How Can I Encourage Manufacturing Employees to Attend Training Despite Production Pressures?

Hi friends, I am working as a Training and OD expert in a manufacturing company. It is my responsibility to conduct training programs to improve the skills of employees and increase the number of training man-days. However, employees in manufacturing do not show interest or willingness to attend training programs. The reason is that they are under pressure from higher-ups to increase production numbers.

Request for Suggestions

Please suggest some techniques on how to fulfill my responsibility.

Regards

You should start talking to respective HODs about the kind of training their subordinates require. Share the same with the top management and make them understand that training helps to upgrade workers' skills and ultimately increases productivity.

Prepare the Training Calendar

Also, prepare the calendar depending on the peak production schedule. For example, in construction and EPC project organizations, training is scheduled during July-August because they can't work during monsoons, and the same time can be utilized for skill development.

Do let me know if you need further help in designing the training calendar.

Regards,
Rushabh

Dear Franidhar,

There is reluctance on the part of Ops staff to attend the training because they see the training as a burden. They view it as burdensome because they feel like they are back in their school or college days.

This unwillingness stems from (a) a lack of a culture of learning in your company and (b) a lack of research on the operations that HR/Training is supposed to conduct.

Addressing the Lack of a Learning Culture

Regarding point (a), there is not much you can do as it is your top management's responsibility to promote a culture of learning. Organizing a few training sessions does not automatically make the organization a "learning organization." Your management needs to grasp this concept and demonstrate a commitment to learning to bring about change.

Understanding Operations for Effective Training

In relation to point (b), it is imperative to understand the operations. Identify quality issues, losses incurred, scrap generated, inventory accumulation, etc., and establish the training program's objective to improve or reduce certain aspects. Before stepping into the training room, participants should fully comprehend why they are undergoing this training. Approaching the training with the right mindset is always beneficial.

I had the opportunity to work in an MNC where there was a strong culture of learning. Every manager consistently encouraged their subordinates to partake in training. In their absence during training, they would handle the tasks of their subordinates!

You may also refer to my previous response in the following link for further insight: #post1969910

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

I do not want to be critical of training/OD departments in manufacturing companies. You have to realize that there are and will always be conflicts of interest from a short-term perspective as to whose target achievement and whose job is more important to the organization than someone else's. Organizations' performance is not based on the achievement of one or a few parameters but many, and if one were to dispassionately and holistically look at it with the level of openness and frankness needed from all, they would recognize that each parameter feeds on the other. If you, as an OD expert, were to instill this in the minds of all, people will realize the value of training and wholeheartedly participate. The cooperation from other departments and staff also depends on your internal performance evaluation and reward system. If the reward system is based on a narrow definition and short-term measures of performance, everyone will behave as if they are living for today and not tomorrow. They will focus on meeting their target for the day and will not show interest in training, as participation in training will be seen as a drain on performance.

Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Approach

Precisely to handle this problem, the concept of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) came up so that every department recognizes the value of every other department. If participation in training and improving performance in the long term is monitored and rewarded, I am sure you will overcome this issue. Organizations should also have elements of competency building as part of their individual performance appraisal, which will make people wholeheartedly participate.

Considerations for Effective Training

There are other considerations: what kind of organization is yours (ownership), what business you are in, how big it is, are you in a business where skill-building is essential, what kind of competition you face, who are your customers, why has management thought it fit to have an OD and training department, do you have a clear plan for your department, who are you planning to train and on what, how do you measure their competency before and after training, what is your manpower turnover, what are your competency-related issues, do you believe management is really sincere and serious about the training and OD, or is this only a nice-to-have showpiece? If so, you should get the management's express endorsement for your department and its activities. The directive should flow down from the top, and departments should realize that management is serious about what you are trying to do, and the seriousness shall be demonstrated through tangibles.

Role of OD in Charge

As an OD in charge, I believe it is equally your responsibility to educate management and departments on the need for skill up-gradation and training. You have to realize you have to market your department's role and contribution within your organization, as there is always internal competition for resources, including attention (mindshare and eyeball share). We can discuss this in detail if you like.

Regards,

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www.primeconsultinggroup.net

This is not a special problem that you are facing; in fact, it is quite a common malaise in certain Indian industries. I must hasten to add that many industries give very high priority to training, and the most welcome news is that this number is growing. Our association with quite varied industries has exposed us to this type of situation. You cannot pinpoint the root cause to any one person or function. The trouble starts when business considerations of today take preference over business growth plans. The world we live in today is moving at a very high pace, so much so that it is being known as the jet age. To keep pace, you need to accelerate, and the only known way to do so is through training.

Steps to Enhance Training Programs

The organizations reluctant to spend resources on training are typically the ones who have not followed scientifically based analysis. The top management should ensure that:

1. Skill needs as required today are enumerated. Alvin Toffler says, "Illiterates today are not the ones who cannot read and write, but the ones who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." Technical, managerial, and soft skills need honing and re-honing to keep pace.

2. Skill matrix needs to be prepared thoroughly, keeping future plans in view.

3. Quantifiable benefits of certain training must be made clear.

4. Training calendar preparation must be done keeping the present workload in mind.

5. Elaborate plans for workload sharing during the training period should be made.

6. After training, check effectiveness by comparing outcomes with quantified benefits planned (3).

7. Change responsibilities of the delegates after training.

These are not exactly the "bitter pill" for treatment but are known to work well.

Regards,
Somnath

As a manager, you have to suggest trainings that will increase production numbers. More work can be done in a minimal amount of time if the process is streamlined. You will have to convince the employees of this concept. If you need any help in identifying these kinds of trainings, write back to me.

Regards,
Prasad Patil
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The Importance of Training in Organizations

Happy that a valuable question has been raised. Most replies from seniors have been excellent.

Firstly, this is almost a recurring issue with most organizations that are under the myth that production as a function is the most important for the survival of the organization. Quite true, but an organization that is keen on investing towards growth brings new machinery, reporting systems, ease at work - automation, etc., but fails to understand that training is also an investment for sustained growth. This needs to be registered in the minds of the department heads who play an active role in sending the executives for training.

Secondly, training should be fun and not a ritual. Also, it should not be taken for granted that it is time for relaxing in an A/C hall with good food. The message taken is that there is nothing great or useful that results from training. If there is any change, it is in the usage of new terms or just some high energy for a week or two. To break this cycle, we need to...

Regards.

Perhaps you could split them into groups of 20 and conduct small 30-minute games for them. In the end, you just summarize the learning from that activity/game. Training is viewed as a burden because people feel that sitting in a classroom and listening to a trainer is cumbersome. Instead, keep them high on energy levels and mental alertness and play fun games - like Goal-a-rama where you could have a box of chocolates and have the participants throw them into a bowl placed at a high place. You could say that they could take all the chocolates they can throw within 1 minute. This game is very good when you want to cover goal setting as a topic. You could research similar games and use them. If you can make it fun for them, I am sure the turnout will be much better!

Thank you,
Regards,
Narmadha