Professional Training Leads to Business Innovation

Introduction

Globalization has led to increased competition in the market. Organizations have realized the significance of employees as valuable assets that can lead to the realization of business success. Human resources managers have, therefore, adopted training that leads to innovativeness. Training is believed to have an impact on the level of innovativeness to the human resources at a different level of the organization. This essay will discuss different roles of training that lead to innovativeness in business. It will also discuss how professionals approach and deliver training and development programs. Two examples of Australian organizations that have engaged in training for innovativeness will be given.

How training professional have a leading role in innovation and change

Innovation in this essay will refer to the inventions in business that lead to increased value in that particular business, as stipulated by Legrand & Weiss (2011, p.1). They insist that innovation is the adoption of ideas that bring value. Khera (2010, p. 81) notes that training professionals give the organization the advantage of recovering from financial hardships faster than if the employees had no training.

Training is enabling, as Budhwar and Debrah (2001, p. 530) identify. Employees are able to utilize the available resources to achieve their organizational and personal goals. Consequently, employees gain growth and become more innovative as they incorporate their experiences with the training. Employees also learn new behaviors that are necessary for innovativeness.

Paauwe and Boselie (2003, p. 68) argue that training impacts the skills of the employees at every level of the organization’s structure. The employees increase knowledge in relevant fields and help them make informed decisions within the shortest time possible. Due to training, employees maximize the available resources and utilize them effectively, hence revenues increase. What is more, is that the quality of work improves when the employees gain skills. Training minimizes errors, mistakes, or accidents during work.

Most often, training encourages teamwork and is therefore a platform for inculcating a team spirit. Moreover, the organization’s culture is learned during training. Positive perceptions about the organization are made during training, hence they become confident and innovative. This is important so that the employees’ personal goals rhyme with those of the organization (Boselie et al 2001, p. 1108). Den and Verburg (2004, p. 55) mention that one of the most effective ways of motivating employees is training. Training that leads to rewards like promotion is effective as employees are keen to pay attention to such opportunities. Training, therefore, leads to better decision making and organizational growth.

In line with Cieri and Kramar (2003), professionals encourage the leadership of any organization to be trained first so that they become an example to their juniors. What is more, is that the organizations can take on a culture of innovativeness. This approach is achieved when the importance given to the innovation, goals, and mission of the organization is known to the employees. In accordance with Wind (2001, p. 44), teamwork begins with the leaders creating the environment for the practice of innovation. Additionally, team member’s contributions of ideas are equally considered. Importantly, communication is enhanced and employee relations improved. Attention is given to ideas that add value to the business organization.

According to Boselie et al (2001, p. 1108), training the employees for innovativeness requires enabling organizational structures and practices. Moreover, new policies may be adopted to implement the training and development programs. It is necessary that all employees in all departments and at different levels attend training and development program.

Porter (2001, p. 77) notes that professionals introduce training that is based on the analysis of the existing structures of the organization. After the analysis, they train employees depending on the specific needs they are able to point out. After a period of time, the program is evaluated. Training is repeated after a period of time.

Examples of two Australian organizations that have adopted training and development programs are Lawson Central and Australian Union Bank. They have adopted training due to the demand for the changing market, where employees are a significant determinant of organizational success (Blount et al 2003, p. 6).

Lawson central has adopted a policy of increasing the branches as well as employ more employees. The Bank recruits employees who have experience in customer relations and trains them. A healthy working environment and effective communication are encouraged. Employees are expected to have good working relations with other employees. The newly employed are not allowed to be close to customer service until they are trained to do so.

They have adopted e-learning within their branches as a training facility. Since technology emerged, the bank has changed the roles of the employees to meet the client’s needs, which require training from time to time. Lawson Central has embraced technology and trains the employees on what emerges so that they are competent to meet the client’s needs. The human resource department is represented in the executive of the company. Training becomes easier when resources are allocated adequately.

Australian Union Bank has adopted training that prepares the employees to interact with the client frequently. This is made possible when the employees are trained to respond to each e-mail posted by the clients. The training for the employees prepares the employees to meet the client’s needs. The employees spend most of the time with the client than in the office. A teamwork approach has been achieved as employees work as a team to meet and solve the clients’ needs and problems.

The human resources department is not represented in the executive team. The policies, strategies, and goals of the organization are available to all employees. Online training has been used to train employees. The challenge in training is that the resources allocated to training human resources are limited.

Both Lawson Central and Australian Union Bank have adopted training that encourages the employees to have close interactions with the clients. In their programs, they have impacted skills that will make the employees give adequate solutions within minimal time. What is more, is that the client is treated with dignity. For this reason, most skilled employees are allowed to deal with clients directly and personally. The institutions have also increased their branches so that more clients can be in touch with the services. Consequently, the employees get training so that they are equipped to deal with the clients efficiently and effectively.

The major objective of training in both Lawson Central and the Australian Union Bank is to ensure that the valuable employees gain the right skills to solve organizational problems. In addition, the purpose to train and retain the employees to work longer for the organization.

Australian Union Bank has effectively trained employees on customer satisfaction by making close interactions with the clients. Lawson Central has been keen to use technology as well as provide training which has led to their success. Australian Union Bank values employees’ interaction with clients, such that services that can be made by the use of technology are done via an employee. Australian Union Bank has entered into conflict with clients who demand services via the internet.

Lawson Central employs experienced employees as bank tellers while Australian Union Bank chooses to recruit and train new graduates. The outcomes reveal that Australian Union Bank has a higher rate of customer satisfaction. This is because it has an appropriate strategy in training for their employees. Moreover, Australian Union Bank has not spread across a large geographical area, hence its strategy will be reviewed if they expand (Blount et al 2003, p. 10).

Conclusion

Training for innovativeness leads to the quality of services and goods and better utilization of resources. Employees learn organizational goals and then incorporate them into their individual goals to achieve innovativeness. Training motivates the employees and prepares them to solve problems. Training also makes the employees gain skills to make informed decisions. The organizations’ resources are used effectively and services are delivered with minimal mistakes.

Training makes the organization adopt a teamwork spirit which is necessary for learning and growth. Innovativeness is achieved by different approaches that involve analysis of the organization, actual training, implementation, and evaluation. The approach is dependent on the goals of the organization. Lawson Central and Australian Union Bank are examples of organizations that have adopted training for innovativeness. Australian Union Bank trains employees to handle clients more closely while Lawson Central trains employees to interact with clients and to use technology as well.

Reference List

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Cieri, H. and Kramar, R., 2003. Human Resource Management in Australia: Strategy, People, Performance. Sydney: McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Limited.

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Porter, M. E., 2001. Strategy and the Internet. Harvard Business Review Vol. 79, 3, pp. 62-79.

Wind, Y. J., 2001. ‘The Challenge of “Customerization” in Financial Services’. Communications of the ACM Vol. 44, 6, pp. 39-44.