Employee Development and Performance
Introduction
Efficient managers are cognizant of the fact that the employees are the life of a business entity. Employee development to this effect is the process by which employees are made more valuable through training and expansion of their capabilities (Azulay & O’Reilly for Higher Education, 2012). This discourse shall, therefore, discuss and analyze a training process model that may be considered for the use in developing employees and identify challenges that may beset the implementation of the program in the company. It will also discuss methods of training which can be used to train employees and identify the one which can be used to train the retail employees. Lastly, it will differentiate the concepts of performance management and performance appraisal and defend a position with respect to the use of annual performance appraisal.
Training Process Model
There are over twenty five commonly accepted models for employee training. However, the training model that will be discussed and analyzed under this section is the Assure training model. Assure is an instructional design model that is used to produce more effective teaching and learning. It is a six-step model, and the term ASSURE is an acronym of the various steps (Lorimer, 2019). Given that this model is an instructional design model, its construction is deemed to ensure that the trainees not only gain the knowledge but also that they retain it (Wang & Schlichtenmeyer, 2017).
The first step is the analysis of learners. This is done by focusing on the characteristics of the learner, which may be associated with the expected learning outcomes. Information from this analysis will aid in decision making, especially in relation to the other steps. The second step is the statement of the standards and objectives. Under this step, the instructor is supposed to state the expected objectives of the learning. It is prudent to note that this statement focuses on what the learner will know as well as what the learner will be able to do subject to the training (Wang & Schlichtenmeyer, 2017). The formulation of objectives will also be vital as they will guide the determination of progress vis-à-vis the training. The third stage is the selection of materials to be used for the study. It is agreeable that whatever is to be taught, and similarly, the analysis of the learners will make this step easy, since the materials sought should be aligned efficiently to deliver the purpose. It is also at this stage that the teaching strategy for the training is determined.
The fourth step is the utilization of the teaching materials. In achieving this, the “five p’s” strategy is used. The five p’s include firstly, the preview of the materials before using them. Secondly, the preparation of the materials and thirdly the preparation of the environment (Lorimer, 2019). The fourth p is the preparation of learners, and the last is providing the learning experience. Through a passionate commitment to these elements, the employees will receive the best information from the teaching materials pertaining to their area of study (Wang & Schlichtenmeyer, 2017). The fifth step is requiring the participation of learners. Leaners are presumed to grasp more while being engaged in the training, and as such, it would require that they develop critical analysis skills of the training. The last step is the evaluation step, and this step seeks to meet the learning objectives as earlier planned.
The main challenge with regard to the use of Assure is that it lacks the step of Analysis. This step is crucial since it identifies the problem, which is to be resolved with the training. It is prudent to note that training of employees as a means of developing them and improving performance will be difficult if there lacks a clear establishment of what problem the training is addressing (Wang & Schlichtenmeyer, 2017). The diversity of roles performed by the employees within the company makes it hard to identify what areas require the development of improvement of performance without the analysis step.
Methods of Training
Similar to the number of training process models available, there are also numerous employee training methods. However, this paper shall focus on instructor-led training, role-playing, and mentoring. The first type of training is the conventional employee training, where the trainer provides materials to the employees. It is mainly instrumental in handling complex topics since the trainer will be directly engaged with the employees, offering assistance on contentious matters, or referring them to materials (Wan & Davis-Ngatai, 2018). However, it should be noted that the drawbacks that may beset the implementation of this training method include the cost implications as well as the time for the implementation.
Additionally, it may prove to be redundant when concise topics are concerned. The second type of training is mentoring, and it can also be referred to as coaching. This type of training focuses on the training on the extant relationship between the employee and an experienced professional. This form of training allows the mentee, in this case, the employee, to have a relationship with the mentor that surpasses just training (Wan & Davis-Ngatai, 2018). It is through such types of training that the mentee is given a chance to be able to ask questions that they may feel uncomfortable asking in classrooms. Despite its enormous success and benefits, mentoring has proven to be costly when viewed from the perspective of employee hours.
The last form of training, role-playing, is also the method that can be used to train retail employees. Employees are asked to work through a single area of their job while being placed in a controlled situation individually. This method of training places the employees at a position where they are asked to consider different perspectives as well as think while on their feet through their role-playing activity. It will be efficient in training the retail employee since it works on the principle that “practice makes perfect, ” and through practice, employee performance will be improved (Wan & Davis-Ngatai, 2018). However, this method is time-consuming and may, in some instances, take the time from entire departments while going through their training. Additionally, it is redundant when tackling brief and straightforward topics.
The difference in the Concepts of Performance Management and Performance Appraisal
Performance management and performance appraisal have been used interchangeably, which begs the question of whether they are the same concept. It should be noted, however, that while they have may have similarities, they are not the same (DeNisi & Murphy, 2017). Firstly, Performance management is an all-inclusive approach that involves the maximum possible interaction between the stakeholders. On the other hand, performance appraisal is a top-down assessment for the periodic rating of the employees. Secondly, Performance management seeks to manage and develop the performance of the employees throughout the entity through the planning, tracking, and assessment of the performance of the employees. This concept achieves employee motivation as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of their output. Performance appraisal regularly evaluates the performance of the employees. It restricts its evaluation of past performance. Lastly, while performance appraisals are an individualistic approach, performance management can be altered to address the values of the team.
This discourse takes the position that negates annual performance appraisals to the organization. Performance appraisals, despite its benefits, have numerous drawbacks which inspire the position of this paper. This is mainly because it is a time-waster primarily when not carried out appropriately as the results may be marred with biases and error hence rendering the whole process futile (DeNisi & Murphy, 2017). Additionally, carrying out these appraisals may lead to time loss for the managers, especially those that are responsible for a vast number of employees (Nerstad et al. 2018). This time wasted could have been used in pushing sales instead of raking in profits for the company.
Conclusion
As earlier established, employee development is one of the ways of showing the employees that an entity values them, and the results of the development are mostly employee satisfaction. There are different ways to develop employees, mainly through training to update and improve their capabilities. Of the methods of training, role-modeling is the best way through which retail employees can be trained and the results to be termed as adequate. The benefit of the development, coupled with performance evaluation, is that it enables the employer to tap into the potential strengths of the company as well as fill gaps within the training aimed at improving performance.
References
Azulay, H., & O’Reilly for Higher Education (Firm). (2012). Employee Development on a Shoestring.
DeNisi, A. S., & Murphy, K. R. (2017). Performance appraisal and performance management: 100 years of progress?. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 421.
Lorimer, J. M. (2019). Instructional Design Used in the Workforce (Doctoral dissertation, Keiser University).
Nerstad, C. G., Dysvik, A., Kuvaas, B., & Buch, R. (2018). Negative and positive synergies: On employee development practices, motivational climate, and employee outcomes. Human Resource Management, 57(5), 1285-1302.
Wan, Q., & Davis-Ngatai, P. S. (2018). To find a better way of training and development for a small retail business in the health product industry.
Wang, M., & Schlichtenmyer, S. (2017). Exploring the cultural dimensions of instructional design: Models, instruments, and future studies. In Educational Media and Technology Yearbook (pp. 149-167). Springer, Cham.