A Case for Training and Development (Lecture 2: 27th September)

Technological change:

• In today’s hospitality economy, efficient and timely control is determining the industry leaders who have better technology in the system.
• It increases efficiency ,decision making capacity, reduce cost, improve quality and lead to innovation.
• Challenge for the employees is to work smarter through technological advances to meet ever increasing customer demands.
• Trainer need to be technology conscious to organization while expanding the horizons and exploring new paradigms.
• Selection of appropriate technology determines the efficiency of the skills and knowledge competencies transferred during training.

Creative training:

• Introduction of innovative training approaches, by producing synergistic affect (working along with the management team).
• It depends on the mission of the organization, the staff members involve, and the resources available.
• All forms of job training have a common purpose to change the way staff members behave.
• Training is designed to increase an employees efficiency by fostering positive changes I the trainee's knowledge, skills, and aptitude.

Learning Organization:

• It focuses to the organization which provides the environment of lifelong learning and growing opportunities.
• Developing  a culture where training is an essential, continuous process for all hierarchical levels, in compatible with goal and strategic steps results towards learning organization.
• Hall marks: source of competitive advantage, change and anticipates the skills and knowledge, growth of collective wisdom, continuously organization improvement, thinks learning as synonymous with working.
• Reinforcement for creating learning organization: partnership  and alliance, inspirational leadership, globalization, focus on competitive advantage, diversity, technology, creation of teams and flat organization structure, corporation striving to be " employer of choice".
• Employer wants employee who are capable of " Learning to learn".
• Training act as the tool to bring and sustain this continuous learning process of the organization. 

A Case for Training and Development (Lecture 1, 25th september)

In Hospitality Industry Today:

• It is no longer  acceptable to satisfy the guest.
• The key to guest loyalty and commitment is exceptional service and, when problems do occur, quick and precise recovery approaches.
• Today industry views that guest expectations must be met and exceeded.
• Now lifelong learning (through training) is today’s hospitality industry requirements.

Today’s Work Force:

• The employees’ values and expectations are changing with time.
• Employee will remain with the organization as long as they are developing skills and meeting or exceeding their expectations for skill development.
• Employers are providing learning opportunities and professional development in lieu of job security.
• Employees view competencies as an asset; which can be traded for higher salaries.
• Employees’ motivations are tied to training and growth opportunities.

Today Training has become the survival tool, because the industry has realized that the competition to recruiting and retaining quality employees defines the business success or gain competitive advantage. In order to reduce turnover which has severe impact of guest service, training in hospitality industry has become an important function of human resource department.

Training and the strategic plan:

• Strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more, how it's going to get there and how it'll know if it got there or not.
• It addresses three main areas: distinctive competence (something in which organization does exceptionally well), scope (range of market in which organization will compete), and resource deployment (how will it distribute resources across areas in which it competes). 
• Incorporating training into the organization’s strategic plan ensures that it builds up sustained competitive advantage over competitors.
• Viewing training as an on-going continual process, which will ensure the progress of employees and making clear connections between new skills and competencies and the positive effect on productivity and job performance or strategy.
• Relating comprehensive strategic training plan; in order to accomplishing organizational goals is today's industry demand.