VIII. Training Evaluation
Evaluation of training compares the post-training results to the pre-training objectives of
A. Measuring Training
Cost-benefit analysis and return-on-investment (ROI) analysis are commonly used to
measure training results, as are various benchmarking approaches. Training results can
Training is often expected to produce an ROI. Still, too often, training is justified
because someone liked it, rather than on the basis of resource accountability. ROI
In addition to evaluating training internally, some organizations use benchmark
measures to compare it with training done in other organizations. To do benchmarking,
HR professionals gather data on training in their organization and compare them with
data on training at other organizations in the same industry and in companies of a
IX. Talent Management and Development
Talent management is the process of identifying the most important jobs in a
Companies can reduce risks and increase the rewards of talent management by adopting
an approach that relies on:
The development of current employees and hiring outside talent
The creation of talent pools and training for broad competencies in employees
Establishing a balance between employees’ and companies’ ownership of career
A. Scope of Talent Management
As talent management has evolved, a variety of tools and approaches have also
Target Jobs
The first issue is to identify the types of jobs that will be the focus of talent
management efforts. In some organizations, talent management focuses on the CEO
and other executive jobs, rather than focusing more broadly. Other organizations
High-Potential Individuals
Some organizations focus talent management efforts primarily on “high-potential”
individuals, often referred to as high-pos. Attracting, retaining, and developing high-
Competency Models
Competency models show knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for various jobs.
Competency models help to identify existing talent and gaps in needed talent. Some
companies maintain libraries of competency models. These libraries create a clear
path for talent planning. Competency models might be created for executives,
managers, supervisors, salespeople, technical professionals, and others key jobs.
Assessment most often involves tests of one sort or another. Tests for IQ, personality,
aptitude, and other factors can be used. A portfolio of tests and other assessments to
help predict a person’s potential for a job is called an “assessment center”.
Development Risk Sharing
In developing talent, the employer always runs the risk in developing talent that an
employee who has been developed will choose to leave with the valuable skills
gained. A way to reduce this risk is to have promising employees volunteer for
development on their own time. Executive MBA programs that can be attended on
X. Succession Planning
The basis for dealing successfully with staffing changes such as retirements, transfers,
promotions, and turnover is succession planning. Succession planning encourages an
All the work involved in the succession planning process should result in two products:
Potential emergency replacements for critical positions
The development necessary should be made clear to the people involved, along with a plan
for achieving the development. Often HR has the primary responsibility for succession
performs the following actions:
Functioning as an objective voice and increasing effectiveness of the program
Interpreting data collected about employees who might fill future positions
A. “Make-or-Buy” Talent?
Employers face a “make-or-buy” choice—develop (“make”) competitive human
resources, or hire (“buy”) individuals who are already developed from somewhere else.
Buy talent:
(+) Company can tap into new knowledge/perspectives
(-) Risk associated with hiring unproven employees
Make talent:
(+) Companies can provide employees required competencies and advancement
(+) Highly cost effective
(+)Employees already known
B. Common Succession Planning Mistakes
Focusing only on CEO and top management succession is one of the most common
mistakes made. Other mistakes include the following:
Starting too late, when openings are already occurring
Allowing the CEO to direct the planning and make all succession decisions
XI. Careers and Career Planning
A career is the series of work-related positions a person occupies throughout life. People
pursue careers to satisfy their individual needs. Careers are an important part of talent
management, but individuals and organizations view careers in distinctly different ways.
Changes in employer approaches to planning for replacement managers based
upon a less predictable business environment have put much of the
A. Organization-Centered Career Planning
Career planning for the organization focuses on identifying career paths that provide for
To communicate with employees about opportunities and help with planning, employers
frequently use career workshops, a career “center,” newsletter, and career counseling.
B. Individual-Centered Career Planning
Organizational changes have altered career plans for many people. Individuals have had
to face “career transitions”—in other words they have had to find new jobs. These
For individuals to successfully manage their own careers, they should be able to
perform several activities. Three key ones are as follows:
Self-assessment—individuals need to think about what interests them, what they
Feedback on reality—employees need feedback on how well they are doing, how
Setting of career goals—deciding on a desired path, setting some timetables, and
C. Organizational Entry and Exit
“Entry shock” is especially difficult for younger new hires who find the work world
very different from the world of school. Entry shock includes the following concerns:
Supervisors—the boss–employee relationship is different from the student–
Feedback—in school, feedback is frequent and measurable, but that is not true of
Time—school has short (quarter/semester) time cycles, whereas time horizons are
The work—problems are more tightly defined at school; at work, the logistical
The process of retirement can be seen in many ways. For instance, retirement represents
a decision-making situation whereby an individual makes a choice to leave the
Some areas of adjustment faced by many retirees include self-direction, a need to
belong, satisfying achievement needs, finding personal space, and setting meaningful
XII. Developing Human Resources
Development represents efforts to improve employees’ abilities to handle
a variety of assignments and to cultivate employees’ capabilities
beyond those required by the current job. Development differs from
training. It is possible to train people to answer customer service
XIII. Human Resources Development Approaches
Investing in human intellectual capital can occur on or off the job and in
“learning organizations.” Development becomes imperative as
“knowledge work,” such as research skills and specialized technology
A. Job-Site Development Approaches
To ensure that the desired development actually occurs, managers must plan and
coordinate their development efforts. Managers can choose from various job-site
Coaching
The oldest on-the-job development technique is coaching, which is observation and
One type of coaching that is growing is team coaching. This approach focuses on
Committee Assignments
Assigning promising employees to important committees may broaden their
Job Rotation
The process of moving a person from job to job is called job rotation. It is widely
used as a development technique. When properly handled, such job rotation fosters a
B. Off-Site Development Approaches
Off-the-job development techniques give individuals opportunities to get away from
their jobs and concentrate solely on what is to be learned. Contact with others who are
Classroom Courses and Seminars
Most off-the-job development programs include some classroom instruction. People
are familiar with classroom training, which gives it the advantage of being widely
Sabbaticals
A sabbatical is an opportunity provided by some companies for employees to take
time off the job to develop and rejuvenate, as well as to participate in activities that
C. Learning Organizations and Development
As talent management becomes more important, employers may attempt to become
learning organizations. Learning organizations do their best to teach employees how to
be effective through formal learning processes such as seminars, job experiences, and
Knowledge-based organizations that deal primarily with ideas and information must
have employees who are experts at one or more conceptual tasks. These employees
XIV. Management Development
Although development is important for all employees, it is essential for managers. Without
appropriate development, managers may lack the capabilities to best deploy and
Not all companies take the time to develop their own senior-level managers. Instead, senior
managers and executives often are hired from the outside. Figure 5-5 shows experience-
Numerous approaches are used to mold and enhance the experiences that managers need to
be effective. The most widely used methods are supervisor development, leadership
development, management modeling, management coaching, management mentoring, and
The usual materials for supervisor training and development include several topics,
Human relations training attempts to prepare supervisors to deal with “people problems”
The most common reason employees fail after being promoted to management is poor
teamwork with subordinates and peers. Other common reasons for management failure
Managers learn by behavior modeling, or copying someone else’s behavior. A great deal
of human behavior is learned by modeling. Management development efforts can take
advantage of natural human behavior by matching young or developing managers with
A method called management mentoring is a relationship in which experienced managers
aid individuals in the earlier stages of their careers. Such a relationship provides an
environment for conveying technical, interpersonal, and organizational skills from a more-
A. Problems with Management Development Efforts
Many of the management development problems in firms have resulted from inadequate
HR planning and a lack of coordination of HR development efforts. Common problems
include the following:
Failing to conduct adequate needs analysis
Substituting training for selecting already qualified individuals
Another common management problem is encapsulated development, which occurs
when an individual learns new methods and ideas, but returns to a work unit that is still
bound by old attitudes and methods. The development was “encapsulated” in the