My expectation of the human resource department is to accelerate workplace learning. The meaning of workplace learning has changed in the last few years. The change is due to the emergence of new social and cultural processes of change. The modern organization has become a learning site to boost production and innovation. Secondly, it is a site of learning to empower employees to gain the requisite knowledge, skills, and capacity for their learning to make them productive contributors in their organizations and to the broader society. In the organization I worked for, workplace learning played a critical role in improving its competitiveness in the market.
In appreciation of the importance of organizational learning, the company has taken two approaches viz. In-company-learning and off-the-job learning. The latter form of education takes place outside the premises of the organization in a workshop, seminars, or informal schools. In-company-learning is learning that takes place within the premises of the organization, and it can be formal where learners have instructors or informal via mentorship. The company uses both forms of learning to ensure that the learning is continuous, quality and adhere to the emerging standards (Bartlett, 2001). For instance, to train employees in specific specialized skills, off-the-job education is critical.
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Another idea utilized by the organization, which is in tandem with an emerging consensus is that learning should be continuous. In most professions, continuous learning is a requirement to remain in good standing. Physicians, for instance, are required to undertake new courses continuously to update their skills. Organizational learning with my former employer takes the same approach. According to theorists, knowledge is the latest form labor, and with that in mind, the company has structured the workplace to maximize processes for learning for employees to learn about their jobs and those of their colleagues (Bartlett, 2001).
Learning also takes place informally. Under this model of education, learning takes place through teamwork, social interaction, and problem-solving. The modern operating environment is complex, and that demand solutions that are often beyond the power of a single person to solve. The company understands the evolving nature of the business environment and requires employees to solve problems collaboratively. Such an approach increases the chances of developing reasonable solutions and provides a learning opportunity for new employees. The ability to work in teams is one of the most important considerations when hiring new employees today. Informal learning complements formal learning where a professional trainer takes over the role of the imparting the necessary skills to employees.
Given the vital role of organizational learning at the company, my employer has met my expectations. I have learned many things via mentorship while working informally with experienced employees and formally by attending workshops. During those learning sessions, the organization has inducted me into its culture of innovation, commitment to customer service, integrity, and everything good the company stands for.
As discussed elsewhere in this paper, my employer has adopted two forms of organizational learning viz. Formal and informal. In the formal training sessions, the employer trains employees on technical aspects of the jobs such as how to handle customers to deal with specific processes inside the organization (Whelan-Berry & Somerville, 2010). After those training sessions, the employer award attendees certificate of accomplishment. The training sessions are ideal for new employees to bridge the gap between skills acquired in school and the actual skills required at work. It also inducts them on organizational culture and the expectations the employer has on them in dealing with customers and work. Another important aspect of formal training relates to organizational change.
Change is, but often, employees are reluctant to adopt it or resist. However, according to Kotter, change management takes place through stages. One of the changes in the change management model is communicating the vision, where the organization calls a meeting to educate the employees on the idea behind the shift (Whelan-Berry & Somerville, 2010). Also, communication should entail talking about the change daily to prepare the minds of workers on the need for change. Often, communication through meeting and other internal engagement is not enough. Training and development are required to empower employees with the necessary information on why the organization needs to implement change. The training gives employees the rationale for implementing change and their role in making the change process a success. Formal training sessions are, therefore, necessary.
Concerning the sources of knowledge on performance at work, the primary sources are formal training sessions carried out by the human resource management. On change management, the department undertakes regular training session to appraise all employees on the need for change and their roles in the change process. Another source of knowledge is team collaborators, the supervisor, and colleagues. The organization I work for emphasizes on informal training methods. The company pairs new employees with older workers so that they can learn from them. In the process, new workers gain valuable skills on how to handle everyday tasks and who to approach in case of problems. The older worker acts as a mentor and a conveyor of best practices that have served the organization well over the years (Bunch, 2007). The skilled employees also share the information they have gathered over the years, and that makes succession smooth in case of retirement. Team collaborators also provide an essential source of knowledge. As mentioned earlier, teams dominate the modern work environment, because problems are getting complicated, making it harder for a single employee to solve them. While working with groups, I have gained valuable experience in how to solve problems or handling everyday tasks. I also learned invaluable skills in working with teams and collaborating with others.
From my personal experience, I would recommend a combination of formal training and on-the-job training development. Informal training, the employer trains the new employees on the processes within the organization. The operations could be how the company produces a particular product, and the steps taken before the product leaves the production line, the people involved, and the technical details of the machines used in production. The training would orient the recruits on how the system works in general. Also, as part of the training, the employer should train employees on the roles of each worker in the organization and how to communicate in case of any problem (Bunch, 2007). Other important aspects of that training might involve the organizational culture, change management, the rationale behind current processes and procedures in the organization, among additional relevant information.
The second element of training is informal training that takes place on the job. Under this training method, the employer pairs new employees with experienced professionals. By working with them, new employees learn how to execute daily tasks and handle common problems. The employee gets the chance to see the theory learned in the first part of the practice. With this method, the new employees adopt the work culture, learn how to solve problems from experience, gain useful communication skills, and orient their attitude to conform to the expectation.
References
Aguinis, H., & Kraiger, K. (2009). Benefits of Training and Development for Individuals and Teams, Organizations, and Society. Annual Review of Psychology, 60 (1), 451-474. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163505
Bartlett, K. R. (2001). The relationship between training and organizational commitment: A study in the health care field. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 12 (4), 335. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1001
Bunch, K. J. (2007). Training Failure as a Consequence of Organizational Culture. Human Resource Development Review, 6 (2), 142-163. doi:10.1177/1534484307299273
Whelan-Berry, K. S., & Somerville, K. A. (2010). Linking Change Drivers and the Organizational Change Process: A Review and Synthesis. Journal of Change Management, 10 (2), 175-193. doi:10.1080/14697011003795651
