses from the respondents.

This survey allows respondents to access the office email, providing accessibility and practicality. Web surveys can also collate results automatically and present them in an easily comprehensible format. However, the survey has limitations. It only addresses training matters and overlooks other factors such as leadership and staff welfare that may affect engagement. Additionally, the survey assumes respondents will answer truthfully, rather than conforming to societal expectations or feeling pressured to respond in a certain way. To overcome this limitation, maintaining respondent confidentiality is suggested. Data analysis should be conducted on the entire group without disclosing information that could reveal their identities.

One of the challenges that may arise is a low response rate due to staff being busy or on extended leave during the year-end period. To tackle this problem, it would be beneficial to keep the survey open for at least three weeks and provide incentives like gifts or prizes for early respondents. These measures will help increase the response rate and generate more reliable findings. Nevertheless, it is crucial to interpret the results cautiously and avoid making sweeping conclusions since the sample might not accurately represent

the entire population.

In order to validate the survey findings, it is essential to arrange focus group discussions. The survey analysis consisted of two stages. Firstly, an overview analysis was conducted on the average and variability scores, which were measured on a 6-point scale. Following that, correlation studies were performed on pairs of questions to gain a more thorough understanding of the survey results.

Survey scores: The survey assessed three areas including job commitment, perception on the quality of training received, and perception and attitudes towards training.

A. Job Commitment

#ItemMeanVariance

1. I intend to work for the company for the foreseeable future: 4.6 (variance: 2.0)

2. I am satisfied with my job: 5.3 (variance: 1.1)

3. I am utilizing my full potential at the company: 3.0

81. 8 4I rarely consider switching jobs to another company4. 01. 7 5The individuals who make the greatest contributions to our team's overall success receive the highest rewards4. 11.

4 B. Perception on the quality of training received ItemMeanVariance Employees receive the necessary training to do their jobs. 4. 62. 0 2I am satisfied with the training and learning development opportunities in the company job.

3. 81. 1 3The training I received is applicable to my job. 3.

51. 9 4The training I received for my current position in the company is satisfactory. 3. 81. 5

5I am clear on my training and development roadmap.

2. 82.0 C. Perception and attitudes towards training

#ItemMeanVariance 1b) The training that I received prepares me for more challenging assignments.

71. Training opportunities are evenly distributed among work units. 52. The training I received has increased my ability to compete for jobs at the next level of responsibility.

62.5

4My supervisors/team leaders actively endorse activities such as attending conferences, continuing education, and joining trade or professional organizations to enhance learning beyond the workplace.

(1) Training and development plays a crucial role in retaining employees.
(2) Survey respondents expressed strong job commitment in the company, with a majority either agreeing or strongly agreeing (overall mean of 4.36, variance 1).

5). The perception of the quality of training was generally positive, though to a lesser extent (overall mean 3., variance 2.3), particularly regarding staff understanding of their training plan. Similarly, perception and attitudes toward training were positive as well (overall mean 3.7, variance 1.).

3). The results of the survey will be utilized in the subsequent step, which involves conducting Focus Group Discussions. The survey results will be interpreted through a Correlation Study. This study pairs the responses to the following questions: Graph 1: “I am satisfied with my job” (Job Satisfaction) and “The quality of training received for my current position in the company is satisfactory."

(Graph 2) "I seldom consider joining another company as I am content with my current employer." (Graph 3) Additionally, "I plan to continue working for this company in the coming years." Regarding the significance of training and development, it is stated, "Training and development plays a crucial role in retaining employees."

Graph 1 has a correlation coefficient of 0.84, indicating a strong positive relationship between the responses to both questions. Graph 2 has a correlation coefficient of 0.3, indicating a relatively strong positive relationship between the responses to both questions. Graph 3 has a correlation coefficient of 0.54, indicating a positive correlation between the responses to both questions.

Based on the correlation graphs mentioned above,

it can be observed that a positive relationship exists between training and development and employee loyalty, thereby supporting our hypothesis. However, there are situations where employees leave the organization after receiving training or demand higher pay to match their enhanced skills and knowledge. Hence, although there is a strong correlation between training and employee retention, it is evident that other factors influence employee loyalty, necessitating further research in this area. Following the survey, a proposed action plan is outlined, which includes conducting a Focus Group Discussion to delve into employee retention factors through qualitative research.

The survey revealed that employees who have undergone training and development courses in the past three years, as well as those who have worked for more than five years, tend to have lower scores compared to others. Additionally, the Action Plan provides a list of actions that the HR Learning and Development Coordinator can implement to enhance the training employees receive, thereby improving employee retention within the company. Conclusively, the survey results indicate that training and development have a positive impact on employee loyalty within the company. However, other factors such as job satisfaction, compensation and benefits, and career progression paths should also be considered when assessing employee loyalty.

Furthermore, research can be performed to determine if factors such as the employee's age group, job type, and position level have any connection to the duration of their tenure at the company. It is also crucial to conduct a subsequent study to confirm if the listed Action Items effectively improved training and employee retention. Reference List: Ferri-Reed, J. (2011). Whatever Happened to employee Loyalty. Retrieved from http://www.

CLOmedia.com Murray, KY. (2011). Employee Development and

Retention Begins with Training.

Retrieved from http://www. rweb. com/releases/2011CAJONESMGT/04KYWINS/prweb8340260. htm Palmer, M. Shift in focus: It's an employee's market. Retrieved from http://www.

The history of human resource development (HRD) (2011). Retrieved from http://www.

Below is a list of sources with their corresponding hyperlinks:

The text below includes a hyperlink and it mentions the source where the information was retrieved from:

Retrieved, from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Sm-Z/Training-and-Development.html

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