Chapter 8

Question 1

What is employee orientation (onboarding)?

Answer 1

A formal process of familiarizing new
employees with:
1. the organization (history, structure, policies)
2. their jobs (location, tasks, responsibilities, safety)
3. colleagues / supervisors
4. pay/benefits, breaks, vacation

Question 2

What are two features of employee orientation?

Answer 2

Socialization
 The ongoing process of instilling in all employees the
prevailing attitudes, standards, values, and
patterns of behavior that are expected by the group
Reality Shock
 The discrepancy between what new employee
expects from his/her new job and realities of it

Question 3

What are the benefits of an effective orientation program?

Answer 3

Lower turnover
2. Increased productivity
3. Reduced errors
4. Improved employee morale
5. Lower recruiting and training costs
6. Understanding of organizational culture
and appropriate behaviours
7. Reduction of the new employee’s stress

Question 4

What are the problems with orientation programs?

Answer 4

Too much information in a short time
leading to an overwhelmed employee
Too many forms to fill out
Little or no orientation provided
HR information too broad; supervisory
information too detailed

Question 5

What is executive integration?

Answer 5

Integration at senior levels in the
organization requires ongoing process that
can continue for months as the new
executive learns about unspoken
dynamics of the organization that are not
covered in orientation programs

Question 6

What is the scope of training?

Answer 6

Training
Effort initiated by an organization to foster
learning among its members.
Tends to be narrowly focused and oriented
toward short-term performance concerns.
 Development
Effort that is oriented more toward broadening
an individual’s skills for future responsibilities.

Question 7

What are the steps in training process?

Answer 7

Step 1: Training needs analysis
Step 2: Instructional Design
Step 3: Validation
Step 4: Implementation
Step 5: Evaluation of training

Question 8

What are the key activities at the training needs analysis step?

Answer 8

Determine what training is required, if any
For new employees, determine what the
job entails and break it down into subtasks,
each of which is taught to the new
employee
For current employees, determine whether
or not training is the solution and what the
goals/results for training are.

Question 9

What are the activities of the instructional design step?

Answer 9

Prepare curriculum
Ensure training materials support learning
objectives
Provide a basis for choosing methods
and materials and for selecting the means
for assessing whether the instruction will
be successful.

Question 10

What are trainee readiness and motivation?

Answer 10

Readiness: trainee maturity, ability and experience
Motivation: desire / openness to training
Creating a Motivated Training Environment:
 Use positive reinforcement.
 Eliminate threats and punishment.
 Be flexible.
 Design interesting instruction.

Question 11

What are the two traditional training techniques?

Answer 11

On-the-job Training
apprentinceship training
informal learning
job instruction training
 Off-the-job Training
classroom training
audiovisual techniques / e-learning
vestibule or simulated training

Question 12

What is on the job training and what are its drawbacks?

Answer 12

On-the-job training (OJT)
 A method by which employees are given hands-on experience in the
actual work environment with instructions from their supervisor or other trainers.
 Usually cheaper than off-the-job training.
 Also provides an opportunity for immediate feedback on performance.
 Drawbacks
 The lack of a well-structured / standardized training environment.
 Poor training of trainers and managers.
 The absence of well-defined job performance criteria.
 Potential distractions

Question 13

What is off the job training?

Answer 13

Training that occurs away from the actual work
environment.
 Classroom Instruction
 Benefits: Enables the maximum number of trainees
to be handled by the minimum number of instructors.
Standardization of information. Minimizes instructors.
 “Blended” learning—lectures and demonstrations
are combined with AV materials such as films, DVDs,
and videotapes or computer instruction.
 Drawbacks: can be more expensive, more inefficient
than OTJ training, and artificial training environment

Question 14

What is E-Learning?

Answer 14

Delivery and administration of learning opportunities and
support via computer, networked, and web-based
technology.
 Benefits:
 Learning is self-paced and time flexible.
 The training comes to the employee.
 The training can be interactive.
 Trainees can be referred to online help
Easier to change a web site than to retype,
photocopy
Record keeping is facilitated.
Can be cost-effective

Question 15

What is simulation or vestibule training?

Answer 15

These methods emphasize realism in equipment and
its operation at minimum cost and maximum safety.
 Used when it is either impractical or unwise to train
employees on the actual equipment used on the job.
 E.g.: training pilots

Question 16

What are the activities of the validation step?

Answer 16

Validate training using representative audience

Make revisions based on pilot results

Question 17

What are the activities at the implementation step?

Answer 17

Once the program has been validated, it is ready
to be implemented by professional trainers
Train-the-trainer workshops may be required
Focus on presentation as well as content

Question 18

What are the aspects of the evaluation step?

Answer 18

Reactions
Learning
Behavior
Results

Question 19

How to evaluate training using participant reactions?

Answer 19

The simplest and most common approach
to evaluation is assessing trainers.
Trainees identify what they found useful.
They also can critique content, instructors.

Question 20

How to evaluate learning?

Answer 20

Learning: Check to see whether they
actually learned anything.
Testing knowledge and skills before beginning a
training program gives a baseline standard on
trainees that can be measured again after
training to determine improvement.
However, in addition to testing trainees, test
employees who did not attend the training
(control group) to estimate the differential
effect of the training.

Question 21

How to evaluate the return on investment of training?

Answer 21

Return on Investment
 Viewing training in terms of the extent to which it
provides knowledge and skills that create a
competitive advantage.
 Results can include higher revenues, increased
productivity, improved quality, higher job satisfaction
or morale, reduced turnover, etc.
 ROI = Quantifiable Results/Training Costs
 If the ROI ratio is >1, the benefits of the training exceed the cost of the program
 If the ROI ratio is <1, the costs of the training exceed the
benefits.