Employees and organizations, even without expressly stating so, enter into numerous types of contracts with one another, contracts that, ideally, should result in tangible and intangible benefits for both parties. While the tangible aspect of this equation is the salary for the employee and the amount of work that the employee produces for the organization, the intangible aspect of this equation is that the organization looks after the health and safety of employees as well as providing them with a role that challenges them, and enhancing their skills in such a way that they grow both professionally as well as personally. Professional training prepares them for the job role, while personal training improves their soft skills.
This Learning & Development (L&D) process does not end at any time since employees need constant learning and development to be able to stay ahead of the times, especially toda,y when technology and other external factors are rapidly impacting the ways organizations manage their businesses. By using technology to manage their own employee L&D processes, organizations can help everyone produce more and grow. Let’s take a look at how technology, in the form of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), helps organizations improve their employee L&D management.
Performance Management
L&D is not an end process in itself, but one of the processes in the organizational performance management process. Apart from the initial training they receive upon recruitment, employees will also need to be periodically trained on the different aspects mentioned above throughout their tenure with the organization. Performance management is the umbrella process under which L&D comes, since it is through an appraisal of the employee’s current skills and standing that their future L&D programs need to be decided. By using an HRIS to manage performance, the HR team and line managers will be aware, without any ambiguity, of the diverse training needs of different employees. Then, both of them together can decide on the right training program to improve the L&D needs of the employees.
Employee Self-Service
Oftentimes, it is not the manager or the HR employee who can best determine the employee’s training needs. The employees themselves will know where they are lacking and the skills they need to get ahead. While there might be some concerns that employees might misuse such a chance and take on training programs to escape their day-to-day activities, the reality is that managers sometimes have to push employees to complete their training requirements since employees are so cooped up in their work roles and do not welcome the interruption of such training programs, even though they might be helpful for them.
By posting the available training programs and allowing employees to apply for the training they need, organizations give employees a free hand in their own career development while also showing that they trust them and care. Also, one has to keep in mind that training programs are not a one-size-fits-all; different employees have different training needs, so it is a good idea to let employees choose their own training programs.
Training Performance Measurement
Training programs by themselves, being run over a long period, are of little use if the employee’s performance on these training programs is not measured. Furthermore, these training programs miss their original purpose if employees think that there are no appraisals of the time spent in training, and that is when training programs can be misused. Online HRIS solutions allow organizations to automate employee performance appraisal in training programs. These solutions include built-in questionnaires that survey employees at the end of every training program to determine whether they have gleaned anything helpful from it. Furthermore, the solution allows employees to post their feedback, enabling HR professionals to assess the program’s effectiveness and recommend it to other employees.
Engaging and Time-Saving
Automated training programs that the employees can launch and undergo at any time are beneficial in engaging employees and saving them time. Also, even when not automated, technology can play a significant role in saving employees’ time and enabling them to access training programs that are not generally offered to them due to their geographical constraints.
As stated above, Learning & Development is one of the most essential tasks that the organization can undertake for its employees, and HRIS solutions can help organizations tailor these training programs and offer them to their employees in a way that is both useful and time-saving.
