Job description provides information about the scope of job roles, responsibilities and the positioning of the job in the organization. And this data gives the employer and the organization a clear idea of what an employee must do to meet the requirement of his job responsibilities. Job description is generated for fulfilling the following processes − • Classification and ranking of jobs • Placing and orientation of new resources • Promotions and transfers • Describing the career path • Future development of work standards A job description provides information on the following elements − • Job Title / Job Identification / Organization Position • Job Location • Summary of Job • Job Duties • Machines, Materials and Equipment • Process of Supervision • Working Conditions • Health Hazards Job Specification Job specification focuses on the specifications of the candidate, whom the HR team is going to hire. The first step in job specification is preparing the list of all jobs in the organization and its locations. The second step is to generate the information of each job. This information about each job in an organization is as follows − • Physical specifications • Mental specifications • Physical features • Emotional specifications • Behavioral specifications A job specification document provides information on the following elements − • Qualification • Experiences 47 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
• Training and development • Skills requirements • Work responsibilities • Emotional characteristics • Planning of career Job Evaluation Job evaluation is a comparative process of analyzing, assessing, and determining the relative value/worth of a job in relation to the other jobs in an organization. The main objective of job evaluation is to analyze and determine which job commands how much pay. There are several methods such as job grading, job classifications, job ranking, etc., which are involved in job evaluation. Job evaluation forms the basis for salary and wage negotiations. Recruitment Strategy Recruitment strategy is the second step of the recruitment process, where a strategy is prepared for hiring the resources. After completing the preparation of job descriptions and job specifications, the next step is to decide which strategy to adopt for recruiting the potential candidates for the organization. While preparing a recruitment strategy, the HR team considers the following points − • Make or buy employees • Types of recruitment • Geographical area • Recruitment sources The development of a recruitment strategy is a long process, but having a right strategy is mandatory to attract the right candidates. The steps involved in developing a recruitment strategy include − • Setting up a board team • Analyzing HR strategy • Collection of available data • Analyzing the collected data • Setting the recruitment strategy Searching the Right Candidates 48 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
Searching is the process of recruitment where the resources are sourced depending upon the requirement of the job. After the recruitment strategy is done, the searching of candidates will be initialized. This process consists of two steps − • Source activation − Once the line manager verifies and permits the existence of the vacancy, the search for candidates starts. • Selling − Here, the organization selects the media through which the communication of vacancies reaches the prospective candidates. Searching involves attracting the job seekers to the vacancies. The sources are broadly divided into two categories: Internal Sources and External Sources. Internal Sources Internal sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees within the organization through − • Promotions • Transfers • Former Employees • Internal Advertisements (Job Posting) • Employee Referrals • Previous Applicants External Sources External sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees outside the organization through − • Direct Recruitment • Employment Exchanges • Employment Agencies • Advertisements • Professional Associations • Campus Recruitment • Word of Mouth Screening / Shortlisting Screening starts after completion of the process of sourcing the candidates. Screening is the process of filtering the applications of the candidates for further selection process. Screening is an integral part of recruitment process that helps in removing unqualified or irrelevant candidates, which were received through sourcing. The screening process of recruitment consists of three steps − 49 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
Reviewing of Resumes and Cover Letters Reviewing is the first step of screening candidates. In this process, the resumes of the candidates are reviewed and checked for the candidates’ education, work experience, and overall background matching the requirement of the job While reviewing the resumes, an HR executive must keep the following points in mind, to ensure better screening of the potential candidates − • Reason for change of job • Longevity with each organization • Long gaps in employment • Job-hopping • Lack of career progression Conducting Telephonic or Video Interview Conducting telephonic or video interviews is the second step of screening candidates. In this process, after the resumes are screened, the candidates are contacted through phone or video by the hiring manager. This screening process has two outcomes − • It helps in verifying the candidates, whether they are active and available. • It also helps in giving a quick insight about the candidate’s attitude, ability to answer interview questions, and communication skills. Identifying the top candidates Identifying the top candidates is the final step of screening the resumes/candidates. In this process, the cream/top layer of resumes are shortlisted, which makes it easy for the hiring manager to take a decision. This process has the following three outcomes − • Shortlisting 5 to 10 resumes for review by the hiring managers • Providing insights and recommendations to the hiringmanager • Helps the hiring managers to take a decision in hiring the right candidate Evaluation and Control Evaluation and control are the last stage in the process of recruitment. In this process, the effectiveness and the validity of the process and methods are assessed. Recruitment is a costly process; hence it is important that the performance of the recruitment process is thoroughly evaluated. The costs incurred in the recruitment process are to be evaluated and controlled effectively. These include the following − 50 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
• Salaries to the Recruiters • Advertisements cost and other costs incurred in recruitment methods, i.e., agency fees. • Administrative expenses and Recruitment overheads • Overtime and Outstanding costs, while the vacancies remain unfilled • Cost incurred in recruiting suitable candidates for the final selection process • Time spent by the Management and the Professionals in preparing job description, job specifications, and conducting interviews. Finally, the question that is to be asked is, whether the recruitment methods used are valid or not? And whether the recruitment process itself is effective or not? Statistical information on the costs incurred for the process of recruitment should be effective. SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT Once the job analysis is completed and the job specification or behavioural competencies are identified, the next stage is to consider how to attract people who meet the requirements. A key decision is about whether to recruit internally or externally. Before an organisation actively begins recruiting applicants, it should have a knowledge of the sources of supply and methods of tapping them. The sources of supply do not remain constant but vary from time to time. The sources of supply of manpower can be divided into two groups — internal and external sources. Internal sources relate to the existing working force of an enterprise while external sources relate to the employment exchanges, colleges, institutes, and universities. The particular sources and means by which workers are recruited vary greatly. It depends upon management policy, the types of jobs involved, the supply of labour relative to demand, and labour market. In deciding which recruitment source to use, consider (a) the nature and size of the company; (b) the level of vacancies to be filled up; (c) the number of vacancies to be filled up; (d) budget allocation; and (e) the time period to fill the vacancy. Internal Sources: Internal sources are the most obvious sources. These include personnel already on the pay-roll of an organisation, i.e., its present working force. Whenever any vacancy occurs, somebody from within the organisation is upgraded, transferred, promoted or sometimes demoted. Internal recruitment seeks applicants for position from among those who are currently employed. The use of internal search, on the whole, has some merits: • It improves the morale of employees. • The employer is in a better position to evaluate those presently employed than outside candidates. 3. It promotes loyalty among the employees, for it gives them a sense of job security and opportunities for advancement. • It is less expensive and job openings can be filled more quickly. • Internal candidates are more familiar with organisational policies and practices, and thus require less orientation and training. 51 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
However, this system suffers from certain defects as well. • It often leads to inbreeding, and discourages new blood from entering an organisation. • There are possibilities that internal sources may “dry up”, and it may be difficult to find the requisite personnel from within an organisation. • As promotion is based on seniority, the danger is that really capable hands may not be chosen. Internal recruitment can lead to problems, however, when a position becomes vacant, many employees may be considered for that slot. The likes and dislikes of the management may also play an important role in the selection of personnel. Usually, internal sources can be used effectively if the number of vacancies is not very large, adequate employee records are maintained, and employees have prepared themselves for promotions. Because internal methods are often not sufficient to supply a suitable pool of applicants, most organisations make use of external sources to attract potential recruits. External recruitment brings in individuals from outside. External Sources: Among the external sources are included the employment agencies, educational and technical institutes, casual labour, trade unions, application files and other sources. External sources provide the requisite type of personnel for an organisation, having skill, training and education up to the required standard. Since persons are recruited from a large market, the best selection can be made without any distinction of caste, sex or creed. However, this system suffers from what is called the “brain drain.” The advantages of internal recruitment are basically the disadvantages of external recruitment. Labour market considerations are very important in external search. A labour market is a geographic area within which workers seek employment and employers recruit workers. It is the place where the forces of supply and demand interact. A labour market tends to be unstructured for the most part; it is unorganised. The procedures by which a company recruits workers and the methods by which workers go about obtaining jobs are highly variable. Lack of labour mobility is still another characteristic of a labour market. One important reason for lack of mobility is that the average working man possesses quite incomplete and inaccurate knowledge of job opportunities in his labour market. Wage rate data are not generally made public. A labour market is characterised by a great diversity of wage rates for the same occupations. This variation in wages for the same kind of work is caused by many factors. Principal ones are differences among the employers in their ability to pay, productivity, and management attitude towards wage rates. Certain non-wage factors such as greater job security, may still attract and hold the employees. An organisation must decide whether to recruit employees internally or externally. External recruitment is limited primarily to entry-level jobs. Jobs above the entry level are usually filled with current employees through promotions. Promotional opportunities lead to reduced turnover, increased job satisfaction, and better job performance. 52 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
RECRUITMENT PRACTICES IN INDIA. Since 1991, the business environment in India has been dynamic and continuously changing. Business organizations have been growing at very rapid pace and globalizing. Consequently, organizations are now looking for globally competitive workforce. These changing expectations and requirements have compelled the Indian industrial management to introduce changes in every sphere of human resource activity, including recruitment and selection. The features of recruitment in India are the following: 1. Our industrial labour force consists almost entirely of persons with little experience or no experience of industrial life and work. They keep still strong influences the tradition and values of their rural or pre-industrial background. Often the new recruits to the industrial labour force have great difficulty in adjusting themselves to the rhythm, discipline and social relationships in the industrial undertaking, and to the new way of life in the community of which the undertaking forms a part. Their acceptance of the new environment proceeds at a slow pace, and this is often expressed through absenteeism, high labour turnover stoppages of work and other facts of protest. Such factors generally become more important when more advanced technology is introduced and new problem of manpower replacement are created by the higher skills required. 2. There is a great disproportion between the number of positions available and the number of aspirants. Sometimes, the ratio is in as much as 1:100 or even more. Not only is the expenditure and inconvenience involved in examining a large number of candidates Page 123 for a few positions great, but also the spectacle of so many persons making applications and getting disappointed is a dismal one. Furthermore, the large number of applications that need to be processed and the equally large number of candidates who need to be examined and evaluated is an important source of delays. On account of the present conditions of acute unemployment the chances of incorrect matching of the job and the individual are higher here than in the developed western countries. The reason for this is that a man whose choice of employment is very limited accepts any job that falls to his lot irrespective of his attitude and suitability. 3. Under the existing statutes dismissal of employees is very difficult, because it requires certain elaborate procedure involving considerable time and money to be followed by a manager. No manager likes to follow this procedure. This means a person once recruited is going to be around longer on any given job and it is not possible to rely on replacement to improve the quality of the work group. The management must count more on utilizing the skills and abilities of the employees that are already present than on replacing them by more able ones. The above features make systematic manpower planning and will be understood, fair and objective criteria for recruitment of special significance to us. But manpower planning has not yet become popular and is practiced only by a few big companies in the public and private sectors. Public undertakings are believed to be generally overstaffed and have frequently been criticized by the 53 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
parliamentary committees for this. In a study, it was found that only 20% of the American subsidiaries and 7% of the local firms undertake manpower planning. Those few companies which do undertake manpower planning utilize not only historical data on manpower but also various forecasting methods to evaluate their future manpower requirements in term of both quantity and quality. A brief description of how Hindustan Lever a private undertaking performs this function is given below: First, an audit of internal resources is carried out. This indicates the number of persons who possess different or higher levels of responsibilities. It also reveals the overall deficit or surplus of personnel for different levels during the planning period. Second, with the help of a detailed organization chart it is determined that how many people, at what level, at what positions and with what kind of experience and training would be needed to meet the business objectives during the optimum planning period of 5 years. Finally, taking into account the actual retirements and estimated loss due to death, ill-health and turnover, based on past experience and future outlook in relation to company’s expansion and future growth pattern the final figures are arrived at. The planning is done every year for the coming 5 years. For instance, a plan is made from the beginning of 1990 to the end of 1994 and the next year the plan covers from the beginning of 1991 to the end of 1995. This reduces inaccuracy in forecasting. DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION The recruitment and selection can be differentiated from the following points: Difference Recruitment: (1) Objective – It aims to attract more people for the vacant jobs in organization (2) Nature – It is a positive process because it attracts people for jobs (3) Meaning – It is a process of searching for suitable candidates (4) Process – It involves searching (5) Procedure – The organization notifies the requirements of manpower though advertisement, etc. and gives prospective candidates forms etc. (6) Contract of service – There is not contractual obligation to take the candidates who have applied. In fact, it is only a communication to candidates to apply for jobs Difference Selection: (1) Objective – It aims to pick up then most suitable candidates for the job (2) Nature – It is a negative process as it rejects not so good for the job (3) Meaning – It is a process of choosing from the lot the best candidates. (4) Process – It involves comparisons and selection (5) Procedure – The HR department asks candidates who have applied to pass the tests evolved for selection in stages and then get selected for the job 54 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
(6) Contract of service – Selection succeeds recruitment and the Step 8 selected candidates are given contract of service between the company and Step 7 the selected employee. SELECTION PROCESS Step 6 The sequence of steps in selection process may also vary from job to Step 5 job and Organization to Organization. For example, some Organizations may Step 4 give more importance to testing while others give more emphasis to Step 3 interviews and reference checks. Similarly, a single brief selection Step 2 interview might be enough for applicants for lower level positions, while Step 1 applicants for managerial jobs might be interviewed by a number of people. There are eight steps in the selection process followed by many Companies. The steps are reception, screening interview, HIRING DECISION application blank, selection test, selection interview, medical test, reference checks, and finally the hiring decision. Look at figure 5.1 which shows the steps in selection process. PEFERENCE CHECKS MEDICAL STATE SELECTION INTERVIEW SELECTION TEST APPLICATION BLANK SCREENING INTERVIEW RECEPTION Fig 4.2 Selection Process Reception: A Company is known by the people it employs. In order to attract people with talents, Mona skills and experience a Company has to create a favourable impression on the applicants’ right from -----------------t-h--e--s--t-a-g--e---o--f--r-e--c-e--p--t-ion. Whoever meets the applicant initially should be tactful and able to extend help Please change the table setting. The entireprintwork hasingoanferiaewnrdylyasanthdeccoouprietedous way. table is over lapping the text already on 55 the page. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
Screening interview: A preliminary interview is generally planned by large organizations to cut the cost of selection by allowing only eligible candidates to go through the further stages in selection. A junior executive from the Personnel Department may elicit responses from the applicants on important items determining the suitability of an applicant for a job such as age, education, experience, pay expectations, aptitude, location choice etc. Application blank: Application blank or form is one of the most common methods used to collect information on the various aspects of the applicants’ academic, social, demographic, work related background and references. It is a brief history sheet of a candidate’s background. Selection testing: Selection test attempts to assess intelligence, abilities, personality trait and performance through simulation tests including work sampling and the tests administered at assessment centres. A test is a standardized, objective measure of a person’s behaviour, performance or attitude. It tries to measure individual differences in a scientific way giving very little room for individual bias and interpretation. Some of the commonly used employment tests are: Intelligence Tests: These are mental ability tests. They measure the incumbent’s learning ability and the ability to understand instructions and make judgments. Aptitude Test: Aptitude test measures an individual’s potential to learn certain skills clerical, mechanical, mathematical, etc. Personality Test: It refers to methods of measuring personality factors and the relationship between personality factors and actual job criteria. Selection interview: Interview is the oral examination of candidates for employment. This is the most essential step in the selection process. In this step the interviewer matches the information obtained about the candidates through various means to the job requirements and to the information obtained through his own observations during the interview. Interview gives the recruiter an opportunity to examine the personality of the candidate. Interview is an art. It demands a positive frame of mind on part of the interviewers. Interviewees must be treated properly so as to leave a good impression about the Company in their minds. Medical Test: Certain jobs require physical qualities like clear vision, perfect hearing, unusual stamina, tolerance of hard-working conditions, clear tone, etc. Medical examination reveals whether or not a candidate possesses these qualities. Reference checks: Once the interview and medical examination of the candidate is over, the personnel department will engage in checking references. Candidates are required to give 2 or 3 names for references in their application forms. These references may be from the individuals who are familiar with the candidate’s academic achievements or from the applicant’s previous employer, who is well versed with the applicant’s job performance and sometimes from the co-workers. In case the reference check is from the previous employer, information in the areas such as job title, job description, period of employment, pay and allowances, gross emoluments, benefits provided, rate of absence, candidate’s regularity at work, character, progress, etc can also be obtained. Reference checks are taken as a matter of routine and treated casually or omitted entirely in many Organizations. 56 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
But a good reference check, when used sincerely, will fetch useful and reliable information to the Organization. Hiring decision: The interviewer has to make the final decision – whether to select or reject a candidate after soliciting the required information through different techniques. A careless decision of rejecting a candidate would impair the morale of the people and they may suspect the selection procedure. THE SELECTION PROCESS IN INDIA The selection process in India is illogical. Because large organization are continuously developing and standardizing a careful selection process to choose the best possible employees for their organizations and the other hand small organization mostly satisfy them with an ordinary process to select their employees. In fact, quite a few small organizations appoint employees for unskilled cadres without putting them into any of the formal steps in the selection process SUMMARY • Recruitment is the process of locating and encouraging potential applicants to apply for existing or anticipated job openings. Certain influences restrain (the freedom of) managers while choosing a recruiting source such as: image of the company, attractiveness of the job, internal policies, budgetary support, government policies, etc. • Recruitment is influenced by a variety of environmental factors - economic, social, technological, political, legal, etc. The sources of recruitment may be broadly divided into two categories: internal sources and external sources. Both have their own merits and demerits • Recruitment forms a significant function in the personnel process. It involves seeking and attracting qualified candidates from a wide variety of internal and external sources for job vacancies. • There is little agreement over the relative effectiveness of these sources; each has unique advantages and disadvantages that depend on the particular position to be filled. • Questions that are addressed in the recruitment process include: “What are the sources of qualified personnel?” “How are these qualified personnel to be recruited?”, “Who is to be involved in the recruitment process?” “And what inducement does the organisation have to attract qualified personnel?” Indeed, without a sufficient flow of qualified candidates to build up an efficient working force, the enterprise cannot function efficiently. • An effective recruitment programme necessitates a well-defined policy, a proper organisational structure, effective procedures for locating sources, proper techniques and methods for tapping them, and constant assessment and improvement. • Selection is the process of choosing appropriate candidate from the obtained application to match the requirements of the job. 57 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
• The purpose of selection is to pick up the most suitable candidate who would meet the requirements of the job in an Organization in the best possible way. • The main objective of selection is to hire people having competence and commitment. • The steps involved in the selection process include: reception, screening interview, application blank, selection test, selection interview, medical test, reference checks, and finally the hiring decision. • Hired candidates are introduced to the job and Organization through induction process. KEY WORDS/ABBREVIATIONS • Selection: is the process of choosing appropriate candidate from the obtained application to match the requirements of the job. • Recruitment: The process of searching the candidates for employment and motivating them to apply for jobs in the Organization. • Outsourcing: Transferring the selection process to a third party. • Poaching: Attracting experienced employees from competing firms. • E-Recruitment: Taking the help of internet and databases for recruitment process. • A Competence based Approach: It means that the competencies defined for a role are generally used as the framework for selection process. • Agency sites: These are run by special recruitment agencies. Candidates register online but may be expected to discuss their details in person before their details are forwarded to the employer. • Attracting Candidates: This is primarily a matter of identifying, evaluating and using the most appropriate sources of applicants. • Employee Leasing: Hiring permanent employees of another company who possess certain specialized skills on lease basis to meet short-term requirements- although not popular in India. LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. What are the important methods used in your organization for recruiting management trainees, managerial, and supervisory personnel? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………........................................... 2. Recall your first appointment to the present organization and write below which of theabove- mentioned sources of recruitment was used by the organization. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………. 58 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
UNIT END QUESTIONS (MCQ AND DESCRIPTIVE) A. Descriptive Types Questions 1. Identify and discuss the steps involved in the selection process of an incumbent 2. What is recruitment? List the most important merits and demerits of various sources of recruitment. 3. Distinguish between Recruitment and selection. 4. Discuss critically the various sources of recruitments. How can an organisation evaluate the worth of these sources? 5. For recruiting diverse workforce, what criteria do you suggest to adopt? 6. Outline the legal, economic, social and political considerations in recruitment. B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. The process of choosing the most suitable candidate for a job among the available applicants is called a. Selection b. Recruitment c. Human resource planning d. Job analysis 2. All of the following are sources of internal recruiting except: a. Transfers b. Promotions c. Advertisements d. job posting 3. To give an overview of the organization; To informs Organization Vision / Mission and Objectives statement, its structure and hierarchy; To give an overview of the HR policies and processes and introduction to the Facilities team, IT team and other relevant teams per the location of joining. Following are objectives of: Select the correct option: a. Induction b. Selection c. Recruitment d. Placement 4. To give an overview of the organization; To give an overview of the HR policies and processes and introduction to the Facilities team, IT team and other relevant teams per the location of joining. Following are objectives of: Select the correct option: 59 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
a. Induction b. Selection c. Recruitment d. Placement Answers: 1-a, 2-c, 3-a, 4-a REFERENCES • Duari, Pravin. (2010). Human Resource Management. New York: Pearson Education. • Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resource Management. Delhi: Prentice-Hall. • Flippo, Edwin B. (1966). Personnel/Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hills. • Haldar, U.K. And Sarkar. (2012). Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH. • Dessler, Gary (2000), Human Resource Management, (8th Ed). New Delhi: Pearson Education. • Henderson, R. (1994), Compensation Management and Rewarding Performance. New Jersey; Prentice Hall. • https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recruitment • http://www.michaelpage.com/content/203-human-resources-recruitment.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_resources • http://www.mavenworkforce.com/recruitment-process.aspx 60 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
UNIT –5 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Structure Learning Objectives Introduction Difference between Training and Development Training Process Training Methods Management Development Process Methods of Development. Summary Key Words/Abbreviations Learning Activity Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) References LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able to: • State the difference between training & development • Analyse the process of training and development function • Outline the methods of training and development function • Discuss management development process • Identify methods of development INTRODUCTION Every organization needs to have well trained and experienced people to perform the activities required to be undertaken. It is necessary to raise the skill levels and increase the versatilities and adaptability of employees to the requirements of an organization in the changing world. Inadequate job performance results in a decline in productivity of changes. Job redesigning or a technological break-through require some type of training and development effort. In a rapidly changing society, training and development is not only an activity that is desirable but also an activity that an organization must commit resources for maintaining a viable and knowledgeable workforce. All types of jobs require some sort of training for efficient performance. Therefore, all the employees, new and old, should be trained or retained. Every new employee regardless of his previous training and experience needs to be introduced to the work-environment of his new Job and taught how to perform specific tasks. Moreover, specific occasions for retraining arise when an employee is 61 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
transferred or promoted or when jobs change. Training is valuable to the new comer in terms of better job security and greater opportunity for advancement. A skill thus, acquired by the new entrant through training is an asset to the organization. Meaning: Training comes next to recruitment selection and placement. It normally relates to the job assigned and is in form of guidance/instructions of performing the job safely and efficiently. It is necessary and useful in the case of all categories of operative employees, supervisory staff and managers. Training raises their skills and creates confidence and ability to perform job efficiently. It also facilitates self-development and career development of employees. In fact, the main purpose of training is to develop the human resources within the organisation. Training is the watchword of present dynamic business world. Training is necessary due to technological changes rapidly taking place in the industrial field. New machines, new methods and new techniques are introduced in the production, marketing and other aspects of business. Training is a must for using new machines and new techniques in business management. Training is normally regarded as a short-term process which non-managerial/operative personnel acquire the technical knowledge and skills for efficient conduct of jobs assigned. It leads to efficient and skilled behaviour of employees. Such training is necessary for rising overall efficient of an organisation and also for achieving organisation objectives. Development focuses upon the activities that an organization employing the individual, or that the individual is part of, may partake in the future, and is almost impossible to evaluate. Typical roles in the field include executive and supervisory/management development, new- employee orientation, professional-skills training, technical/job training, customer-service training, sales-and-marketing training, and health-and-safety training. Job titles may include vice-president of organizational effectiveness, training manager or director, management development specialist, blended-learning designer, training-needs analyst, chief learning officer, and individual career-development advisor. Talent development is the process of changing an organization, its employees, its stakeholders, and groups of people within it, using planned and unplanned learning, in order to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage for the organization. Rothwell notes that the name may well be a term in search of a meaning, like so much in management, and suggests that it be thought of as selective attention paid to the top 10% of employees, either by potential or performance. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Development is a long-term educational process utilizing an organized and systematic procedure by which managerial personnel learns conceptual and theoretical knowledge for general purpose. 62 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
It covers not only those activities which improve job performance but also those activities which improve the personality of an employee. Management development refers to teaching managers and professionals to increase knowledge, skills, attitude, needed for both present and future jobs. Koontz and Weihrich said, “Management development is the process a person makes in learning how to manage effectively.” Dale Yoder said, “Management development is the process by which firms and agencies seek to develop managers.” Points Training Development 1. Definition Training is the process of teaching Management development refers to employees the basic skills they teaching managers and professionals to need to perform their jobs. increase knowledge, skills, attitude, needed for future jobs. 2. Present/Future Training is present-day oriented. Development is future day oriented. 3. Participant Training programs are arranged for Development programs are arranged for employees. executives. 4. Level It is the lower level learning It is a higher-level learning program. program. 5. Area Training is imbibed for enhancing Development is imbibed for enhancing much more skills and knowledge to specific skills and knowledge to the the employees. executives. 63 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
6. Change Skill level is changed through Behavior level is changed through Training. Development. 7. Focused Training is a narrower concept Development is a broader concept focused on job-related skills focused on personality development. 8. Aimed Training is aimed at improving job- The development aims at overall related efficiency and performance. personal effectiveness including job efficiencies. 9. Instruction Training refers only to instruction Development refers to the in technical and mechanical philosophical, theoretical and operations. educational concept. 10. Period Training courses are typically Development involves a broader designed for a short-term period. education for long term purposes. TRAINING PROCESS: Training programme needs to be prepared and as per the specific needs if the organisation. Secondly, training process/ programme needs to be implemented in an orderly manner, failing which the net result of training will not be positive/ effective. Training process is lengthy and time consuming. It starts with the identification of are actually verified though evaluation technique. The steps involved in the training process/programme are as noted in the chart given below: 1. Identifying Training Needs: Discovering/identifying the training needs of an organisation is the first step in the systematic training process/programme. All training activities should be related to the specific needs of the organisation and also of the individual employees. The training should start after careful assessment of the training needs, failing which training process will be misdirected and positive benefits will not be available. The effectiveness of a training process can judge only with the help of training needs identified in advance. For the identification of training needs, the gap between 64 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
the existing level knowledge, skills, performance and aptitudes of employees and the required levels of knowledge, skills, performance and aptitudes should clearly specified. The program areas that can be resolved through training process should also be clearly identified. Here, “the trouble spots” are to be noted where training may be needed. It should be noted that training is not cure-all technique. Training needs can be identified clearly through the following types of analysis: a) Organisation Analysis, b) Operations Analysis, and c) Manpower Analysis Organisation analysis relates to the determination of the organization’s goals, its resources and the allocation as they relate to the organizational goals. The analysis (detailed study) of the organizational goals established the framework within which training needs can be defined more clearly. The purpose of organizational analysis is to determine where training emphasis should be placed within the organization. The scope of organizational analysis is wide and includes: 1. Analysis of objectives, 2. Recourses utilization analysis, 3. Organization climate analysis, 4. Environmental scanning. Operations Analysis focuses attention on the task or job regardless of the employee doing the job. This type of analysis includes the determination with which the worker must perform the job and the specific worker behaviour required in order to identify job perform the job effectively. The jobs are also analysed in order to identify job contents, knowledge, skills, performance and aptitudes required and the work behaviour. As regards the job holder, particular attention should be paid to the tasks to be performed, the methods to be used and the performance standards required of employees. The purpose of operations analysis is to decide what should be taught to employees for promising results. Manpower analysis reviews the knowledge, attitudes and skills of the worker in each position and determines what knowledge, attitudes/skills he must acquire and what adjustments/alterations in his behaviour he must introduce if he is to contribute substantially to the attainment of organizational objectives. Thus, in this analysis, the employees to be trained and the changes required in the knowledge, skills and attitudes of an employee are determined for giving training. Training can be effective (relevant and viable) if the three types of analysis (noted above) are carried on continuously. In addition, the conclusions from this analysis should be integrated in a properly designed and executed training programme. 2. Setting Training Objectives and Policy: After deciding the training needs, the next logical step in the training process is to set training and development objectives in concrete terms. In fact, without clearly set objectives/goals, it is not possible to design a well-planned training programme which is to be executed and also evaluated for judging its effectiveness. Training objectives decided should be tangible, verified and 65 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
measurable. Some objectives (e.g. skills) are tangible while some others (e.g. behavioural objectives) are different to state precisely. The overall training objective is to fill in the gap between the existing and the desired pool of knowledge, skills and aptitudes. Defining training objectives in quantitative and qualitative terms is useful for designing, executing and also for evaluation of the training programme. Important objectives of training are as noted below: a) To impart basic knowledge and skills required for performing jobs efficiently in the case of new entrants. b) To assist employees to function more effectively in their present jobs by providing them the latest concepts, information and techniques and by developing skills which they need in their areas of work/activity. c) To build up a second line of capable, trustworthy and competent officers and make them ready to occupy more responsible positions as and when required. d) To broaden the minds of senior managers through exchange of views, information and experience (within and outside) so as to correct their narrow outlook developed due to over specialization. Such broadminded and matured managers give proper tone to the entire organisation and raise its productivity. 3. Designing Training Policy/Programme: After finalizing the objectives of training, the next step in the training process/programme is designing of training programme which acts as a base of actual training to employees. For achieving training objectives, an appropriate training is absolutely essential. This policy represents the commitment of top management to employee training and development. Training policy involves rules and procedure relating to training activity. Such policy indicates the following: a) Training policy indicates company’s honest intention to train and develop its employees. b) It guides the design and execution of training programmes. c) It identifies the critical areas where training is to be provided on priority basis for achieving the objectives. d) It provides appropriate opportunities to employees for their self-improvement and development. Designing training programme becomes easy, once training objectives and training policy are clearly decided. 4. Preparing the Learner: The learner is made to feel at home. He must not feel nervous at the training centre. Relevant introduction about the training is provided. Training is linked with his nature of job. In order to install confidence, the learner may be asked to say few words about what he already knows about the job. Presenting operations and knowledge: 66 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
The success of training programme largely depends on the trainer’s ability to tell, show, illustrate and question by practice across of new knowledge and operations. The trainee should be made familiar with the sequence of the entire job. The important components of the job should be explained one by one. Audio-visual aids can be profitably used to make the learning process easier for trainees. Questions should be encouraged from the trainees. This will indicate the level of understanding of the trainees. Oral or written tests can be conducted to determine success of training programme. The trainer is given free hand to find out whether the trainees have learned whatever has been imparted them. 5. Implementing/Executing the Training Programme: After designing the training programme, the same is to be implementing as per the details decided. This means actual imparting training to trainees. Programme implementing involves concrete action on the following points: a) Organizing training and other facilities and deciding the location of training wheretraining activity is to be arranged. b) Arranging the schedule oftraining programme which will make training effective and also offer convenience to participants and trainers. c) Conducting training programme as per the designed prepared. d) Monitoring the process of the training programme/process as well as the progress of trainees. Active participation of trainees in the training programme is a must. However, many managers are not willing to participate actively in the training programme. Suitable academic background is also necessary in the case in the case of trainees. 6. Follow-up and Evaluation of Training Process/Programme: This is the last step in the training process/programme. Here, the training programme is already complete and the trainees go back, to their departments or positions and start doing their work assigned. However, the management feels that training/development is a means not the end in itself. Training is essentially for achieving certain objectives. Management will like to know actual results/benefits of training. For this, follow-up of training in the form of evaluation of training is essential. Management spent huge money on training of employees and this expenditure should give positive return in terms of higher efficiency, productivity, high morale, cordial industrial relations and so on. For this, critical evaluation of training programme is essential. This indicates the effectiveness of training. TRAINING METHODS There are a number of methods through which the trainees are trained. The methods normally used for training of operative and supervisory personnel are classified into “on the job” and “off-the-job” training methods. A. On the Job Training Methods 67 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
The worker by these methods learns to master the operations involved, on the actual job situation, under the supervision of his immediate boss who undertakes the responsibility of conducting training. On-the-job training has the advantage of giving first-hand knowledge and experience under the actual working conditions. The emphasis is placed on rendering services in the most effective manner rather than learning how to perform the job. 1) On Specific Job: The most common or formal on-the-job training programme is training for a specific job. Current practice in job training was first designed to improve the job performance through job instruction. On-the-job training is conducted through: a) Experience: This is the oldest method of on-the-job training. But as an exclusive approach, it is wasteful, time consuming and inefficient. It has been observed that it should be followed by other training methods to make it more effective. On the-job problem-solving and colleague interactions were prompted as most important for professional growth. b) Coaching: On-the-job coaching by a superior is an important and potentially effective approach, if superior is properly trained and oriented. The supervisor provides feed-back to the trainee on his performance and offers him some suggestions for improvement. Often the trainee shares his thoughts, views and apprehensions about the duties and responsibilities with the boss and thus gets relief and relieves him of his burden. A limitation of this method of training is that the trainee may not have the freedom of opportunity to express his own ideas because the trainer happens to be his immediateboss. c) Understudy: The understudy method is considered a somewhat different approach from those described above, that a certain person is specifically designated as the heir-apparent. The understudy method makes the trainee an assistant to the current job holder. The trainee learns by experience, observation and imitation of the style of the person he asked to work with. The trainee is informed about the policies, methods, techniques etc. The advantage of this method is that training is conducted in a practical and realistic situation. 2) Position Rotation: The major objective of job rotation is the broadening of the background of trainee in the organisations. This type of training involves the movement of the trainee from one job to another. The trainee receives the job knowledge and gains experience from his supervisor or trainer in each of the different job assignments. This method gives an opportunity to the trainee to understand the operational dynamics of a variety of jobs. There are certain disadvantages of this method. The productive work can suffer because of the obvious disruption caused by such changes. Rotations become less useful as specialisation proceeds, for few people have the breadth of technical knowledge and skills to move from one functional area to another. 68 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
3) Special Projects: This is a very flexible training device. Such special project assignments grow ordinarily out of an individual analysis of weaknesses. The trainee may be asked to perform special assignment; thereby he learns the work procedure. Trainees not only acquire knowledge about the assignment activities, but also learn how to work with others. 4) Selective Readings: Individuals in the organisation can gather and advance their knowledge and background through selective reading. The readings may include professional journals and books. Various business organisations maintain libraries for their staff. Many executives become members of professional associations and they exchange their ideas with others. This is a good method of assimilating knowledge. However, some executives claim that it is very difficult to find time to do much reading other than absolutely required in the performance of their jobs. 5) Apprenticeship: Apprentice training can be traced back to medieval times when those intended of learning trade skill bound themselves to a master craftsman to learn by doing the work under his guidance. In earlier periods, apprenticeship was not restricted to ascertains, but was used in training for the professions including medicine, law, dentistry, teaching, etc. Today’s industrial organisations require large number of skilled craftsmen who can be trained by this system. Such training is either provided by the organisation or it is imparted by governmental agencies. Most states now have apprenticeship laws with supervised plans. Such training arrangements usually provide a mixed programme of classroom and job experience. 6) Vestibule Schools: Large organisations are frequently provided with what is described as vestibule schools, a preliminary to actual shop experience. As far as possible, shop conditions are duplicated, under the close watch of the instructors. Vestibule schools are widely used in training for clerical and office jobs as well as for factory production jobs. Such training is through shorter and less complex but is relatively expensive. However, the costs are justified if the volume of training is large and high- standard results are achieved. B. Off-the-job Training Methods In these methods, trainees have to leave their work-place and devote their entire time to the development objective. In these methods development of trainees is primarily and any usable work produced during training is secondary. Since the trainee is not instructed by job requirements, he can place his entire concentration on learning the job rather than spending his time in performing it. There is an opportunity for freedom of expression for the trainees. Off-the-job training methods are as follows: 69 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
1) Special Course and Lectures: Lecturing is the most traditional form of formal training method. Special courses and lecturers can be organised by organisations in numerous ways as part of their development programmes. First, there are courses which the organisations themselves establish to be taught by members of the organisations. Some organisations have regular instructors assigned to their training and development departments. A second approach to special courses and lecturers is for organisations to work with universities or institutes in establishing a course or series of courses to be taught by instructors of these institutions. A third approach is for the organisations to send personnel to programmes organised by the universities, institutes and other bodies. Such courses are organised for a short period ranging from 2-3 days to a few weeks. 2) Conferences: This is an old but still a favourite training method. In order to escape the limitations of straight lecturing many organisations have adopted guided-discussion type of conferences in their training programmes. In this method, the participants pool their ideas and experiences in attempting to arrive at improved methods of dealing with the problems, which are common subject of discussion. Conferences may include buzz sessions that divide conferences into small groups of four or five for intensive discussion. These small groups then report back to the whole conference with their conclusions or questions. 3) Case Studies: This technique, which has been developed and popularised by the Harvard Business School, USA is one of the most common forms of training. A case is written account of trained reporter or analyst seeking to describe an actual situation. Cases are widely used in a variety of programmes. This method increases the trainee’s power of observation, helping him to ask better questions and to look for a broader range of problems. A well-chosen case may promote objective discussion, but the lack of emotional involvement may make it difficult to effect any basic change in the behaviour and attitude of trainees. 4) Brainstorming: This is the method of stimulating trainees to creative thinking: this approach developed by Alex Osborn seeks to reduce inhibiting forces by providing for a maximum of group participation and a minimum of criticism. A problem is posed and ideas are sought. Quantity rather than quality is the primary objective. Ideas are encouraged and criticism of any idea is discouraged. Chain reaction from idea to idea is often developed. Later, these ideas are critically examined. There is no trainer in brainstorming. Brainstorming frankly favours divergence, and this fact may be sufficient to explain why brainstorming is so little used yet in developing 70 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
countries where new solutions ought to carry the highest premium. It is virtually untried even though its immediate use is limited to new ideas only, not change in behaviour. 5) Laboratory Training: Laboratory training adds to conventional training by providing situations, which the trainees themselves experience through their own interaction. In this way, they more or less experiment the conditions on themselves. Laboratory training is more concerned about changing individual behaviour and attitude. It is generally more successful in changing job performance than conventional training methods. There are two methods of laboratory training namely simulation and sensitivity training as explained under: a) Simulation: An increasingly popular technique of management development is simulation of performance. In this method, instead of taking participants into the field there can be simulated in the training session itself. Simulation is the presentation of real situation of organisations in the training session. It covers situations of varying complexities and roles for the participants. It creates a whole field organisation, relates participants through key roles in it, and asks them deal with specific situations of a kind they encounter in real life. There are two common simulation methods of training: role-playing is one and business game is the other. i) Role-playing: Role-playing is a laboratory method, which can be used rather easily as a supplement to conventional training methods. Its purpose is to increase the trainees’ skill in dealing with other people. One of its greatest uses is in connection with human relations training but it is also used in sales training as well. It is spontaneous acting of realistic situation involving two or more persons under classroom situations. Dialogue spontaneously grows out of the situation, as it is developed by the trainees as singed to it. Other trainees in the group serve as observers or critics. Since people take role every day, they are somewhat experienced in the art, and with a certain amount of imagination, they can project themselves into roles other than their own. By this method, a trainee can broaden his experience by trying different approaches. Role- playing also has weaknesses which partly offset its values. It is time consuming and expensive. It requires experienced trainers because it can easily turn sour without effective direction. Nevertheless, these weaknesses do not undermine the strengths of this method. ii) Gaming: Gaming has been devised to simulate the problems of running a company or even a particular department. It has been used for a variety of training objectives, from investment strategy, collective bargaining techniques, to the morale of clerical personnel. It has been used at all levels from the top executives to the production supervisors. Gaming is a laboratory method in 71 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
which role-playing exists but its difference is that it forces attention on administrative problems, while role-playing tends to emphasise mostly on interaction. Gaming involves several teams each of which is given a firm to operate for a specified period. Usually, the period is a short one, say one year or so. In each period, each team makes decisions on various matters such as fixation of price, level of production, inventory level, and so forth. Since each team is competing with others, each firm’s decisions will affect the results of all others. All the firm decisions are fed into a computer, which is programmed to behave somewhat like a real market. The computer provides the results and the winner is the team which has accumulated largest profit. In the light of such results, strengths and weaknesses of decisions are analysed. b) Sensitivity Training: It is the most controversial laboratory training method. Many of its advocates have an almost religious zeal in their enhancement with the training group experience. Some of its critics match this fervour in their attacks on the technique. As a result of criticism and experience, a somewhat revised approach, often described as “team development” training, has appeared. It was first used by National Training Laboratories at Bethal, USA. The training groups are called T-group. Sensitivity training is a small-group interaction under stress in an unstructured encounter group which requires people to become sensitive to one another’s feeling in order to develop reasonable group activity. T-Group has several characteristic features: (i) T-group is generally, small, from ten to twenty members; (ii) the group begins its activity with no formal agenda; (iii) the role of trainer is primarily to call attention from time to time to the on-going process within the group; and (iv) the procedure tends to develop introspection and self- examination, with emotional levels of involvement. The objectives of such training are concern for others, increased tolerance for individual differences, less ethnic prejudice, understanding of a group process, enhanced listening skills, increased trust and support. 6) Programmed Instruction: This method has become popular in recent years. The subject matter to be learned is presented in a series of carefully planned sequential units. These units are arranged from simple to more complex levels of instruction. The trainee goes through these units by answering questions or filling the blanks. This method is, thus, expensive and time-consuming. 7) E-learning: It allows trainees to improve their skills and knowledge at their own comfortable pace. The trainee participates actively and is able to upgrade skills in a timebound manner. Of course, e-training requires top management support, uninterrupted internet access, investments in establishing learning portals and is not suitable for imparting behavioural skills to trainees. 72 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
Technology barriers like bandwidth will restrict and hamper the effectiveness of e-learning. Learning effectiveness might never match the level of classroom for a long time. 8) Behaviourally Experienced Training: Some training programmes focus on emotional and behavioural learning. Here employees can learn about behaviour by role playing in which the role players attempt to act their part in respect of a case, as they would behave in a real-life situation. Business games, cases, incidents, group discussions and short assignments are also used in behaviourally-experienced learning methods. Sensitivity training or laboratory training is an example of a method used for emotional learning. The focus of experiential methods is on achieving, through group processes, a better understanding of oneself and others. MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Management development programme must be conducted effectively. In this process, many steps are to be taken by the management. The following inter-related steps are involved in MD process: Step 1. Organisational Planning: This step is concerned with ascertaining development needs that calls for organisational planning and forecast of its needs for present and future growth. This is generally based upon a comprehensive programme of job description, job specification and job analysis. The management should ascertain well in advance the future course of organisational development, the kind of executives needed and kind of education, experience, training, special knowledge, skill, personal traits, etc., required for each work. Most companies train their own executives except when they experience a critical shortage of specialised high-level talent. In the latter case, executives are hired from outside. Step 2. Assessment of Present Management Talent: It is made with a view to determine qualitatively the type of personnel that is available within an organisation itself. The performance of a management individual is compared with the standard expected of him. His personal traits are also analysed so that a value judgement may be made of his potential for advancement. Step 3. Preparation of Management Manpower Inventory: It is, prepared for the purpose of getting complete information about each management individual’s biodata and educational qualifications, the result of tests and performance appraisal. The information is generally maintained on cards, one for each individual. It may also be 73 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
maintained on replacement tables or charts. From these, it can be known that several capable executives are available for training for higher positions. Step 4. MD Programme Planning: It is undertaken to meet the needs of different individuals keeping in view the differences in their attitudes and behaviour and in their physical, intellectual and emotional qualities. The weak and strong points of an individual are known from his performance appraisal reports and on the basis of these tailor-made programmes are framed and launched. Such programmes give due attention to the interests and goals of the subordinates as well as the training and development opportunities which exist within an organisation. Step 5. Implementation of Development Programme: This job is done by the personnel department. A comprehensive and well-conceived programme is generally prepared containing concentrated brief courses. Such courses may be in the field of human relations, time and motion study, creative thinking, memory training, decision making, leadership courses and courses in profession and the time and the cost involved. Step 6. Evaluation of Development Programme: The evaluation of training has been defined by Hamblin as – “Any attempt to obtain information on the effects of training programme and to assess the value of training in the light of that information”. According to him, the objectives of evaluation training are – assessing the reactions of trainees, job behaviour, improvement in performance, contribution to organisational objectives, etc. The means of evaluating development programmes may include – observation ratings, surveys, interviews, etc. If these steps are followed meticulously, the objective of MD programme will be accomplished effectively. The managers and organisation both would be benefitted by management development programme. METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT There are mainly two types of techniques by which managers can acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes and make themselves competent managers. One is through formal training and the other is through on-the-job experiences. On-the-job training is of utmost importance as the real learning takes place only when the learner uses what he has learnt. The saying “An ounce of practice is worth tons of theory” is true whoever said it. But it should also be remembered that class-room training or pedagogical techniques have also got their own importance in gaining new knowledge, and learning new techniques, and broader concepts. 74 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
Learning is haphazard without background and, learning can never be called true learning if it is just theory without practice. When on-the-job training is properly balanced with the class-room training, the real learning takes place. The following are some of the important on-the-job and off-the-job techniques of management development. 1. On-the-Job Techniques: These are the most widely used techniques. No other technique may interest the trainee so much as these do since the location of the learner is not an artificial one as the classroom. The success of these techniques depends on the immediate supervisor and how good a teacher he is. On-the-job techniques are especially useful for certain groups like scientific and technical personnel. Though the costs of training initially appear to be low they may turn out to be high when wastages of all kinds are considered under this type of training. This method of learning in isolation may prove to be inadequate but in combination with the other techniques will be excellent. The important on-the-job training techniques are: I. Coaching, II. Job Rotation, III. Under Study, IV. Multiple Management. I. Coaching: In coaching the trainee is placed under a particular supervisor who acts as an instructor and teaches job knowledge and skills to the trainee. He tells him what he wants him to do, how it can be done and follows up while it is being done and corrects errors. “Coaching should be distinguished from counselling…. Counselling… involves a discussion between the boss and his subordinates of areas concerned with the man’s hopes, fears, emotions, and aspirations. It reaches into very personal and delicate matters. To be done correctly, counselling demands considerable background and ability on the part of the counsellor. If carried out poorly, it may do considerable damage.” The act of coaching can be done in several ways. The executive apart from asking them to do the routine work may ask them to tackle some complex problem by giving them chance to participate in decision-making. 75 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
One of the important limitations of this technique is that the individual cannot develop much beyond the limits of his own boss’s abilities. II. Job Rotation: The transferring of executives from job to job and from department to department in a systematic manner is called Job Rotation. When a manager is posted to a new job as part of such a programme, it is not merely an orientation assignment. He has to assume the full responsibility and perform all kinds of duties. The idea behind this is to give him the required diversified skills and a broader outlook, which are very important at the senior management levels. It is up to the management to provide a variety of job experiences for those who have the potential for higher ranks before they are promoted. Job rotation increases the interdepartmental cooperation and reduces the monotony of work. It makes the executives in general management and does not allow them to confine themselves to their specialised field only. III. Understudy: “An understudy is a person who is in training to assume at a future time, the full responsibility of the position currently held by his superior.” This method supplies the organisation a person with as much competence as the superior to fill his post which may fall vacant because of promotion, retirement or transfer. An understudy may be chosen by the department or its head. He will then teach what all his job involves and gives him a feel of what his job is. This under study also learns decision-making as his superior involves him in the discussion of daily operating problems as well as long-term problems. The leadership skills can also be taught by assigning him the task of supervising two or three people of the department. IV. Multiple Management: Multiple Management is a system in which permanent advisory committees of managers study problems of the company and make recommendations to higher management. It is also called Junior-board of executive’s system. These committees discuss the actual problems and different alternative solutions after which the decisions are taken. The technique of multiple management has certain advantages over the other techniques. They are: (i) Members have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge of various aspects of business. (ii) It helps to identify the members who have the skills and capabilities of an effective manager. 76 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
(iii) Members have the opportunity to participate in the group interaction and thereby gain the practical experience of group decision-making. (iv) It is relatively an inexpensive method; and (v) Considerable number of executives can be developed in a short span of time. On-the-Job Experience: Managers learn and acquire various skills and knowledge by doing the job assigned. This technique can be used along with other techniques of management development. 2. Off-The-Job Techniques: Because of the fact that on-the-job techniques have their own limitations, these off-the-job techniques are considered important to fill those gaps. The following are some of the important off-the-job techniques: (I) The case studies (II) Incident method (III) Role playing (IV) In basket method (V) Business game (VI) Sensitivity training (VII) Simulation (VIII) Grid training (IX) Conferences (X) Lectures (XI) Behaviour modelling (XII) Transactional Analysis (XIII) Structured Insight (XIV) Special Courses (XV) Special Meetings 77 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
(XVI) Special Readings, and (XVII) Specific Projects. (I) The Case Study: Case is a description of management problem/situation as viewed or presented to a decision-maker. Cases are prepared on the basis of actual business situations that happened in various organisations. The trainees are given cases for discussing and deciding upon the case. Then they are asked to identify the apparent and hidden problems for which they have to suggest solutions. The situation is generally described in a comprehensive manner and the trainee has to distinguish the significant facts from the insignificant, analyse the facts, identify the different alternative solutions, select and suggest the best. This whole exercise improves the participant’s decision- making skills by sharpening their analytical and judging abilities. Why Case Study? i. Enhances analytic, problem solving and critical thinking skills. ii. Participants can master complex knowledge, skills and attitude areas. iii. Active participation. iv. Encourage learning process- Questioning, interpreting. v. Enhances team problem skills and interaction skills. (II) Incident Method: This method was developed by Paul Pigours. It aims to develop the trainee in the areas of intellectual ability, practical judgment and social awareness. Incidents are prepared on the basis of actual situations which happened in different organisations. Each employee in the training group is asked to study the incident and to make short-term decisions in the role of a person who has to cope with the incident in the actual situation. Later, the group studies and discusses the incident and takes decisions relating to incident, based on the group interaction and decisions taken by each member. Thus, this method is similar to a combination of case method and in-basket method. (III) Role Playing: A problem situation is simulated by asking the participants to assume the role of particular person in the situation. The participant interacts with other participants assuming different roles. Mental set of the role is described but no dialogue is provided. 78 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
The whole play may be tape-recorded and the trainee may thus be given the opportunity to examine his or her own performance. Role playing gives the participants vicarious experiences which are of much use to understand people better. This method teaches human relations skills through actual practice. The exemplary role-playing situations are: a grievance discussion, employment interview, a sales presentation, etc. (IV) In-Basket Method: The trainees are first given background information about a simulated company, its products, key personnel, various memoranda, requests and all data pertaining to the firm. The trainee has to understand all this, make notes, delegate tasks and prepare memos within a specified amount of time. Abilities that this kind of exercise develops are: i. Situational judgment in being able to recall details, establishes priorities, interrelate items and determine need for more information. ii. Social sensitivity in exhibiting courtesy in written notes, scheduling meetings with personnel involved and explaining reasons for actions taken. iii. Willingness to make decision and take action. (V) Business Games: Under this method, the trainees are divided into groups or different teams. Each team has to discuss and arrive at decisions concerning such subjects as production, pricing, research expenditure, advertising, etc., assuming it to be the management of a simulated firm. The other teams assume themselves as competitors and react to the decision. This immediate feedback helps to know the relative performance of each team. The team’s co-operative decision promotes greater interaction among participants and gives them the experience in co-operative group processes. All this develops organisational ability, quickness of thinking, leadership qualities and the ability to adopt under stress. Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Games: Advantages: i. Provides efficient learning situation ii. Highest level of involvement of participants 79 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
iii. Enhance Decision-Making ability iv. Analyse situations logically v. Can be used for cross-functional areas also. Disadvantages: i. Improper handling may cause confusion ii. Some games lack validation iii. May be far from reality iv. Too costly v. Time consuming. (VI) Sensitivity Training: The main objective of sensitivity training is the “Development of awareness of and sensitivity of behavioural patterns of oneself and others.” This development results in the (i) increased openness with others, (ii) greater concern for others, (iii) increased tolerance for individual differences, (iv) less ethnic prejudice, (v) understanding of group processes, (vi) enhanced listening skills, (vii) increased trust and support. The role played by the trainee here is not a structured one as in role play. It is a laboratory situation where one gets a chance to know more about himself and the impact of his behaviour on others. It develops the managerial sensitivity, trust, and respect for others. One of the limitations of sensitivity training is that it exacts a huge emotional cost from the manager (VII) Simulation: Under this technique the situation is duplicated in such a way that it carries a closer resemblance to the actual job situation. The trainee experiences a feeling that he is actually encountering all those conditions. Then he is asked to assume a particular role in the circumstances and solve the problems by making a decision. He is immediately given a feedback of his performance. One of the limitations of this method is that it is very difficult to duplicate the situation to the extent of making the trainee feel the pressures and realities of actual decision-making on the job. The very fact that the trainee knows that it is an artificial situation prevents him from experiencing all that he experiences in real job situation. (VIII) Managerial Grid: 80 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
It is a six-phase programme lasting from three to five years. It starts with upgrading managerial skills, continues to group improvement; improves inter group relations, goes into corporate planning, develops implementation method and ends with an evaluation phase. The grid represents several possible leadership styles. Each style represents a different combination of two basic orientations – concern for people and concern for production. (IX) Conferences: A conference is a meeting of several people to discuss the subject of common interest. But contribution from members can be expected as each one builds upon ideas of other participants. This method is best suited when a problem has to be analysed and examined from different viewpoints. It helps the members develop their ability to modify their attitudes. Participants enjoy their method of learning as they get an opportunity to express their views. The success of the conference depends on the conference leader. In order to make the conference a success, the conference leader must be able to see that the discussion is thorough and concentrate on the central problem by encouraging all the participants to develop alternatives and present their viewpoints and by preventing domination by a few participants. (X) Lectures: It is the simplest of all techniques. This is the best technique to present and explains series of facts, concepts, and principles. The lecturer organises the material and gives it to a group of trainees in the form of talk. The main uses of lectures in executive development are: (i) It is direct and can be used for a larger group of trainees. (ii) It presents the overview and scope of the subject clearly. (iii) It presents the principles, concepts, policies and experiences in the shortest time. Thus, it is a time saving technique. The lectures do not give scope for student participation and may sometimes be boring which in turn hinders learning. Skills can be learnt only by doing and therefore lectures are of no use for technical skills. (XI) Behaviour Modelling: Behaviour modelling is an approach that demonstrates desired behaviour and provides trainees the chance to practice and role play/imitate those behaviours and receive feedback. This technique combines several training methods. This technique involves four basic components viz., 81 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
a. Learning points – Learning points, which are normally a sequence of behaviours, are to be identified and taught. b. Model – Participants view films/videotapes in which a model manager’s action is portrayed. (XII) Transactional Analysis: This is developed and popularized by Eric Berne through his book on “Games People Play” and Thomas Harris through his book on “I’m OK, You’re OK” respectively. Transactional analysis is the analysis of transactions between two or more persons. The major areas of transactional analysis can be explained through ego states, transactions and stroking. Ego is a hypothetical construct and is used to help explain the complex dynamics of the human personality. Transactional Analysis uses three ego states viz., Child (C) Ego; Adult (A) Ego and Parent (P) ego. A number of transactions take place between two or more individuals. They are classified as complementary, crossed and ulterior transactions. Crossed and ulterior transactions result in conflict whereas complementary transactions are desirable to improve inter-personal relations. (XIII) Structured Insight: Under structured insight, trainers collect data with regard to attitudes and values of trainees, and compare the data with the chosen model of behaviours. Then the trainers provide deviations between the chosen models and the trainee’s behaviour and enable the trainee to develop some insight into makeup and implications of their chosen modes of behaviours. This process develops the trainee to modify his/her behaviours in the lines of chosen model behaviours. (XIV) Special Courses: Various business schools, management institutes and consultancy organisations conduct special courses in management development. These organisations conduct generic and company-based customized special courses. Various companies depute their managers to these courses. Trainees learn and acquire special skills and knowledge in these special courses. (XV) Special Meetings: Companies, business schools and consultancy organisations organise special meetings in order to train managers and enable them to acquire specific skills and knowledge. (XVI) Special Readings: Managers are provided with special papers, books, reports and the like with a specific note. Managers read these specific notes from the books and papers and enrich their specific managerial knowledge. 82 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
(XVII) Specific Projects: Companies depute managers on a specific assignment in various projects. Managers while working in these projects learn multiple skills and knowledge under flexible and comprehensive environments. SUMMARY • The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. • It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of technology. • The principal objective of training and development division is to make sure the availability of a skilled and willing workforce to an organization. In addition to that, there are four other objectives: Individual, Organizational, Functional, and Societal. • Training is a planned programme designed to improve performance and to bring about measurable changes in knowledge, skills, attitude and social behaviour of employees. • The various types of training include: skills training, refresher training, cross functional training, team training, creativity training, diversity training, and literacy training. • Formal training methods include (i) on-the-job training covering job instruction training, coaching, mentoring, job rotation, apprenticeship training, committee assignments and (ii) off-the-job training includes lectures, conferences, simulation exercises and programmed instruction. • Training can be evaluated at five levels: reaction, learning, behaviour, organisation and results. Career planning is the process by which one selects career goals and the path to these goals. Career planning is not a sure bet, but without it, employees are seldom ready for the career opportunities that arise. • Training and development are a subsystem of an organization. It ensures that randomness is reduced and learning or behavioural change takes place in structured format. • Employees frequently develop a greater sense of self-worth, dignity and well-being as they become more valuable to the firm and to society. • Generally, they will receive a greater share of the material gains that result from their increased productivity. These factors give them a sense of satisfaction through the achievement of personal and company goals. KEY WORDS/ABBREVIATIONS • Learning: A process by which experience or practice results in a relatively permanent change in behavior, or potential behavior 83 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
• Professional competencies: The capability to perform the duties of one’s profession in general, or, to perform a particular professional task with skills of an acceptablequality. • Training: The acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. • Training Needs Assessment: A tool has to identify needs and gaps in the ability of employees in order to deliver desired results to an organization. The results suggest which training courses or activities could be provided to improve their skills and work productivity. The focus is on needs as opposed to desires. • Education: Knowledge attainment which develops or progresses, both as an inadvertent virtue and as part of deliberate policy is understood as education. Education is more than information sharing and imparting. It implies approximation to truth in the specific area of learning. LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. ‘Motivation is basic to good training’ Explain. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Critically evaluate the Indian system of training ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… UNIT END QUESTIONS (MCQ AND DESCRIPTIVE) A. Descriptive Types Questions 1. Identify and discuss the methods of training. 2. State and explain the process of training 3. You are training someone to use a new ERP software package in a medium-sized firm. What training method(s) would you use? Why? 4. What do you mean by 'training'? Distinguish between training and development with the help of some examples. 5. \"Training programmes are helpful to avoid personnel obsolescence\". Discuss. 6. Describe the pros and cons of management development methods. B. Multiple Choice Questions 84 1. Which of the following is not true about training? a. It is a short-duration exercise. b. It is technical in nature. c. It is primarily for managers and executives. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
d. It is concerned with specific job skills. 2. In which type of analysis are corporate goals and plans compared with the existing manpower inventory to determine the training needs? a. Organization analysis b. Operation analysis c. Individual analysis d. None of the above 3. Training need analysis takes place during which phase of the training process? a. deciding what to teach b. deciding how to maximize participant learning c. choosing appropriate instructional methods d. determining whether training programmes are effective 4. seeks to examine the goals of the organisation and the trends that are likely to affect these goals. a. Organisational Support b. Organisational analysis c. Person analysis d. Key skill abilities analysis 5. The training of employees while performing job is called a. on the job training b. off the job training c. job instruction training d. None of the above Answers: 1-c, 2-a, 3-a, 4-b, 5-a. REFERENCES • Duari, Pravin. (2010). Human Resource Management. New York: Pearson Education. • Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resource Management. Delhi: Prentice-Hall. • Flippo, Edwin B. (1966). Personnel/Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hills. 85 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
• Haldar, U.K. And Sarkar. (2012). Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH. • Aswathapa, K. (2008), Human Resource Management, 5th ed., Tata McGraw Hill. • Dipak Kumar Bhattacharyya, Human Resource Management, Excel Books. • Madhurima Lall and Sakina Qasim Zaidi, Human Resource Management, Excel Books. • Rao P.S. (2008), Essentials of Human Resource Management and Industrial.Relations, Text cases and Games, Himalaya Publication. • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training_and_development • http://www.businessballs.com/traindev.htm • http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_24_3_01.pdf 86 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
UNIT –6 CAREER PLANNING AND SUCCESSION PLANNING Structure Learning Objectives Introduction Features Objectives Career Planning Process Important Terminology used in Career Planning Limitations of Career Planning. Succession Planning Summary Key Words/Abbreviations Learning Activity Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) References LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able to: • State the features and objectives of career planning • Analyse the process of career planning • Describe important terminology used in career planning. • Discuss limitations of career planning. INTRODUCTION Career programs should not be concentrated on the career growth opportunities as the adequate high- level positions may not always be available in the organizations to provide upward mobility to employees. Thus, efforts put in the direction of career planning need to emphasize on those areas that lead to psychological success instead of vertical growth; that is promotion. A career is the work a person does in his entire life span. Another definition of a career is the sequence of jobs that an individual has held throughout his or her working life. “Career Planning” therefore embraces a person’s entire life—the spiritual, social, educational and vocational. It is the process by which one selects career goals and the path to these goals. 87 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
The career planning is made up of two words viz. career and planning. A career has been defined as a sequence of positions held by person during the course of a lifetime. It is viewed fundamentally as a relationship between one or more organizations and the individual. As per views of D.T. Hall, “a career consists of a change in values, attitudes and motivation that occur as a person grows older”. As Davis stated, “When people rely largely on luck, however, they seldom are prepared for the career opportunities that arise. Successful people identify their career goals, plan and then take action. For them luck occurs when opportunity meets preparation.” To some extent, a career is a carefully worked out plan for self-advancement and development. On the other hand, planning is a pre- determined course of action. According to Allen, “planning is a trap laid to capture the future”. It is a mental process involving fore sight, imagination, and sound judgement. It makes planner to think in a logical and systematic manner. It involves choice among various alternative courses of action. If there is one way of doing something, there is no need for planning. As per views of Koontz and O’Donnell, “planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who is to do it.” Therefore, it is the process of thinking before doing. There is always need for a new plan to be drawn on the basis of new demands and changes in the circumstances. Planning is based on a future forecast; therefore, it should be reasonable flexible. The career planning is a continuous process of developing human resources for achieving result. A further impetus to career planning is the need for organisation to make the best possible use of the most valuable employees in a time of rapid technological growth and change because it must be noted individual and organizational careers are not separate. Thus, it is responsibility of management to design the entire career of new recruits in higher skilled, supervisory and managerial position. At the same time, if an employee is not able to translate his career plan into action within the organisation, he may probably leave the organisation. FEATURES Features of Career Planning and Career Development: 1. It is an ongoing process. 2. It helps individuals develop skills required to fulfill different career roles. 3. It strengthens work-related activities in the organization. 4. It defines life, career, abilities, and interests of the employees. 5. It can also give professional directions, as they relate to career goals. 88 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
OBJECTIVES OF CAREER PLANNING: In past, the importance of employees was very low. The management use to exploit them as per their requirements. They were asked to work for longer working hours and were paid very less salary. The workers were helpless because they did not have the other option to earn their livelihood. With the development in education, technology, competition the situation has changed drastically. Now there a large number of trained and educated persons to work and job opportunities have also changed. If a person is not satisfied with one job then frequently, they are changing. Over and above the competition in the market has created very tough situation for the management to do the business. The demand of the products of the company that provides the products or services at lower price, better quality and better service to the customers is increasing. It is very difficult to meet the two ends at this crucial juncture. It is only possible with better performance and productivity of employees and machines. This work can be done by trained, experienced and motivated manpower. This only makes the difference in the market. The company with talented and motivated manpower is only bringing the products or services at lower price and before others because due to their higher productivity and performance the production or operation costs go down. The need for talented and satisfied workforce is strongly felt by the management. Career planning is now one of the most important elements of human resource management but still it is also among the most neglected and least developed in many companies. Management of the organizations is trying to do so by using different techniques. The objective is to make them satisfied, develop and retain them for longer period. One of the techniques used for this purpose is career planning. The objectives of career planning are following: (a) To attract, develop and retain the competent manpower in the organization. (b) To provide adequate development and promotional opportunities. (c) To develop the potential of employees for future assignments. (d) To utilize the manpower and other resources more effectively in the organization. (e) To provide proper job placement to employees. (f) To improve the level of job satisfaction of employees at workplace. (g) To reduce the labour problems and turnover to minimum level. (h) To improve motivation and morale of employees. (i) To enhance the level of commitment and attachment towards the organization. 89 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
(j) To create healthy working environment in the organization. (k) To improve performance, productivity, profitability and goodwill of the organization. These objectives can be fulfilled to a very good extent provided the management takes sincere interest in career planning and its implementation. This has proved successful in motivating and retaining high potential individuals whose future appears to lie within the organization. Having a clear idea of the rules of the development and promotion in career, they will be prepared to invest their efforts to meet the requirements of the company and move up in career ladder. There are examples in industry like Tata Group, IBM, HUL, etc., could be achieved these objectives to a very good extent the management had paid special interests on career planning in their companies. Further, it has created a very healthy working environment of mutual understanding, openness, trust, cooperation and team spirit. This is very helpful for better working and progress of the organization. The future of career planning seems to be very bright in these companies. That is why every employee is interested to join these companies if they get the chance in future. CAREER PLANNING PROCESS The career planning process involves the following steps: i. Identifying individual needs and aspirations: Most individuals do not have a clear-cut idea about their career aspirations, anchors and goals. The human resource professionals must, therefore, help an employee by providing as much information as possible showing what kind of work would suit the employee most, taking his skills, experience, and aptitude into account. Such assistance is extended through workshops/seminars while the employees are subjected to psychological testing, simulation exercises, etc. The basic purpose of such an exercise is to help an employee form a clear view about what he should do to build his career within the company. Workshops and seminars increase employee interest by showing the value of career planning. They help employees set career goals, identify career paths and uncover specific career development activities. These individual efforts may be supplemented by printed or taped information. To assist employees in a better way, organizations construct a data bank consisting of information on the career histories, skill evaluations and career preferences of its employees (known as skill or talent inventory). ii. Analysing career opportunities: Once career needs and aspirations of employees are known, the organization has to provide career paths for each position. Career paths show career progression possibilities clearly. They indicate the various positions that one could hold over a period of time, if one is able to perform well. Career paths change over time, of course, in tune with employee’s needs and organizational requirements. 90 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
While outlining career paths, the claims of experienced persons lacking professional degrees and that of young recruits with excellent degrees but without experience need to be balanced properly. iii. Aligning needs and opportunities: After employees have identified their needs and have realized the existence of career opportunities the remaining problem is one of alignment. This process consists of two steps: first, identify the potential of employees and then undertake career development programmers with a view to align employee needs and organizational opportunities. Through performance appraisal, the potential of employees can be assessed to some extent. Such an appraisal would help reveal employees who need further training, employees who can take up added responsibilities, etc. After identifying the potential of employee’s certain developmental techniques such as special assignments, planned position rotation, supervisory coaching, job enrichment, understudy programs can be undertaken to update employee knowledge and skills. iv. Action plans and periodic review: The matching process would uncover gaps. These need to be bridged through individual career development efforts and organization supported efforts from time to time. After initiating these steps, it is necessary to review the whole thing every now and then. This will help the employee know in which direction he is moving, what changes are likely to take place, what kind of skills are needed to face new and emerging organizational challenges. From an organizational standpoint also, it is necessary to find out how employees are doing, what are their goals and aspirations, whether the career paths are in tune with individual needs and serve the overall corporate objectives, etc IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGY USED IN CAREER PLANNING • Career: All jobs that are held during one’s working Life. • Career Development: It is a process of identifying career goals and establishing. The means of making them a reality. • Career Management: The Process of designing and implementing plans to enable the organization. To satisfy employees needs and allow individuals to achieve their goals. • Career Plateau: It is a position from which someone is unlikely to move to a higher level of work responsibility. • Career Progression: Making progress in one’s career through a series of right moves • Career Counselling: It is the process of helping individuals sort out career issues and make career decision. • Career Path: 91 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
It refers to the systematic and deliberate advancement made by an individual in his career in the entire work life. It indicates the way in which one’s career has progressed and is determined by various factors such as individual’s knowledge, skills, ability and the opportunities actually available. • Career Anchors: They are distinct patterns of self-perceived talents, attitude, motives and values that guide and stabilize a person’s career after several years of real-world experience and feedback. • Career Goals: Future positions one tries to reach as part of career. • Career cycle: The stages through which a person’s career evolves • Career cluster: It refers to the categorization of different occupations. Jobs of similar nature are usually brought together under a career cluster. LIMITATIONS OF CAREER PLANNING. 1. For small units where there are very few opportunities for the vertical growth of employees, it is not suitable. 2. In a developing country like India, environmental factors such as Government policy, public sector, growth of backward areas, laws of land etc. influence business and industry. Therefore, career plans for a period exceeding a decade may not be effective. 3. Career planning is not an effective technique for a large number of employees who work on the shop floor, particularly for illiterate and unskilled workers. 4. In family business houses in India, members of the family expect to progress faster in their career than their professional colleagues. This upsets the career planning process. 5. Systematic career planning might become difficult due to favoritism and nepotism in promotions, political intervention in appointments etc. 6. Career opportunities for certain categories reach the declining stage due to the influence of the technological or economic factors. SUCCESSION PLANNING Forecasting the availability of inside or outside candidates is particularly important in succession planning. In a nutshell, succession planning simply refers to the plans a company makes to fill its most important executive positions. In practice, however, the process often involves a fairly complicated series of steps. A more comprehensive definition of succession planning is that it is “the process of ensuring a suitable supply of successors for current and future senior or key jobs arising from business strategy, so that the careers of individuals can be planned and managed to optimise the organisation’s needs and the individuals’ aspirations.” Succession planning includes these activities: Analysis of the demand for managers and professionals by company level, function and skill. 92 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
Audit for existing executives and projection of likely future supply from internal and external sources. Planning of individual career paths based on objective estimates of future needs and drawing on reliable performance appraisals and assessments of potential. Career counselling undertaken in the context of a realistic understanding of the future needs of the firm, as well as those of the individuals. Accelerated promotions, targeted against the future needs of the business. Performance-related training and development to prepare individuals for future roles as well as current responsibilities. Planned strategic recruitment not only to fill short-term needs but also future needs. The actual activities by which openings are filled. Succession planning identifies high potential employees as possible replacements for key jobs, by encouraging hiring from within, succession planning helps employees develop careers, not just hold jobs. Succession planning is part of a long- term HR strategy that plans for future vacancies and changing work requirements. A sophisticated succession planning system is oriented at developing leaders at the levels of the organisation through ongoing training, education and development. Also, it involves proactive planning for future talent needs at all levels and implementing programmes designed to ensure that the right leaders are available for the right jobs in the right places and at the right times to meet organisational needs. The accelerating rate of change, both within the organisations and in the environment which they function has created an ever-increasing need for management succession programmes. Advances in information technology, changing management concepts and requirements have added new dimensions to succession planning. Professional management have to cope successfully with various changes affecting succession planning programmes, particularly in expanding organisations. The expectations, as well as managerial and personal philosophies of today’s younger managerial employees have changed. They expect to be able to mature and progress in a professional management atmosphere that will permit them to realise their full potential. Each organisation, therefore, must have a well-designed and understood system of management succession, with carefully spelt out principles and guidelines. Further, all levels of management must know each of the processes in succession planning and understand how they fit into the total organisational system. SUMMARY • Individual employee careers must be of concern to organisations and management in order that human resources may be developed to meet constantly changing environmental conditions. • A career is a sequence of separate but related work activities that provides continuity, order and meaning to a person's life. It is shaped by many factors, including heredity, culture, family, age level and actual experiences in one or more organisations. • Although career planning, manpower planning and succession planning are not synonymous, they are complementing and are interdependent for their effective working and 93 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
implementation. All the three are essential for the organisational growth and development, effective utilisation of available human resources, and optimum productivity. • Manpower planning provides and inventory of the skills and potential available within an organisation and the career plan provides a picture of the succession plan. From the features, objectives and important terminologies of career planning as explained in this Unit, it appears to be a good management technique for promoting organisational growth and development, and effective utilisation of human resources, thus increasing both managerial and labour productivity. • Career planning or the development process is not as simple as it may seem. It involves many measures to be taken, such as preparation development of personnel inventory, career paths or ladders and it also involves identification of fit and willing employees for career planning, the designing and implementing suitable training and developing programmes, career counselling, review and evaluation of career plans. • It also has its limitations as it may not suit small organisations and may have little utility and practicability for a large number of shop-floor workers, particularly for unskilled and semi- skilled workers. • In spite of these limitations and other economic, political and social constraints, as already discussed in this Unit, it is still considered useful for making human-management effective as it helps management in developing and fully utilising available managerial and supervisory talents. • Career development is a lifelong process of understanding your career preferences; identifying, obtaining and developing appropriate skills and training for that career and continually evaluating your career preferences and skills over your working life to find whether they continue to meet your needs and those of the organisation. • Succession planning though a neglected area in the pre-liberalisation period, is carried out in a systematic way in most professionally-managed companies in India now. • Succession planning focuses on creating and stocking pools of candidates with high leadership potential. Career development could occur at the individual or the organisational level. Individuals can push up their careers through performance, exposure, networking, leveraging, etc. KEY WORDS/ABBREVIATIONS • Career: All jobs that are held during one’s working Life. • Career Development: It is a process of identifying career goals and establishing. The means of making them a reality. • Career Management: The Process of designing and implementing plans to enablethe organization. To satisfy employees needs and allow individuals to achieve theirgoals. • Career Progression: Making progress in one’s career through a series of right moves 94 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
• Career Counselling: It is the process of helping individuals sort out career issues and make career decision. • Career Goals: Future positions one tries to reach as part of career. • Career cycle: The stages through which a person’s career evolves LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Draw a career path for trainees joining an organization after completing their graduation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Study and compare the career opportunities for upward mobility in any two companies. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… UNIT END QUESTIONS (MCQ AND DESCRIPTIVE) A. Descriptive Types Questions 1. What is a career? What are the objectives of a career planning? 2. What do you understand by career development programme? 3. Identify and discuss the limitations of career planning. 4. What type of information would you seek from the HR department to help you develop your individual career plan if you were just starting with a large multinational corporation? 5. Succession planning is emerging as an alternative approach in light of future business needs and challenges. Comment. 6. Is the concept of career planning and succession planning realistic in today’s rapidly changing environment? 7. Justify with reasons the trend toward increased emphasis on career development programmes. B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. In career planning of employees, the strong vocational interest inventory and Lindsay studyof values are tests used for a. Reality feedback b. Self-Assessment c. Spaced Assessment d. Massed Assessment 2. The feedback in career planning which focuses how ell employees fits in future 95 organizational plan is classified as CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
a. Reality Feedback b. Massed Feedback c. Spaced Feedback d. Tactile Feedback 3. The Series ofpositions that a person occupies throughout the career is classified as a. Organization planning b. Careers c. Career planning d. Learning plans 4. The type of career planning which prioritize the career of individual over the needs of organization is classified as a. Compression career planning b. Tactile career planning c. Individual centred career planning d. Organization centred career planning 5. The Self-assessment test in which employees were asked about preferences regarding occupation is called as a. Tactile interest inventory b. Swat test of career c. Strong Vocational interest inventory d. Lindzey study of values Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-b, 4-d, 5-c. REFERENCES • Duari, Pravin. (2010). Human Resource Management. New York: Pearson Education. • Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resource Management. Delhi: Prentice-Hall. • Flippo, Edwin B. (1966). Personnel/Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hills. • Haldar, U.K. And Sarkar. (2012). Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH. • Gupta, C.B., “Human Resource Management” (1997), Sultan Chand & Sons, New Delhi. • Jucius Micheal, J.: “Personnel Management”, (1995) • Richard Irwin. Micheal, V.P.: “Human Resource Management and HumanRelations” (1998), Himalaya Publishing house, New Delhi. 96 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)
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