Abstract
This paper will conduct a needs assessment for the proposed training program and offer a semi-detailed training program to be developed from scratch that includes the title and description of the training program, the objectives of the training program, the methods that will be utilized for training during the course of the program and their justification, the proposed instructors and the reason for utilizing those individuals specifically, a tentative training outline, a list of the materials needed, and an evaluation plan for the training program itself.
Keywords: training program, original, development, needs assessment, justification, objectives, process
Original Training Program
Introduction
Nearly half of all new job openings that will become available between 2010 and 2020 will be in what is referred to as the “middle-skills” positions, requiring individuals to have more training than entry level positions and requiring postsecondary degrees (Kochan, Finegold, & Osterman, 2012). As federal funding for job training declines, the question becomes how best to address the needs of companies to fulfill those positions.
Needs Assessment
In order to be able to first identify the skillsets and practices that must be included within the new training program, it is necessary for the organization to conduct a needs assessment, working to ensure that a clear pictorial representation of the types of individuals, the necessary skillsets for those individuals, and the needs of the company are all effectively covered, meeting both the evolving demographics of the workforce and the increasing changes brought about by the usages of new technologies (Fossum, 1991). It is essential that employers complete this needs assessment, as it allows them to determine the most appropriate ways in which to invest in employee training, learning, and development (Crush, et al., 2014).
Looking to the needs of the company at this time, it is clear that not only are additional individuals needed in order for the company to be able to provide the appropriate levels of customer service to the clientele of the organization, but that the current customer service personnel need additional training in order to better optimize the department. To this end, the following training program has been created, one that may be modified for those within the department who need to go through retraining in the available tools, and one that may be used in the training of new customer service personnel, allowing for increased levels of customer satisfaction and decreased wait times.
Training Proposal
The training program will be referred to as Customer Service for the New Age, referencing the new shift within the organization to a more customer oriented experience. The following training objectives have been identified for the program itself:
• Increasing customer service representative knowledge and skillsets regarding current products
• Increasing customer awareness and empathy
• Increasing familiarity with all of the available tools, thereby ensuring that agents will be able to complete their jobs in a more effective and efficient manner.
In order to be able to accomplish these goals, it has been determined that Moodle will offer the best method for training as it will allow agents to be able to review all the necessary material while allowing them to complete the training at organization workstations. In addition, this method of training will ensure that learners of all types (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) will be able to effectively grasp and retain the information.
The instructors that have been chosen to give the training class to all customer service agents are the two individuals who have constantly and consistently scored the best on their performance reviews while maintaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction as evidenced by the surveys completed by customers following the conclusion of their customer service experience within our organization. It is believed that these two individuals will be able to accomplish this task to the satisfaction of the organization given the fact that they are already displaying the type of customer service that we aspire for all of our agents.
It is anticipated at this time that training will take two weeks and retraining will take one week. Agents will complete the different raining modules on a set schedule of several per day with tests at the conclusion of each lesson and culminating with a final test of the knowledge reviewed at the end of the training course. Individuals who do not pass the retraining course will be required to take it once more. If they do not pass, they will be terminated. Individuals who are unable to complete the two week training course will be fired with the possibility of reapplying again in three months.
The training materials that are needed will include the basic power point presentations and interactive activities created by the trainers to explain the lesson and the Moodle activities, which will be created by the trainers prior to the start of the course. A room will need to be set aside for training complete with enough computers, keyboards, mice, and chairs for all participants and a projection screen will need to be setup for the trainers.
Those who have successfully completed the training program and successfully passed the evaluation tests at its conclusion will be retested on the material if needed based on their performance review results, which are gathered every three to six months, depending on the duration of the individual’s employment with the organization. Their managers will determine the appropriate steps that must be taken should the individuals fail their performance reviews.
Conclusion
In working to setup a new training program, it is possible for an organization to ensure that the company will be able to continue to grow in the manner in which the organization desires. The different aspects that the employees should know and be aware of are essential to the continued successes of the organization, making training a necessary and imperative task, one that will ensure the organization’s continued success.
- CRUSH, P., FARAQHER, J., JEFFERY, R., KIRTON, H., LEWIS, G., SCOTT, A., & WALLER, D. (2014). Do more for less with learning. (cover story). People Management, 35.
- Fossum, J. A. (1991). Issues in the Design and Delivery of corporate Training Programs. Labor Law Journal, 42(8), 575-580.
- Kochan, T., Finegold, D., & Osterman, P. (2012). WHO CAN FIX THE “MIDDLE-SKILLS” GAP?. Harvard Business Review, 90(12), 81-90.
