In today’s fast changing environment, a vital factor of survival for any organization is its ability to maintain a competitive advantage. In order to accomplish this, organizations must develop its employees so that they are able to take responsibility for their production, to solve dilemmas, to work in groups, and to obtain skills that transfer across professions. Maintaining a competitive advantage begins with an extremely motivated and knowledgeable workforce to produce higher quality products at lower costs. To obtain the best result of improving skills and knowledge from training, both trainers and trainees need help from human resource development (HRD) professionals. HRD is a practice that combines training, organizational development, and career development efforts to encourage improvement of individual, group, and organizational performance. Its purpose is to enhance employee performance and productivity, which leads to employee and customer satisfaction and an increase in the profitability of the organization.
Organizations Depend on the Capability of Their Employees
An organization’s operation depends on the capability of its employees to think and perform. To assure success, organizations have been persistent in developing their employees, often referred to as human capital. The need to continuously develop human capital made human resource development one of the main focuses of research and investment by the corporate world in order to enhance competency and stay abreast of the rapid changes in the environment.
Developing Newly Hired Employees Can Be Challenging
Developing newly hired employees into human capital can be challenging because they are often of an unknown quality. It takes time to determine whether they will arrive to work on time, contribute their fair share, please customers, and learn to perform their jobs accurately and efficiently. Organizations choose new employees from the talent pool available and hope that they have selected a good employee.
People Come In Varying Degrees of Readiness to Perform a Job
It’s important for organizations to understand that people come in varying degrees of readiness to perform a job. Some join organizations with a great willingness and positive attitude, but have no skills or experience. Others have the skills and experience, but their attitudes toward their jobs need improvement.
Good Employees Must Be Developed
All organizations hope to hire people who have the right knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) to get the job done accurately and efficiently while appealing to customers. But good employees often do not walk through the door with that magic combination. Good employees must be developed by organizations that are willing to invest in their human capital by building their KSA. One very effective tool that is available to develop these KSA is on-the-job training (OJT). OJT is job-specific training that is planned by the HRD professional and conducted at the work site using the actual equipment, tools, and processes of a specific job or task.
Summary
All organizations need good employees – employees who know how to perform their jobs and perform them with a positive attitude. Good employees are developed by organizations that are willing to invest in enhancing their KSA through OJT.
By Shirley J. Caruso, M.A., Human Resource Development
I was not aware of how much thought and effort came into HRD until I read this article I know now that KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Attitude)and OJT (On-the Job Training) are vital to the success of a business.
Doing On-the-Job-Training ensures the employer that they are molding an employee who will probably stay with the company. Because the employee learn a skill and the knowledge of that position; at the same time they develope a postitve attitude toward the organization.
I believe employees should take the advantage from the provided job trainings. Having people know what is expected from them, makes the work environment much more pleasant.
It’s nice to know what those acronyms mean (KSA, OJT) I have seen them on job search sites and on employers websites. I have worked for companies who do not take the time to invest in human capital, and I have to say that I was not around there for long. When employers don’t care to invest in human capital, employees feel that they are not appreciated nor treated like intelligent human beings. Working for a company that takes the time and thought into OJT makes employees proud of what they do and keeps the attitude on the positive side.
This article explains why some businesses are successful and while many fail. Just because someone was hired from a pool of people doesn’t mean that they can hit the ground running. Every company has different ways of doing things and need to show the new employee’s how to do it their way. For example: Just because I was a lifeguard in a swimming pool and lake didn’t mean I knew how to be a lifeguard when I went to Myrtle Beach to life guard on the ocean. I had the skills, but needed to go through training so I could utilize the skills I had and be an asset to the crew. If it wasn’t for the on-the-job training once I was hired, I would have been lost and many lives would have been at stake.
On the job training can be very beneficial to retain and help employees develop the skills needed to improve their skills in current positions and also to be considered for promotions. Although this is the ideal vision, it is a bit challenging at times since people are set in their ways. If the importance of training is properly explained to employees I believe it is a great way to make them feel empowered because they will have the opportunity for personal and career growth.
I agree, companies should make their employees on all levels feel equally important. It helps to boost morale levels and if employees are happy then they will perform better.
This article expressed the huge challenge each company has when hiring new employees. Their hope is to find new employees who meet the requirement (KSA) as best as possible; however, every organization must be patient at that specifically time, without forgetting new hires not all the time are going to be great options in the beginning, but also they would obtain more knowledge of their duties with the experience that they could achieve with the time.
I like how this article points out, that when someone or a “good employee” is hired they usually do not posess all the skills that the job requires. That the company needs to invest in human capital with OJT, and promote employees to take responsibility of their productivity. Also, I liked how this article pointed out that both trainees and trainers need help from HRD professionals. It’s unique how much HRD impacts the development of an employee from the beginning until the end.
I think companies that provide KSA and OJT are good companies to work for and it would be great if all companies would provided the same training.
This article is SO perfect! Working in the beauty service industry, we see high turnover. A lot of this is because of the KSA trifecta. They may have the knowledge and skills, but may lack the attitude. We then train them on their attitudes so that we have the best employees possible. Again, AWESOME article!
This is a wonderful article that sums up my personal beliefs in how an organization should run their establishment. I am thrilled to have worked with the U.S. Army that sustained this same structure for HR. It is essential for an organization to invest KSA through OJT because in the long run both benefit from one another.
It’s important for organizations to understand that people come in varying degrees of readiness to perform a job. Some join organizations with a great willingness and positive attitude, but have no skills or experience. Others have the skills and experience, but their attitudes toward their jobs need improvement.
I really liked this statement because everyone person that comes in to apply for a job or is being hired many differ in skill level. I always believe in giving anyone a chance that is qualified, because a person that is overly qualified with experience may not be dedicated to the their job as much as a person who has no experience but is willing to be dedicated and learn their job.
I really enjoyed this article especially since i have recently been a new hire. It’s only been 2 months and it is interesting for me to see some things that my organization did that this article mentions but they also have left some thingns out. this article is very helpful and is filled with a lot of good tips for both employers and employees.
I enjoyed reading this article. I think that companies should definitely invest the time in training their employees and if they do a good job they will have a positive outcome.