Training Methods
| Subject: | 💼 Business |
| Type: | Classification Essay |
| Pages: | 3 |
| Word count: | 850 |
| Topics: | 🏆 Career Goals, Innovation, Leadership, 🤳 Social Media, 🙋♂️ Management, 👩💼 Human Resources |
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Training is an important component of professional growth since it enables an individual to acquire new knowledge and skills. It can be broadly classified into traditional and technology-based training. To ensure training is effective, training methods should be selected based on the intended application while considering their accessibility to the intended audience.
To begin with, traditional methods have been used by many companies over the years to better prepare their trainees to become dedicated professionals. They utilize tools such as presentations, team building exercises as well as direct interaction with trainees in form of simulations, case studies and role playing (Errichetti & Boulet, 2006). Intense follow ups are however necessary (Burley, 2017). One specific example is the use of presentations, which is considered one of the oldest form of traditional training (Burley, 2017). Presentations are mainly conducted through lectures and have transformed into one of the most common teaching methods in schools. The trainers use blackboards, PowerPoint slides and charts. Trainees take notes as they are presented by their respective instructors (“Communication Skills”, n.d.). Consequently, the trainers may issue the students with examinations and standardized tests to measure their level of comprehension.
Furthermore, presentations allow for direct interaction of the students with the trainees. Therefore, trainees are able to ask questions to avoid ambiguity and misunderstanding, which may occur if the trainer was absent. Expositions, however, allow trainers to speak directly to the trainees and adjust their approach based on the nature of the audience. Also, trainers can also gauge their thoughts and divert and emphasize the major points in the demonstration. However, presentations have various limitations, which affect the effectiveness of knowledge and skill delivery. In most cases, the message is not repeated and can affect its retention among the trainees. If one of the trainees misses out on the presentation, they may have a hard time comprehending and lose valuable first-hand information (“Communication Skills – Advantages and Disadvantages of Presentations”, n.d.). The speaker in question also has a major role to play, thus, the effectiveness of the presentation is dependent on numerous human factors such as the mood and motivation of the presenter. The pace of the lecturer when giving the talk can adversely affect the students’ ability to remember the various concepts.
In order to make presentations effective, presenters should employ optimal oral skills such as speaking in an audible manner, pausing in between points, observing stage presence and relevant movement (Burley, 2017). Visual aids assist in visualization that helps the learners grasp the content and ideas. In addition, samples help the audience visualize the expected results and focus on the key parts of the presentation. Some short breaks between the presentation may help the audience maintain their attention throughout the lecture.
On the other hand, technology-based training is a form of training that utilizes computers and media such as DVDs, simulators and intranet-based operations in order to equip trainees with the desired knowledge (Phillips J., & Phillips P., 2016). One of the most common form of technology-based training is the use of social media. Social media has been used in many organizations for training purposes. One of the major advantage of using social media is its availability and accessibility; moreover, most social media platforms are accessible free of any charge. In addition, social media sites such as Facebook have a large following and reach among the young professionals who make up the greatest workforce in institutions. In addition, social media also facilitates the rapid exchange of information among the audience. Some social media avenues such as YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter have become reasonable substitutes for formal teaching in the corporate and education sectors. There has been record employee participation, in training, when social media is used for training purposes (Braathe, 2016). Hence, social media channels offer an interactive and accessible platform for employees. Furthermore, social media minimizes the time spent on training thus saving valuable work periods. It is also affordable compared to formal learning that requires payment for tuition and services rendered.
However, social media is criticized since it caters more to the millennial employees, which may exclude elderly people and people that are not conversant with technology (Arkorful & Abaidoo, 2015). Social media also requires access to electricity and the internet that may be inaccessible in some interior locations. Also, social media has been criticized for its impersonal approach. The public nature of social media limits anonymity, consequently, it may limit participation.
The use of social media, as a training method, demands the creation of awareness prior to conducting the training. The trainees should be provided with the social media channel and time that the training session is scheduled to begin. Provision of amenities such as computers and Wi-Fi within institutions also ensures that trainees have access to the required equipment engage in the training sessions.
From the discussion, it is evident that training is imperative in any organization to facilitate growth. The application of various training methods equips trainees with knowledge and skills that can be employed at the workplace and their personal lives. The training approach that is applied should consider the intended audience, the availability and the nature of the training.
- Arkorful, V., & Abaidoo, N. (2015). The role of e-learning, advantages and disadvantages of its adoption in higher education. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 12(1), 29-42.
- Burley, K. (2017). The Traditional Training Methods for Human Resources. Bizfluent. Retrieved 25 March 2018, from https://bizfluent.com/info-8169914-traditional-training-methods-human-resources.html
- Braathe, R. (2016). Two Common Technology Based Training Methods to Know About – Robert Braathe’s HR & Albany Jobs Blog. Robert Braathe’s HR & Albany Jobs Blog. Retrieved 25 March 2018, from https://www.albany.com/hr/2016/06/two-common-technology-based-training-methods-to-know-about/
- Communication Skills – Advantages and Disadvantages of Presentations. Free-management-ebooks.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018, from http://www.free-management-ebooks.com/faqcm/planning-03.htm
- Errichetti, A., & Boulet, J. (2006). Comparing Traditional and Computer-Based Training Methods for Standardized Patients. Academic Medicine, 81(Suppl), S91-S94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.acm.0000236511.81014.16
- Phillips, J. J., & Phillips, P. P. (2016). Handbook of training evaluation and measurement methods. Routledge.
- The Advantages and Disadvantages of eLearning – Optimus Learning Services. (2018). Optimus Learning Services. Retrieved 25 March 2018, from http://www.optimuslearningservices.com/blog/practical-ld/advantages-disadvantages-elearning/
Offered for reference purposes only.