What is Learning and Development? How can it benefit an organisation? Who can it effect if not structured correctly? Three of the many question that I have come to consider since undertaking a role in Learning and Development and that’s perhaps the most useful thing in my own personal development that I have taken so far, to think of the bigger picture and how it can effect not only my own performance but that of every aspect of an organisation.
The objective is to be the starting point of a new employee’s journey to being confident and able to perform their given role on a campaign. We as trainers have to deliver material off premade presentations in a manner that the client requests, but beyond that to impart our knowledge of the job to make the learners feel as comfortable and confident as they can be in the given time. For the learners themselves their objective is to take from the training a solid base to go onto the phones and provide the great customer service we strive for at TCC. We all acknowledge it would be Impossible to train every aspect of the job, and role, there is quite simply too much information so beyond the training environment the learners will continue to develop whilst in the role. From an organisational view it is the first chance to show new employees the level of professionalism they are operating at and to introduce them to the important, and legal, aspects of the company (For example here DPA, Health and Safety, Equality, An Introduction to the Company, and Fire Safety.)
The Context and Environments can be broken down into several sections. For the individual potentially every situation inside and outside of work can be an opportunity to learn. For me personally in work, outside of the obvious classroom and support based role, interactions with superiors and meeting that I attend are a great opportunity to learn from others in their role and assess if any of their qualities are adaptable to my role as a bank trainer. For the learners here at TCC the initial training is broken down into three parts; Classroom, listening in to existing advisors, and a supported “Grad Bay” (at least one week spent on the live floor taking calls but with extra support, this is budgeted at part of the training.) Having three different environments keeps the training fresh and different each day, this keeps the learners interested at the start of each day as I find one of the first questions asked each morning tends to be “What’s the plan for today?” That would cover the initial training period, offering further training, either to refresh their knowledge or add further skillsets.. All environments here need to be fully equipped with the tools necessary to make training a success. From experience in order to cater for the three main learning styles (audio, visual, kinaesthetic) several things are essential – A projector to cover slides, pens and paper for note taking, enough space for group activities, board and markers for the trainer to show specific aspects of the job, wall space for visual learning aids, daily signing in sheets to keep track of attendance, handouts for learners to name a few. This will differ slightly from business to business but the constituent parts will remain the same. It would be unrealistic to expect the trainer to be responsible for all aspect so a strong support team is also essential.
The full cycle of learning and development for the individual should be on that continues for the whole duration of their time at a particular company and beyond. This comes in several different forms; weekly team meetings in which specific praise or feedback can be given in a group environment if it is necessary, weekly one to ones for every employee with their line manager. These weekly one to ones are an opportunity to asses stats and targets that have either been assigned or are a business target, we also have a SMART target system (targets based around an individual that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) and these are monitored in the one to one sessions. Any Personal Improvement Plans (PIP) or Personal Development Plans (PDP) are also generally put in place here. This helps the employee know that the company is taking an interest in their development and will hopefully stimulate a desire in them to take control of it, along will stopping a high level of attrition the costs of which can quickly spiral. Personally I am an advocate of random acts of recognition too as unexpected positive feedback at an unexpected time can massively lift someone’s mood, in my experience.
To fully engage a learner in a learning and development programme you must have a structured plan in plan in place from the very first point of contact, structured to a degree that allows responsive elements to be introduced throughout. This can be difficult due to the fact that many companies now will first employ through a 3rd party agency. This leaves little control of the recruitment process beyond a person specification handed to the agency. However you can’t spend too much time worrying about what is outside of your control and a trainer must adapt to the group of learners at the same time. After the interview process in a company that has a learning and development programme in place a trainer will be the first point of contact for a new employee, and as a first impression is formed within the first 15 seconds of meeting someone, it is an important first step to make that impression a positive one. Having a strong knowledge of, and the ability to identify, different learning styles is the next step as no two training groups are likely to be the same, this will help keep everyone in the group engaged during the training and not leave anyone feeling that aren’t being thought about (this can lead to negative behaviour which would disrupt the entire group). Being aware of the 9 minute concentration cycle can help with structure too and keeping an engagement in the process, you can do this via use of different learning environments. Giving an overview of the company and not just the role, using your own development and experience is the best way to not only show it is possible to progress but to establish a position of authority in the training environment. In the role of trainer you need to be adaptable to the learners needs in many way, be it the training times to the aforementioned learning styles, this can make it difficult if you personality is not that way inclined so careful consideration should be given before undertaking that role. Training can last four sometimes 5 weeks so keeping a record of daily events and each individuals performance is essential, a daily handover form to outline any absences and the reasons for them, and show a detailed summary of what has been covered during the day is saved and, if necessary, sent to the client. Learners that may be struggling with the training can then be tracked on a daily basis and a succession plan can be put in place for the handover to give any extra support that is needed.
My personal role is wide ranging and varying. It’s my job to train and mentor a group so I am fully confident they have the knowledge and the skills to perform their job. I want every individual to know I am available to talk to either in a group setting, or one on one, with any problem they might be facing inside and outside of work that may hinder their progress. Whilst not being able to solve every problem myself I have a good knowledge of each department within the company and have developed strong professional relationships with people in those departments. I have a responsibility to not only the learner but also to my company to be a professional and welcoming first contact, and it’s a responsibility I take seriously which can be attested to by my peers, line managers, and department head. I constantly strive to better my knowledge and personal development, and realising my own limitations and areas for improvement. We have personal development programme CMSP (Core Management Skills Programme) which makes you responsible for your own development, it is a points based system around discussion, evidence, and assessment. The points you gain lead to an increase in wages and knowledge development in different areas of the business. The importance of having a good professional relationship around departments of the business can be summed up in one sentence – it quite simply makes your job easier. Rather than looking up who you are meant to be contacting, what the process is etc, a simple phone call and discussion to establish what you need to know lifts a level of stress that just isn’t necessary to have. Relationship building comes in to play in forms beyond internal department, liaison with agencies to record sickness or absence, meeting with the client or site visits, to name a few.
The learners’ introduction to company structure should start at induction with an overview of the department and structure within them. The trainer should be able to sure up that knowledge and be able to refer to the correct department; Human Resources for contractual based enquiries, to hand in any documentation that has been requested. The training department should have received any working requests such as flexible working hours that will be process and handed to resource planning so they can be built into shift patterns.
Health and Safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility but to a trainer providing a safe working environment is a task that should be taken seriously given the potential legal repercussions to the individual and company. Making sure all fire exits are unblocked, fire doors are in working order, everyone is aware of the fire escape route and gathering point, the signing in sheet is completed at the start of everyday so there is a record of who is in attendance. Also ensuring that all workstations are safe, no exposed wires, chairs are working and not damaged, the room is not to be overcrowded and a new training space is made available if the intake is larger than expected. Bullying and harassment in the workplace is unacceptable and should be dealt with harshly, this is outlined in our induction and something the trainer should be advising of further during the training. Within the workplace it is everyone’s responsibility to report any bullying or harassment through the right channels so that any investigations and actions that need to take place can be documented and performed. All information on equality and equal opportunities so be readily available and easily accessible though the company. Many companies have a very diverse workforce and this policy, whilst seldom used, is important to have in place details of which are available from any department.
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations.
On 5 April 2011, the public sector equality duty (the equality duty) came into force. The equality duty was created under the Equality Act 2010. It was clear that a radical rethink was needed in the approach that public sector organisations were taking towards addressing discrimination and racism. It means that public bodies have to consider all individuals when carrying out their day-to-day work – in shaping policy, in delivering services and in relation to their own employees.
It also requires that public bodies have due regard to the need to:
• eliminate discrimination
• advance equality of opportunity
• foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities
The Equality Duty applies across Great Britain to selected public bodies and to any other organisation when it is carrying out a public function.
Each organisation and company will have their own policies around discrimination and equality that will cover age, sex, race, creed, disability, and LGBT but it is important to note that they do not supersede the law and the law always takes precedence. Every learners is entitled and has a lawful right to be protected under these acts and failure by a company to comply with the laws is a criminal offense.
Working within a business one of the most important things that you will deal with on a daily basis is data protection. Learners are to be trusted with customers sensitive personal data and often very large amounts of money. The Data Protection Act controls how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.
Everyone responsible for using data has to follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles’. They must make sure the information is:
• used fairly and lawfully
• used for limited, specifically stated purposes
• used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive
• accurate
• kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary
• handled according to people’s data protection rights
• kept safe and secure
• not transferred outside the European Economic Area without adequate protection
There is stronger legal protection for more sensitive information, such as:
• ethnic background
• political opinions
• religious beliefs
• health
• sexual health
• criminal records
This law and practise is outlined from the first day at induction, an entire section is dedicated to it, and is part of any assessment that the learners will undertake before going on to a campaign.
Record keeping for learning and development should be completed and recorded at all times through digital and written means. Attendance tracking during training is important so that incidents that occur are documented and passed on during the handover, it can also identify early trends in absence that can be addressed and assistance offered when required (school runs, second job, childcare issues etc.) Induction documents such as social media policy should be wet signature and filed in a secure location for the duration for only as long as required after which they should be disposed of. As mentioned with the CMSP it important that this is correctly stored and managed, so all appointment booking must be done via email so there is a trail and that any documents to be updated are signed and witnessed. Handovers and daily reports should be emailed to relevant departments and people and saved in a central location so that they are accessible if the need arises. For an individual record keeping can show the ability to organise and in terms of being responsible for their own development can use the records as a way to evidence it. Version controlling of material should be untaken to show who has updated the material, what has been updated, and when it was completed. The older version should then be archived not deleted in case of any reverting to old processes which may need to be consulted in those presentations.
The principles and practices of Learning and Development can always be spoken about, read about, observed in a way that will better your understanding, and help you to develop personal and professional qualities that will lead to a successful career within it.