The Difference Between Training and Development

To highlight the importance that businesses place on the training and development of their employees, the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), the largest association of professionals dedicated to the training and development field, noted that companies shelled out more than $164 billion to get their employees up to speed through training and development programs in 2012. It is well known that to get a job one must be a generalist, but to be successful within the position requires that the new hire quickly adapt to the specialization required of the position. An employee training and development program, which allows for a seamless transition between these two realities, is the best way for organizations to get the most bangs for their recruitment buck.

Human resource training and development has dramatically changed in recent decades, as businesses have had to learn how to operate in as lean of an environment as possible, the success of which depends on a trained cadre of dedicated workers who are looking to have a larger impact on your organization. Best practices recognized the distinction between training and development, and they structure their learning modules accordingly to address each side of the quotient by building programs that distinguish between training and development curricula.

Employee Training and Development

As an industry, employee training and development programs are thriving. Human resources training and development managers understand that finding, recruiting, training, and retaining employees is an expensive and time-consuming practice. To minimize costs, and maximize results, companies human resource leaders are consistently reading training and development articles and fashioning a training or employee development plan that works best for their employees.

Getting the expertise they need, business owners are turning to new theories in the training and development in human resource management. HRM training and development have long since moved from simply showing the new hire their desk, introducing them to the person next to them, and setting them off on their own to sink or swim in a chaotic environment. The importance of a cogent training and development process can be seen in increased morale, higher productivity, lower employee turnover, and tangible outcomes like increased profits.

Looking to experts in the human resources training and development field, you can find out about the advantages and disadvantages of training and development, so you will be able to concentrate on achieving the learning outcomes you desire while navigating common pitfalls in training regimes. As such, the corporate training field is a burgeoning industry that is on the forefront of increasing your company’s productivity.

Tapping into the knowledge base that has developed in training and development in human resource management that you can harness for your own specific business needs allows you to maximize your training activities while lowering operational costs and boosting your profits. Doing so on a wing and a prayer is a poor approach, however, so knowing where to find the resources that you need is the first order of business when developing your own corporate training program. With the growth of the corporate training industry, finding that material has never been easier.

Differences between Training and Development

What differentiates training from development? At its most basic level, training is the process by which companies augment the skills of incoming employees in order for the new hire to perform the specific job for which they are hired. Development, on the other hand, refers more broadly to the subtle changes that enhanced education, mentoring, and ongoing professional development that serves to position employees for the leadership roles of tomorrow within your organization.

To appreciate the difference between training and development with examples is helpful. For instance, training a new sales associate would include familiarizing them with the organization’s paperwork trail, order fulfillment procedures, and other internal procedures that guarantee that the new hire is pulling the same oar as the rest of the team when it comes to meeting their sales numbers and following company procedures. That being said, however, the development of that associate takes a different form.

In terms of professional, personnel advancement, human resource management (HRM) teams understand the difference between training and development in HRM. By way of comparison, consider the sales associate in the previous example. While your company’s training regime quickly brought her up to speed in terms of what was expected of her regarding her daily performance. Her professional development takes a different cast when it comes to inculcating a sense of larger purpose in the promising employee. Conferences, continuing education, and advanced mentoring programs are all aspects of a cogent development program that serves to distinguish between training and development efforts.

When it comes to getting the most out of your employees, while simultaneously giving them the tools to enable the self-actualization of their professional goals, knowing the distinction between training and development is the starting point for a successful program that best serves the needs of both your employee and your organization.

Training Specific Issues

There are numerous types of training in HRM that are of immediate benefit to the new hire. Selecting the correct employee training techniques provides flexibility that allows you to tailor your guidance to the employee’s individual learning style, which maximizes the efficiency of your new associate while minimizing the time it takes to get them up to speed regarding their day-to-day operations. As mentioned, it is important to remember that training efforts are short-term and aimed at achieving a definite purpose.

When analyzing the training needs of your employees, employee training techniques seeks to affect a suitable change in the employee’s behavior that is linked in terms of your company’s needs and the professional demands of the individual worker. Identifying the correct training need of your employee first begins by anticipating whether your hire needs help to complete a specific work-related task or routine, which is obviously a different form of training need than if the employee was having difficulties understanding the organizational structure of your firm.

Obviously, while these barriers are completely different in nature, they both represent a situation in which both the employee and organization suffer. Conversely, should the problem arise from a personal or professional failing of the individual, a comprehensive training program acts as a roadmap to successful rehabilitation of the employee should their manager see the long-range potential of the wayward employee as worth the effort.

Once you have located the source of the problem, you can then target specific employee training techniques to address the specific problem. For instance, the ace sales associate who is completely boorish around the conference table will benefit from sensitivity training. The employee on the rise looking to transition into a new position would be better served by a coaching or understudy programs that emphasize training designed to introduce the employee to their new responsibilities.

The best way to learn any job position is by rolling up your sleeves and diving into the task. As such, on-the-job training is considered the best way to quickly train your employee in the performance of their duties. The method allows the employee to gain expertise over a specific task while gaining the confidence to improve their job performance. The success of this method requires that the employee be closely monitored by their immediate supervisor to ensure that poor habits do not get inculcated into their daily work routine.

Development of Specific Issues

Employee development methods differ from training methods in that they are specifically targeted at learning activities that encourage long-term growth that is aimed at future needs rather than present problems. A forward-thinking learning and development ppt seeks to link the relationship between employee development and organizational development. The life-breath of any organization is found in its staff. Ensuring that the organization will thrive is dependent on having a cadre of workers to carry the company into the future. The best place to find that cadre is within your current workforce.

One of the primary problems faced by firms is employee turnover. By helping them to develop professionally, however, employees feel a connection to the company that inspires a sense of common purpose and loyalty that boosts their career while contributing to the long-term growth of the firm. Perhaps one of the most salient development programs includes a comprehensive mentoring program that pairs talented workers with seasoned professionals that work together plotting out the former’s career path moving forward. As mentioned, the ultimate success of developmental programs is dependent on making sure that there are equal benefits to both the staff member and the company.

Another excellent developmental approach is found in a group development setting. This situation lets workers advance their professional positions based on the feedback and actions of their peers, and provides a clear indication of which employment assets are better poised to assume leadership roles within the group. The strengths of any organization are based on the compilation of numerous skill sets, and the group development style of learning is a proven method to achieve tangible results. As mentioned, the key to success is found in the relationship between employee development and organizational development. A symbiotic relationship, pairing employee success with long-term organizational success is in the best interest of all parties concerned.

Beyond training your employees to complete the tasks assigned to them daily, your company development program seeks to produce a proactive, rather than a reactive solution to meet the needs of your firm moving far into the future.

Human resource directors know the expense of hiring and training new workers, so it just makes sense to invest in the quality talent that you already have within the fold, and nothing is more indicative of a promising long-term employee than being able to watch their continued growth as they adapt to new responsibilities.

Common Training and Development Management Topics

When looking to expand your workforce through training and development management efforts, there are specific topics that business leaders look at to achieve ideal results. Such topics include such obvious subjects as leadership and communication skills, as well as the ability to demonstrate team-building skills that guarantee high-level results from your future management team. Additionally, training and development programs look to build adapting skills in your employees that address issues like conflict resolution, employee engagement, and coaching skills.

Enhancing critical thinking and listening skills is also one of the hot topics buzzing around the boardroom when it comes to finding better ways to prepare their workers for the future. The ability to think outside of the box, and apply innovative solutions to common management problems, is critical to building a flexible and responsive management team.

Whether you are training your employee to handle their entry-level position, or you are looking to groom that worker for future management responsibilities, determining the correct course of action begins in properly identifying the problem before applying an adequate solution.

Tailoring the training regimen to address specific problems allows for a targeted approach to resolving issues that you might find among your employees. When issues arise, whether it is a procedural setback that is hindering productivity, or it is a personal issue that has occasioned problems with your department’s production, tailoring the correct training effort is at the heart of changing any problematic behavior that you notice in your employees.

Another hot button issue moving forward, according to industry experts, includes training and development issues related to compliance type concerns. For instance, occupational health and safety training has assumed an outside influence in guidance courses, as have workplace harassment training against the backdrop of an increasingly litigious society.

Another excellent approach to training and development is the process of job rotation that promotes the growth of leadership skills within your organization. Some of the advantages of job rotation include building a flexible workforce that affords task variety and helps build great teams. By rotating through a variety of jobs within your organization, employees learn all aspects of the business model, which makes them better suited to complete their daily jobs, but also provides the broad overview that will situate them to assume leadership roles moving forward with your company.

The difference between training and development efforts is measured by whether you are looking to solve short-term problems or you are looking to develop long-range talent that will benefit your organization.

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