Training and development in the workplace has come a long way, from pen-and-paper tests to computerised tests, from intelligence quotient tests to personality tests, the development of this employee resource have been vast and advancing. Many factors come into play where developments are concerned. Let’s have a look at some of the current developments that will have an impact on this important employee resource issue.
The first development is diversity. The workforce is made up of a people of different age, race, religion, profession, sexual orientation, geographic origin, lifestyle, occupation et cetera. The human resources department has to take into consideration the needs of the diverse workforce when planning any training or development programs.
For example, in a training session filled with young people with lower level of education, the trainer may have to explain a point patiently or several times differently to get the message across. Another example is when the training is held in the Ramadan month, training programs should not be too physically exhausting, because Muslims are not allowed to consume food or drinks for 14 hours in the day.
A famous example of an organisation implementing a successful training program is McDonald’s. The fast-food restaurant replaced numbers with pictures of the menu on the cash registers so that the employees are able to quickly register customer orders without having to memorise the menu codes or prices. This sits especially well with elderly workers who may have limited education.
With more working mothers in the workforce, organisations have to develop training programs which can be conducted online so there is no need for the mothers to be physically away from their children, providing them w ...