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HRM in the News is South-Western's service to provide summaries of the latest human resource management news stories. Review the brief summaries and, for stories of interest, select the full summary. |
| TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT | |
| Title | Brief Summary |
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Most human resource associates in industrial plants, manufacturing facilities, and service organizations are well aware of the need to educate workers regarding EHS (environment, health, and safety) issues, standards, and procedures. The answer is often EHS training. But instructing employees in a formal setting can be tedious and ineffective. What can be done to jazz up EHS trainings and effectively educate employees? |
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Subway’s new e-learning program is designed to train employees at all levels of the organization, in all time zones, and in six different languages. The company reports better trained employees and a drop in turnover rates since the program has been implemented. (Updated August 2008) |
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Different types of organizations are finding that there are many advantages to using e-learning solutions to meet many of their training needs. These solutions are being used to facilitate in-house training, stay informed of security issues, and consolidate knowledge. (Updated May 2008) |
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The New York Times has introduced an online complement to college and university courses which will provide opportunities for enhanced classroom and distance learning. (Updated January 2008) |
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The California Fair Employment and Housing Commission (FEHC) voted to implement a new regulation that sets more stringent requirements for California’s mandatory harassment training law. According to the provisions of the new law, all California supervisors must attend at least two hours of interactive training on harassment, by a trainer with expertise in the subject. Many employers will need to scramble to improve their programs to meet these requirements. (Updated June 2007) |
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There are many areas within HR in which you can provide absolute proof of a program’s effectiveness by utilizing split-sample methodology. (Updated June 2007) |
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Virtual reality training use is expanding into the realm of business training, sales, and research and development. Companies are even using virtual reality worlds to bring far-flung employees together in one place. (Updated April 2007) |
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Grant Thornton, LLP, recently surveyed Wisconsin manufacturing firms and found that employee training and long-term planning are lacking. (Updated March 2007) |
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As more companies realize that their greatest competitive advantage is their employees and the knowledge and information that those employees have, tuition reimbursement programs are gaining in popularity. When these programs are handled strategically, they can be very effective at helping a company achieve its goals. (Updated December 2006) |
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A recently released state of the industry report shows that training investments continue to rise at companies. At the same time, employers are demanding better accountability to ensure that the dollars spent are enhancing the company's bottom line.
(Updated August 2006) |
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With more than 112 restaurants and 27,000 employees nationwide, the Cheesecake Factory has grown to a successful enterprise. Like most restaurant businesses, they struggle with costly turnover and the challenge of developing an ever-growing staff. Intensive training and development coupled with incentives and promotion opportunities helps the restaurant chain to keep turnover rates below the norm for the industry.
(Updated July 2006) |
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General Motors is considering expanding its networking and development program for new-hires, even as it is in the midst of serious job cutbacks. Experts say programs like GM's JumpStart are crucial during tough times, because they help keep workers engaged and engaged workers are twice as productive as those who are not engaged. (Updated May 2006) |
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Mentoring can be invaluable to both participants. However, finding a good match can sometimes be a challenge. Online mentoring offers employees potentially better matches from a wider pool of candidates. (Updated April 2006) |
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Faced with the upcoming retirement of a large part of its skilled workforce, Canada's Dofasco invested heavily in intensive training and apprentice programs to help them to develop and retain young leaders. (Updated March 2006) |
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Companies are looking for ways to make learning and communication faster and cheaper. They have turned to live and on-demand technologies to help train employees and distribute important corporate messages more efficiently than traditional methods. (Updated February 2006) |
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More companies are beginning to use interactive gaming as a way to train new employees and to help veteran employees hone their skills. For jobs in which real-life practice is necessary but the risks are high, simulations can allow for a great deal of practice and learning in a short amount of time and can save employers money in the long run. (Updated January 2006) |
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Intel’s increasingly global workforce makes new demands on its leaders who are asked to communicate and work well with others across cultural divides. The company is at the forefront of a growing trend in training and development that seeks to help leaders understand and work efficiently across the globe. (Updated January 2006) |
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Employee-led training programs are becoming more prevalent in large corporations. New hires give more credibility to someone who knows the ropes, and employees who teach gain more recognition and job security. However, HR professionals should utilize standards for choosing the employees who teach. (Updated November 2005) |
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With many retail businesses facing 100 percent turnover in stores, HR professionals are using e-learning as a way to efficiently train employees in the shortest amount of time. (Updated September 2005) |
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Companies are increasingly relying on computer-based simulations to teach critical decision-making skills. Trainees can make mistakes while they are learning and see the results of their actions without suffering real-world consequences. (Updated August 2005) |
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Age-bias suits are on the rise and are leading to higher compensatory damage awards than any other single discrimination factor. HR departments need to work with lawyers to develop effective training programs that address stereotypes about older workers, lay out the circumstances in which offhand comments can become evidence in court cases, and explain the damaging nature of litigation related to this type of discrimination. (Updated August 2005) |
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Selection is a key responsibility for managers because ultimately, a company is only as good as the people it employs. To improve their hiring practices, HR professionals and recruiting specialists say that employers should take proactive measures to help recruiters and hiring managers work together more effectively, and to help hiring managers improve their interviewing techniques. (Updated June 2005) |
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When MetLife Inc. decided to develop customized executive education for its managers, it wanted a leadership program that could use real company projects as a measure of how well participants were performing in the classroom. Their two-week course seems to be meeting their requirements. Over 82 percent of the projects initiated in class have been implemented by the company. (Updated May 2005) |
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Since 1998, money spent on learning and development as a retention tool has increased 15%. Yet, during an economic downturn, these programs are going to be held up for scrutiny to see if they are contributing to the company's overall success. The financial impact of training can objectively be measured to prove the impact training has on the bottom line.
(Updated April 2005) |
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Carefully planned and executed internship programs can give career-minded college students purposeful work and help HR select the best candidates for entry-level jobs. (Updated January 2005) |
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Studies on corporate leadership recommend mentoring programs to develop and shape future leaders. However, many programs struggle with making good matches. Newly developed software can automate the process of finding qualified mentors and allow employees to choose their own match. (Updated January 2005) |
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Hilton Hotels Corporation has achieved good ratings in customer satisfaction by hiring the right people, being vigilant in training, and rewarding those employees who show exceptional service. In the competitive lodging industry they sit atop the American Customer Satisfaction Index. (Updated September 2004) |
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An employee's immediate boss is the prime representative of the organization. Managers who receive training in enhancing their relationships with direct reports will have lower turnover and better customer satisfaction. (Updated 08/01/04) |
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This article discusses how the courts view the training efforts of employers on the subjects of sexual harassment, discrimination and the disabled. Training programs and materials that are presented by employers are being scrutinized for effectiveness and content. Courts have not set parameters for determining training in these topics, yet they are a key part of the employers' defense. (Updated 06/08/04) |
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In interviews with 67 different organizations, the consulting firm of Chagnon & Reina discovered a lack of trust among co-workers, supervisors or team members. Lack of trust in the workplace can be a cause of employee turnover or low productivity. (Updated 05/01/04) |
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E-learning has become an important component of many training departments. While corporate training remained flat, spending on e-learning was up 22 percent last year. However, former problems with its costliness and performance have forced companies to pay more attention to the return on investment and position e-learning more strategically within the company. (Updated 03-01-04) |
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Diane Walker, president of Human Performance Applications has developed a structural team-driven approach to OJT. This model is very good for first time training, refresher sessions, and recurrent training. (Updated 01-01-04) |
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A recent research study showed that workplace learning occurs in small businesses at a greater extent than was previously believed, resulting in greater job satisfaction. (Updated 12/01/03) |
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In an economy characterized by cutbacks and downsizing, employees' workdays need to be more productive than ever, leaving little time for training. As a result, corporate training sessions have been downsized, too. (Updated 09/02/03) |
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Faced with high turnover among new hires, National City Corporation formed National City Institute to support and train its new employees. It has resulted in savings from less turnover and an increase in sales. (Updated 7/31/03) |
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