{"id":94,"date":"2017-04-23T18:14:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-23T22:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/hrm1stcanadianedition\/?post_type=chapter&p=94"},"modified":"2017-05-05T18:19:04","modified_gmt":"2017-05-05T22:19:04","slug":"9-2-types-of-training","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/hrm1stcanadianedition\/chapter\/9-2-types-of-training\/","title":{"raw":"9.2\u00a0Types of Training","rendered":"9.2\u00a0Types of Training"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\nBy the end of this section, you will be able to:\r\n
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  1. Be able to explain and give examples of the types of training that can be offered within an organization.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThere are a number of different types of training we can use to engage an employee. These types are usually used in all steps in a training process (orientation, in-house, mentorship, and external training). The training utilized depends on the amount of resources available for training, the type of company, and the priority the company places on training. Companies such as The Cheesecake Factory, a family restaurant, make training a high priority. The company spends an average of $2,000 per hourly employee. This includes everyone from the dishwasher and managers to the servers. For The Cheesecake Factory, this expenditure has paid off. They measure the effectiveness of its training by looking at turnover, which is 15 percent below the industry average.\u00a0[1]\u00a0Servers make up 40 percent of the workforce and spend two weeks training to obtain certification. Thirty days later, they receive follow-up classes, and when the menu changes, they receive additional training.\u00a0[2]\u00a0Let\u2019s take a look at some of the training we can offer our employees.\r\n\r\nAs you will see from the types of training below, no one type would be enough for the jobs we do. Most HR managers use a variety of these types of training to develop a holistic employee.\r\n

    Technical or Technology Training<\/h2>\r\nDepending on the type of job, technical training will be required.\u00a0Technical\u00a0training is a type of training meant to teach the new employee the technological aspects of the job. In a retail environment, technical training might include teaching someone how to use the computer system to ring up customers. In a sales position, it might include showing someone how to use the customer relationship management (CRM) system to find new prospects. In a consulting business, technical training might be used so the consultant knows how to use the system to input the number of hours that should be charged to a client. In a restaurant, the server needs to be trained on how to use the system to process orders. Let\u2019s assume your company has decided to switch to the newest version of Microsoft Office. This might require some technical training of the entire company to ensure everyone uses the technology effectively. Technical training is often performed in-house, but it can also be administered externally.\r\n

    Quality Training<\/h2>\r\nIn a production-focused business, quality training is extremely important. Quality\u00a0training\u00a0refers to familiarizing employees with the means of preventing, detecting, and eliminating nonquality items, usually in an organization that produces a product. In a world where quality can set your business apart from competitors, this type of training provides employees with the knowledge to recognize products that are not up to quality standards and teaches them what to do in this scenario. Numerous organizations, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), measure quality based on a number of metrics. This organization provides the stamp of quality approval for companies producing tangible products. ISO has developed quality standards for almost every field imaginable, not only considering product quality but also certifying companies in environmental management quality.\u00a0ISO9000\u00a0is the set of standards for quality management, while\u00a0ISO14000\u00a0is the set of standards for environmental management. ISO has developed 18,000 standards over the last 60 years.\u00a0[3]\u00a0With the increase in globalization, these international quality standards are more important than ever for business development. Some companies, like 3M,\u00a0[4]choose to offer ISO training as external online training, employing companies such as QAI to deliver the training both online and in classrooms to employees.\r\n\r\nTraining employees on quality standards, including ISO standards, can give them a competitive advantage. It can result in cost savings in production as well as provide an edge in marketing of the quality-controlled products. Some quality training can happen in-house, but organizations such as ISO also perform external training.\r\n

    Skills Training<\/h2>\r\nSkills\u00a0training, the third type of training, includes proficiencies needed to actually perform the job. For example, an administrative assistant might be trained in how to answer the phone, while a salesperson at Best Buy might be trained in assessment of customer needs and on how to offer the customer information to make a buying decision. Think of skills training as the things you actually need to know to perform your job. A cashier needs to know not only the technology to ring someone up but what to do if something is priced wrong. Most of the time, skills training is given in-house and can include the use of a mentor. An example of a type of skills training is from AT&T and Apple,\u00a0[5]\u00a0who in summer 2011 asked their managers to accelerate retail employee training on the iPhone 5, which was released to market in the fall.\r\n

    Soft Skills Training<\/h2>\r\nOur fourth type of training is called soft skills training.\u00a0Soft\u00a0skills\u00a0refer to personality traits, social graces, communication, and personal habits that are used to characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills might include how to answer the phone or how to be friendly and welcoming to customers. It could include sexual harassment training and ethics training. In some jobs, necessary soft skills might include how to motivate others, maintain small talk, and establish rapport.\r\n\r\nIn a retail or restaurant environment, soft skills are used in every interaction with customers and are a key component of the customer experience. In fact, according to a Computerworld\u00a0magazine survey, executives say there is an increasing need for people who have not only the skills and technical skills to do a job but also the necessary soft skills, such as strong listening and communication abilities.\u00a0[6]\u00a0Many problems in organizations are due to a lack of soft skills, or interpersonal skills, not by problems with the business itself. As a result, HR and managers should work together to strengthen these employee skills. Soft skills training can be administered either in-house or externally.\r\n

    Professional Training and Legal Training<\/h2>\r\nIn some jobs, professional training must be done on an ongoing basis. Professional\u00a0training\u00a0is a type of training required to be up to date in one\u2019s own professional field. For example, tax laws change often, and as a result, an accountant for H&R Block must receive yearly professional training on new tax codes.\u00a0[7]\u00a0Lawyers need professional training as laws change. A personal fitness trainer will undergo yearly certifications to stay up to date in new fitness and nutrition information.\r\n\r\nSome organizations have paid a high cost for not properly training their employees on the laws relating to their industry. In 2011, Massachusetts General Hospital paid over $1 million in fines related to privacy policies that were not followed.\u00a0[8]\u00a0As a result, the organization has agreed to develop training for workers on medical privacy. The fines could have been prevented if the organization had provided the proper training to begin with. Other types of legal training might include sexual harassment law training and discrimination law training.\r\n

    Team Training<\/h2>\r\nThe goal of team training is to develop cohesiveness among team members, allowing them to get to know each other and facilitate relationship building. We can define\u00a0team\u00a0training\u00a0as a process that empowers teams to improve decision making, problem solving, and team-development skills to achieve business results. Often this type of training can occur after an organization has been restructured and new people are working together or perhaps after a merger or acquisition. Some reasons for team training include the following:\r\n