TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Training philosophy

A training policy is usually preceded by a training philosophy.

A philosophy is a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behavior.

The training philosophy of an organization is therefore the belief that an organization has about
training. It expresses the degree of importance that an organization attaches to training.

Types of Training Philosophies

There are three philosophies that may be adopted by organizations

a) Laissez faire philosophy

b) Lip service philosophy

c) Positive philosophy

a) Laissez faire philosophy

This is a don’t-care approach or attitude towards training. They organization doesn’t put much
meaning to training believing that employees will find out for themselves what they need and what
to do for themselves, on their own. These organizations survive through poaching of employees
from other organizations when they have skills shortage.

b) Lip service philosophy

This is a 50-50 attitude to training. It’s neither wholly positive nor negative. Organization may talk
so much about training without doing it. It may indiscriminately allocate money for training in the
good times, but in bad times the training budget may be trimmed or not provided at all.

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c) Positive philosophy

This is where the organization absolutely believes in training. These organizations persuade
themselves that training is an investment that will pay off sooner or later. The organization believes
that the tangible and the intangible benefits of training overly surpass the costs

The organization’s training philosophy will inform the training policy of the organization, since the
organization cannot provide for what it does not believe in. An organization with a very positive
training philosophy will have a comprehensive and elaborate training policy.

Examples of training philosophies

 The organization is committed to providing for a budget for facilitating Learning and
Development of it’s employees .

 Training should always be performance related

 Everyone in the organization will be supported by the organization to acquire relevant Learning
and Training.

Characteristics of a good training philosophy

A good philosophy should emphasize the following

i) A strategic approach to training. Training must be approached strategically so as to fulfil not

just the current needs but also the future Human Resource needs for example in succession
planning. Additionally Training and Development should be an integral part of the management
process just like other functional areas of production, marketing et cetera.

ii) Relevance of training That organizations should not train for the sake of training. Managers
should commit themselves to areas where the benefit in terms of improved performance in key
activity areas have been spelt out clearly. Training must be relevant in that it is preceded by
identification of appropriate training needs.

iii) Problem based That training should be problem based in the sense that it is planned to fill the
gaps between what people do and what they need to do now and in the future.

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iv) Action oriented That training exists to make things happen, to get people into action and to
ensure that they can do things better than before or they can do things that they were not able to do
before

v) Performance related. That training must be performance relate performance and aligned to the
competence requirements of various jobs in the organization vi) Continuous development Training
should not be regarded as simply the provision of short isolated courses at various points in a
person’s career but it should be a continuous process.

vii) Training policies A good philosophy must be backed up by formal training policies which
provide guidelines on the amount of training that should be given to the employees, and also show
the commitment of the management towards Learning and development for employees

Training policy

Definition

A training policy is a guideline for decision making and action taking on pertinent matters
pertaining to training.

An Employee Training Policy provides a framework for employees to expand their knowledge and
learn new skills in a competitive environment. It should also aim to develop employees to perform
better in their current roles and then progress to their next positions.

Objectives / Aims of Training Policy

 To show the commitment of the organization and its managers towards training and developing
its employees. It helps to clarify the position and intentions of the organization This may be by
explicitly stating the intentions of the organization for example the percentage of turnover that will
be reserved for training and development

 To provide an operational guideline for managers for making training decisions, the amount of
training to be provided and the amount of resources to be committed for training

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 To provide pertinent information to employees concerning training in this organization.
Employees get information on the available opportunities for training, the funding of the training,
criteria to qualify for certain programs and anything more they need to know about training

 To aid in budgeting, some organizations allocate a definite budget for training and development
which aids in the over- all budgeting process

 To link training to organizational objectives. The policy will align the kind of training to be done
to the over- all objectives of the organization, for example by emphasizing on the aims of training

To harmonize training activities across the departments so as to avoid discontentment among

employees since it ensures fair play by providing guidelines for appropriate implementation and use
of resources

 To enhance public relations, for example by reassuring the customers and the clients about the
quality of good and services provided by well trained employees. The company can also be viewed
positively by the publics for having management development programs in their therefore caring for
the needs of the youth.

 In alignment to other organizational policies, since the organization has policies in other areas, it
becomes necessary to have a guideline on training.

 To give training a sense of direction, to serve as a blue print for all training plans and programs

 To give guidelines for employee career planning. The policy will show the learning and
development required for career progression

The Importance of Having a Training Policy

Aligning employee skills with business objectives
A training policy ensures employees have the knowledge, skills, and competencies to meet the
organization's strategic goals. By identifying the skills needed to achieve these goals, the organization
can create targeted training programs that address these areas of need. This alignment
between employee skills and business objectives can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the
organization, leading to better performance and increased profits.

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Improving employee retention
The importance of training policy is that employees are more likely to remain with an organization if
they feel valued and have opportunities for personal and professional growth. A training policy can
provide such opportunities, as employees can develop new skills and advance their careers within
the organization. This can increase employee satisfaction and retention, reducing the costs associated
with turnover and recruitment.

Enhancing employee engagement

The importance of training policy is in improving employee engagement by providing opportunities
for employees to learn new skills, take on new challenges, and contribute to the organization's
success. This can create a sense of employee ownership and commitment, leading to increased
productivity and better performance.

Improving organizational performance

A training policy can improve organizational performance by enhancing the skills and knowledge of
employees. This can increase productivity, better quality products and services, and higher customer
satisfaction. In addition, well-trained employees are more likely to take ownership of their work and
contribute to the organization.

Mitigating risk
The importance of training policy lies in helping the organization mitigate risk by ensuring that
employees are trained on important safety procedures, compliance requirements, and other areas
of risk management. By providing employees with the necessary knowledge and skills, an
organization can reduce the likelihood of accidents, legal issues, and other problems arising from a
lack of training.

Enhancing organizational culture

The importance of training policy is that it helps the organization develop a culture of continuous
learning, where employees are encouraged to seek out new knowledge and skills and are rewarded
for their efforts. This can create a positive and dynamic work environment where employees feel
valued and supported and are motivated to perform at their best.

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Adapting to change
Training policy is important because it enables the organization to adapt to changing business
environments by providing employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate new
technologies, processes, and market trends. By investing in training programs, an organization can
stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive.
Ensuring compliance
A training policy can help an organization ensure compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements by providing employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to adhere to these
standards. This can reduce the risk of legal and financial penalties and protect the organization's
reputation.
Promoting diversity and inclusion

A training policy can promote diversity and inclusion by providing employees with training on topics
such as unconscious bias, cultural awareness, and inclusivity. This can help create a more diverse and
welcoming work environment where all employees feel valued and respected.

Enhancing leadership skills

The importance of training policy is its ability to provide leadership development programs to help
managers and supervisors develop the skills necessary to lead and motivate their teams effectively.
This can improve employee engagement and retention, as well as organizational performance.

Fostering innovation
The training policy's importance is in encouraging innovation by providing employees with training
on new technologies and processes, as well as opportunities to develop and test new ideas. This can
lead to new products, services, and processes that improve organizational performance and
competitiveness.

Components / Elements / Contents of a Training Policy

 Management’s commitment to Training and Development - declaration of what the

organization intends to do

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 Definition of training – clarification of what is covered and what is not covered.

 Objectives of training in the organization – expresses in practical and realistic terms.

 Responsibility for training – who is the overall in-charge, and at departmental / operational
level.

 The Training strategy, to be adopted by the organization

 Participants / Selection criteria – who attends what training?

 Obligation of trainees- The policy should outline the obligations of trainees, before, during
and after the training

 Trainers responsibility – The policy will outline the selection criteria for trainers whether
internal, external or a combination of the two

 Methods of training – methods and approaches to be used when delivering training.

 Funding of training –The training policy should provide guidelines for the budgetary
allocation for training and the available financing methods.

 Training and Promotion or other rewards – should draw the relationship between training
programs and promotion and other aspects of an individual’s career.

 Monitoring, Reviewing and evaluation of training activities- feedback to help to determine

achievement of intended objectives

 Bonding of trainees - obliged to work for the organization for a certain duration of time.

 Leave - This could be Paid or unpaid study leave, and for how long, and would it be part of
the annual leave or it is a special kind of leave

 Appeal clause – Procedure for addressing training grievances. ,

 Training Needs Analysis – to address the process of identifying training gaps, the methods to

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Headings of a training policy

Depending on the size of the organisation and its structure and function, the resulting policy can be
either a short or long document.

However, at a minimum it should contain the following headings and associated details.

Executive summary — a concise summary of the training and development policy, mainly
intended for those who wish to apprise themselves of the main points contained therein

Introduction — to provide an overview of the training and development policy and the reasons for
its existence, including a statement of the organisation’s attitude to training and development

Organisational aims and objectives — statements (ie aims) of what the organisation needs to
achieve over a specified period of time and how (ie objectives) the aims will be achieved through
training and development provision

Satisfying training and development requirements — what is required to satisfy training and
development requirements in the broad term, including all those who will be involved, eg the
T&D/L&D department, line managers, external providers and providers of qualifications

Training and development procedure — a brief description of the key components of the
training and development procedure (see ―Procedure wording‖ below)

Identifying training and development needs — a description of the process, procedures, and
standards required for identifying training and development needs, including the use of any
appraisal/performance review systems. Training and development needs will need to be prioritised
in relation to organisational priorities, and initiatives and needs. Therefore, special training initiatives
should reflect larger-picture issues, problems or initiatives which face the organization

Designing training provision — a description of the process, procedures, and standards required
for designing training provision. This should also include a list of the various formal means of
training and development delivery available to the organisation, such as face-to-face, online and
action learning

Developing training provision — a description of the process, procedures, and standards required
for developing training provision
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Assessment policy — this will set out how employees will be assessed as a result of training and
development provision. Reference will also need to be made to any vocational competencies and
qualifications which are required for employees to undertake their job roles

Evaluation policy — this will set out how training and development provision will be evaluated in
order to provide information that ―stakeholders‖ need with regard to how provision has helped to
meet the organisation’s aims and objectives. Most leaders of organisations expect that training and
development provision to be evaluated to ensure that they are delivering results, specifically with
regard to expenditure related to key organisational initiatives, or those that require significant
investment. While some leaders are satisfied with less rigorous analyses of training performance
(such as employee satisfaction), others will require proof of learning transfer or performance
improvement

Development of individuals — this will set out how development opportunities will be provided,
based on identified needs

Individual requests for training and development — this will detail how employees can request
training and development at any time

Induction training — this will set out what is provided to all new employees and for those who are
changing their job role

Training and development support — this will describe the use of coaching and/or mentoring in
order to provide appropriate levels of training and development support

Training and development providers — this will set out who will be responsible for training and
development provision (ie internal and external providers) and the criteria by which they will be
selected and appraised

Training and development administration — this will provide details with regard to the means
by which training and development provision will be administered. This will address the means by
which training and development provision is allocated, booked, monitored, and recorded. Almost all
organisations expect basic reporting as a by-product of training and development provision. When
training is required for compliance, certification or licensing, the expectations for accurate reporting
are extremely high because detailed reporting is usually required by law. Without training statistics,

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preparation of organisational plans and budgets cannot be completed. The reporting of learning
outcomes and impact is required by some, if not all, organisations be used, the roles of different
parties and the frequency of the exercise

Training Policy formulation steps

i. Identify need to draft or revise a policy

ii. Identify who will take lead responsibility

iii. Gathering information

iv. Draft policy

v. Consult with appropriate stakeholders

vi. Produce a final copy of the Policy

vii. Finalize with approval of policy

viii. Determine whether procedures are required

ix. Implementing the policy

x. Monitoring, Evaluation and Review

The process of training and development

An essential part of any training and development policy is a description of the process of how
training and development will be provided.

Accepted best practice suggests that the following procedure for provision should be adopted,
which should be regarded as a circular series of steps, ie when the last stage has been completed, the
first step comes back into the frame.

1) Defining the needs and objectives of the organization (this must be the starting point for all
training and development programmes).

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2) Establishing performance competences (what is it that employees are required to be able to
do in the workplace?).
3) Conducting a needs analysis in order to ascertain if there are any training and development
needs and, as a result, what the learning needs are of: employees in relation to the
organization; a group of job holders; and, individuals in relation to the business objectives of
the organization
4) Defining learning objectives (what is it that employees will need to be able to do at the end
of a training or development programme?) in order to achieve the desired performance
competences/competencies and to fill any performance gaps.
5) Identifying the body of content (what do employees need to learn in the way of new
knowledge and skills and/or to do by changes in behaviour?).
6) Devising a training or development strategy (how, when, and where are employees to learn
the knowledge, skills and behaviours they require? This will result in the selection of suitable
methods by which the training or development should be delivered).
7) Selecting or designing and developing the training or development programme in accordance
with the instructional strategy (selecting an already existing programme or designing and
developing all the materials and training/developing the human resources required for
delivering the programme).
8) Developing or checking the assessment tools for the training or development programme
(how will employees be assessed on their achievement of the objectives?)
9) Delivering the training or development programme to all those who require it.
10) Evaluating the effectiveness of the training or development programme (determining how
effective the programme has been, and linking this where possible to the transfer of learning
into the workplace).

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