QUESTIONS

Case Application: A Training and Development Problem at Sumerson Manufacturing

1. How to hire and train an entire staff of new employees below the second level of management in one year and have them ready to open the new plant; and

2. How to procure and train the balance of the thousand employees needed to staff the plant by the projected full-operations date. What is your plan?

1. Ans: Students will need to draw from several chapters. In order to develop a hiring plan, the company will need to have identified specific jobs and the knowledge and skills associated with those jobs. Some students will likely recommend that Sumerson review their existing jobs. Bright students will note that Sumerson will move some of its best employees to the new plant (this raises an interesting set of issues about what the culture will be like in the existing plants).

The training plan will likely involve the 5 steps noted in the chapter:1. Needs analysis2. Instructional design3. Validation4. Implementation5. Evaluation & follow-up

2. Ans: HR will want to involve the supervisors at the new plant and get their input in any recruiting plan. The plant provides an opportunity for Sumerson to review its prior practices and establish new benchmarks.

Running Case: Carter Cleaning Company; the New Training Program

1. Specifically, what should the Carters cover in their new employee orientation program, and how should we convey this information?

The students should refer to the orientation checklist in Figure 7.1 and the section on orienting employees in the chapter.

3. In the HR management course Jennifer took, the book suggested using a task analysis record form to identify tasks performed by an employee. Should we use a form like this for the counterperson’s job and if so what would the filled-in form look like?

The students should refer to the section on the training needs of new employees. This section discusses a task analysis form, which includes: task analysis record form can also be used. It

contains the following information: task list; when and how often performed; quantity, quality performance standards; conditions under which performed; skills or knowledge required; and where best learned (refer them to Table 8-1).

4. Which specific training techniques should Jennifer use to train her pressers, her cleaner-spotters, her managers, and her counter people, and why?

The students should review the training techniques discussed in chapter and conduct research on the Internet to review the various training resources offered for each of these positions.

Application Case: Reinventing the Wheel at Apex Door Company

1. What do you think of Apex’s training process? Could it help to explain why employees “do things their way” and if so, how?

There is a weak accountability system. The person assigned to perform training is likely to have very low motivation (a departing employee). With no formal descriptions the trainer will teach “their way” of accomplishing tasks. There is no training documentation. One receives training in “how to train.” There are no outcome measures to determine if the training was successful.

2. What role do job descriptions play in training? Job descriptions set the boundaries of jobs in terms of required knowledge and skills. By understanding the job description, a trainer can define the learning requirements for a new or transitioning employee.

3. Explain in detail what you would do to improve the training process at Apex. Make sure to provide specific suggestions, please.

Every position would have a formal (written) description. Training procedures would be documented for each position. Supervisors would be formally accountable for training.