Training Needs Assessment Exercise

HRM 300 Week 4

Training needs assessment exercise

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Training needs assessment exercise

The Grand View Grocers Corporation is on the list as one of the nation’s top grocery store chain companies. Although this is a great accomplishment for a growing business, it is also very important to ensure that the employees of the business are adequately trained to sustain peak performance. It has come to our attention that there is a high turn over rate for newly hired cashiers. After conducting an internal investigation as to what the cause of this could be, it was determined that the current on the job training method was not effective to the new employees. We will be covering the alternate training methods that could correct this issue such as, Vestibule training, Behavior modeling, informal learning, team training, and Mobile learning the goal is to create a training regiment to replace the existing on the job training regiment.

Vestibule training is an effective way for any employee to become hands on with the equipment they are to use on the job without the stress of doing the job. When an employee is given the same tools they will use in their job in a classroom environment they are going to be more prone to asking appropriate questions pertaining to the equipment, increasing in confidence, and more proficient with the equipment. This is a great way for management to visually see how an employee is doing through the training process as well. Coaching and mentoring can be conducted with the employee while on the equipment without the fear of affecting a customer transaction.

Behavior modeling is very closely related to role playing. This can be an effective learning tool under the right circumstances. Not everyone will retain knowledge from performing this learning technique, but this will give the employee an opportunity to perform their job in a number of scenarios with another employee or peer acting as a customer. The benefits of this for a cashier would be that the employees can practice helping customers with their equipment prior to working on the floor with actual customers. They will be able to ask questions if any arise throughout the transaction, if the employee training does not have adequate speed it will not affect anything negatively as it is a training exercise.

Informal learning is a training style that is not necessarily a protocol or in any way a requirement. Informal learning does engage the employee and increases the chances of knowledge retention because this learning occurs when the employee wants to learn something specific. They refer to a peer with the question and their peer becomes their instructor or mentor. This is a great method for a number of reasons. This will surely generate friendliness amongst the employees and peers, knowledge will be easier to retain as this is sparked by the interest of the employee. This learning can also be encouraged by managers and supervisors as well. The simple placement of white boards in break locations or posted signs could encourage conversation about work related topics (Dessler, N.D.).

Team training can be an effective training technique when used in the right scenario. As a cashier there are a number of duties that are to be conducted on a daily basis. Some of these tasks will require team work in some capacity. Resolving customer complaints, using the paging system, stocking shelves, and compiling reports are all examples of tasks that may require team work (Dessler, N.D). In some organizations, such as the military, team work is so incredibly important employees are tested on their ability to rely on their team to complete the mission. The stakes are not that high in a grocery store but the result is the same. The more you can trust and rely on the members of your team the better chance you have to be successful.

Mobile learning is when an employee has online material pertaining to their job available for them to use at any time. This is a great additional method to the rest that are listed. Having a mobile learning site or online location is beneficial to new hires as they will have questions. If the employee has a moment where they remembered a forgotten question, they would have access to the material to answer their own question at any time. This would be a beneficial tool for both new employees and seasoned employees alike. Having a mobile learning site could encourage employees to study their job requirements and potentially the requirements of other jobs within the organization.

After reviewing the selected training techniques and materials we have decided to try a combination of the methods we have studied. While the performance of the job does remain paramount, the training of the new employees runs a close second. With the integration of the Vestibule training, Informal training, and the creation of an online classroom for employees we are hoping to lower the number of new hire turnovers. The reason that these methods stand out and seem that they will be the most successful methods is because the combination should generate confidence in training off the floor, allow the employees to converse about the material being covered when they are taking a break or lunch, and give them access to any training materials that we offer when they are not on the clock or at the work location. This will give the employee the ability to learn on their own terms so to speak, and allow management to view progress.

References:

Gary Dessler (N.D) Training and developing employees. Framework for human resources management. Retrieved from: