selection & training of trainers

Welingkar’s Distance Learning Division

Effective HR

CHAPTER-6

Selection & Training of Trainers

We Learn – A Continuous Learning Forum

Objectives

• After completing this chapter, you should be able to:– Appreciate the importance of selection and training

of trainers.– Identify the competencies required for successful

trainers.– Learn the procedure involved in the selection of

trainers.– Understand the factors that enhance the credibility

of trainers.

Meaning and significance of trainers

• The typical trainer’s job used to be fairly straightforward in the past.

• His or her main responsibility was to impart standard work-related material to each new batch of employees.

• Sessions were held in classes for fixed periods of time and used many of the same teaching methods commonly used in high school or college classrooms.

• At the end of each session, the new recruits were tested and then sent off to do their jobs.


• Technology offers trainers new tools for company training programs.

• But it is important that trainers know how to effectively integrate yesterday’s training methodologies with today’s technological marvels.


• Outsourcing can be a cost-effective way to address training requirements as needed.

• Effectiveness of the trainer is largely responsible for the success of any HRD program.

• Therefore trainers should be selected and trained scientifically so as to enhance the effectiveness of learning programs.

Traits of successful trainersSuccessful trainers are

Performance excellence

Trainers are the excellent performers in whichever field they come from.

An average performer can neither visualize excellent performance nor become a role model for the trainees to emulate.

Communication excellence

Successful trainers are excellent communicators.

Their messages are so powerful and appealing that even the most distracted individuals are forced by their own self-motivated urge to become attentive.

Service orientation Successful trainers are oriented towards selflessly serving the learners to see the progress in the latter.

They believe in the empowerment of everyone through learning rather than the bondage of knowledge.

Competencies of trainers

• The competencies identified in Models for HRD Practice by McLagan in 1989 and later adopted as a definitive model of competencies by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) are as under:– Technical competencies– Business Competencies– Interpersonal Competencies– Intellectual Competencies


• Technical competencies:– Adult-learning

understanding – Competency

identification skill – Electronic-systems skill – Media selection skill

• Business Competencies:– Budget and resource

management skill– Business understanding – Organization behavior

understanding– Organization-

development theories and techniques


• Interpersonal Competencies:– Coaching skill – Feedback skill – Negotiation skill – Questioning skill – Writing skill

• Intellectual Competencies:– Data-reduction skill – Information-search skill – Visioning skills

Steps involved in hiring and training trainers

• The steps involved in hiring and training trainers are as under:– Vacancy identification:

• The training manager should identify the need for hiring trainers.

– Job analysis and competency mapping:• Job analysis brings out the job description and the job

specification.

– Estimate the cost and obtain sanction:• The training manager should estimate the cost involved for

hiring, training and retaining trainers

Steps involved in hiring and training trainers

• The steps involved in hiring and training trainers are as under:– Recruitment and Selection of Trainers:• Recruitment involves communicating and motivating

qualified persons to apply for the job.

– Training the trainers:• Trainers require both domain expertise and training

delivery skills. • All trainers are required to be trained in the areas in

which they are deficient.

Factors that enhance credibility of trainers

• Trainers are professionals. • In order to maintain professional credibility they

should conduct themselves as role models. • Credible trainers always command attention and

respect from trainees. • They are seen by others as reliable, honest and

straight-forward. • If trainers do not have credibility, the trainers

may not take the sessions seriously.

Factors that enhance credibility of trainers

personal conduct

subject expertise

delivery/facilitation skills

social practices or interpersonal relations

There are basically

four factors which

determine the

credibility of trainers.

Personal conduct

• Personal conduct includes one’s actions and appearance.

• The trainer should project himself as a professional and be a role model.

• Personal conduct involves use of – positive qualities like sincerity, honesty, – straight-forwardness, – open to accepting one’s own mistakes, – accepting feedback from other, – helping others and seeking help from others.

Social practices

• Social practices are essentially the behaviors and beliefs in dealing with others.

• Trainers should believe in the capacity of individuals for learning.

• Trainers should uphold the dignity of trainees as individuals and not treat them as members belonging to any group.

• Trainees have no regard for arrogant trainers. • By having acceptable social conduct, trainers can

create an environment of mutual trust and respect.

Social practices

• A trainer should:– Be polite while dealing with trainees.– Be empathetic to the problems of trainees.– Learn to disagree without hurting the sentiments of

others.– Pay equal attention to all trainees.– Do not project himself as favoring a few trainees and

unsympathetic to others.– Respect and tolerate others’ point of view.– Have consistency in thought and actions.

Subject expertise

• Subject expertise refers to one’s knowledge of domain areas. – For example, a trainer in the

banking industry should have thorough knowledge of banking law and practices in India, the Reserve Bank guidelines, the credit procedure and foreign exchange regulations.

– Mastery can be attained only by constant practice.

– A novice can prepare and present a talk using audio-visual gadgets, but the reality of the expertise comes out when he has to satisfactorily answer the questions of trainees.

– There is no short-cut to mastery of the subject, except by experience and practice.

Facilitation skills

• Facilitation means enabling or empowering others to help themselves.

• Facilitation skills are as important as subject expertise.

• Facilitation skills of trainers include their capabilities for understanding the learning needs of individual trainees and devising elective solutions to meet those needs.

Facilitation skills

• Trainers must know how to use different learning approaches and which approach will suit in any particular situation.

• Professional trainers know when to use lectures, games, demonstrations or any other activities appropriately.

• They know when to ask trainees to follow the instructions and when to allow them

Facilitation skills

• Some of the important issues in facilitation skills are enlisted below:– Handling questions in training– Answering questions– Training Motivation– Incorporate Adult Learning Styles– Time Management– Frames of reference– Communication Skills

Facilitation skills

• Some of the important issues in facilitation skills are enlisted below:– Handling Diversity• Trainers have to handle trainees from diverse

backgrounds and under different situations.• Trainees differ on several issues like their culture,

education, experience, subject of study, geographical location, language, learning styles, personality types, prejudices and personal problems.

Facilitation skillsTrainee Type

Description How the trainer handles

Challenger

Question the value of trainer, the materials provided, the aids used and the very training environment

Should be calm, not be defensive, should answer the question. If the trainee is not convinced then trainer should call him privately and ask him to cooperate. If this fails the trainer can ask him to leave the trainer and may report the matter to HR department



Late-comers

These trainees think that it is their right to come late and give many reasons like poor roads, traffic, failure of alarm clock etc. for coming late

Explains the rules of late coming. He/she can get a gift/prize for attendance and punctuality. Trainer may talk to the habitual latecomers privately and inform them about the consequences



Whiners

These are the trainees having habit of complaining about anything and everything. They shift the focus of training by their complaints and grievances.

Should decide quickly whether whiner’s complaint should be addressed or ignored. Ideally, such complaints should be deferred and answered on a one-on-one basis during the break time. The trainer should not promise to redress the grievance of the whiner if he is not competent to do so

Presentation Skills

• Effective presentation skills are essential for effective training.

• Mastering effective presentation skills will help trainers to speak sequentially and meaningfully in a manner liked by most of the trainees.

• The aspects on which the trainer should focus in presentation skills are:– Voice– Enthusiasm– Speed of speech– Distracting vocalizations

Organizing the Training Content

• Trainers should organize their training content and props well in advance sequentially to ensure smooth transition at each stage of learning.

• Effective trainers will always ensure that training content matches the training objectives.

• Trainees will instantly point out if the content of the session does not match with the training objectives.

Organizing the Training Content

• Normally the content should be organized in the following order:

Overview of the session Transitions

Avoid digressions Gauge the understanding

Summarizing

selection & training of trainers

Education