Significance of Training and Development in Human Resources

Training and Development
Student’s Name
Institution
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name
Date
Training and Development
I interviewed a Human Resource (HR) manager who works for a food processing company. He informed me that his roles in the company include recruiting new employees and laying off when necessary. The HR manager is also charged with the responsibility of spearheading and managing training programs in the company. His portfolio also delegated to him the responsibility of overseeing relationships between managers and employees. The HR manager undertook a degree course from the University of New Hampshire, where he majored in Business Administration. This is where he developed an interest in Human Resource Management and consequently obtained the necessary certifications to work in the field. He has worked in the company for the last four years, with the last being in a senior HR position. In essence, he has the necessary qualifications and experience to provide relevant answers to my questions.
The Significance of Training and Development as a Profession
In answering this question, the HR manager began by outlining his fundamental roles. He expounded on this by noting that an HR manager makes policies that influence behavior, attitude, and performance of employees in the organization (Noe, 2020). He further explained how training and development help in executing those roles with distinction. He began with the hiring and firing role which is one of the most visible highlights of his job. According to him, recruiting is one of the most important roles of his job. While recruiting, he must be meticulous to settle for employees who will add value to the company and enhance its competitive edge. Therefore, he must have a clear understanding of what every position entails and the relevant qualifications and skills needed in that respect. As such, he has to employ the right tools and knowledge that help in determining excellent performers with precision.
As an HR manager, it is incumbent upon him to promote and enhance diversity and inclusivity in the company to improve its general image. Training and development offer insights on how to maintain such a balance. As the HR manager put it, development is also critical because it prepares people for future challenges. He was quick to note that the business environment is a dynamic one and therefore susceptible to changes. As an HR manager, emotional intelligence development helps in understanding, evaluating, and improving employees’ emotions. It also helps in creating a friendly working environment and scaling up interpersonal relationships among employees. As a consequence, employees feel valued which encourages their engagement, thereby enhancing productivity.
The Implications of Lifelong Learning
According to the HR manager, the main reason for lifelong learning is to enhance personal development. He informed me that it lifelong learning is basically the learning that an individual acquires inside and outside formal institutions. He emphasized that the business world is evolving by the day and it is therefore imperative for every professional to keep on learning to keep pace with the changing dynamics. This is consistent with Noe (2020) who notes that lifelong learning is important in the culture of a learning organization. As per the HR manager, lifelong learning helps one to achieve full potential by acquiring new ideas. In the wake of changing technology, it is necessary to have learning as a continuous process. This is also because it plays a significant role in enhancing innovative capabilities of employees (Budhiraja et al., 2019). The HR manager argued that advances in technology had significantly helped in the achievement of these aspects. The HR manager also pointed out the importance of lifelong learning by emphasizing that it reenergizes one’s self-motivation and confidence. He also opined that it plays a pivotal role in enhancing one’s professional knowledge and skills.
Self-motivation plays an integral role in influencing lifelong learning. The HR manager contended that by improving self-motivation, one stands a better chance of promotion as a result of improved performance. In essence, a self-motivated person relates well with colleagues at work, which is a crucial element. The HR manager confided in me that after embracing lifelong learning, he had become a much better manager who sets a good precedent at work. Lifelong education had also equipped him with the requisite skills and knowledge he required in executing his mandate with optimum results. This was mainly because it had bolstered his confidence, which had driven him to approach situations with renewed vigor and optimism. Lifelong learning had also helped him to keep abreast of the sophistication in technology, especially in the communication area (Noe, 2020). This had helped in maintaining his relevance. The HR manager informed me that in his case, he had incorporated both formal and informal learning to achieve this end. According to him, lifelong learning can be achieved through extensive reading, exchange programs, observing others, institution-based learning, and training. He noted that lifelong learning had become much easier as a result of the huge strides made in technology. He elaborated on this by pointing out how easy it had become to interact with people from different backgrounds and cultural inclinations. He intimated that lifelong learning had adequately equipped him with the skills to deal with people from all walks of life. In conclusion, he pointed out that any company that hopes to have a competitive edge must embrace and promote lifelong learning amongst employees.
Pieces of Advice
A key piece of advice from the HR manager is that consolidating one’s influence on the employees should be the consuming desire of every manager the world over. However, he pointed that it is not an easy thing to achieve. As such, it was inevitable for any manager to exhibit unrelenting commitment and absolute caution toward this end. Through this interview, I learned two important lessons from the HR manager: how to become a good manager and the importance of lifelong learning.
The HR manager gave me invaluable insights into being a good manager who will be liked and respected in equal measure. I gathered from him that a manager is a role model and employees, especially young, ones look up to them for motivation. As such, managers should strive to uphold ethical standards at all times. They should have the ability to assess and understand the emotions of all employees and know how to engage with all of them despite their shortcomings. From the interview, I gathered that creating a conducive working environment is critical in enhancing its competitive edge. In addition, I learned that for one to become a pragmatic and effective manager, it was imperative to undergo training and personal development programs.
The other thing I learned from the interview is that lifelong learning is an important component of any employee or company. The HR manager implicitly taught me that every professional must prioritize and make it an integral part of their working lives. He informed me that it does not have to include formal learning and that it all depends on an individual’s hunger for acquiring new ideas and skills. I learned from him that lifelong learning is important given the changing times and other dynamics. Moreover, he reminded me that for anyone to have an enhanced competitive edge, lifelong learning was inevitable. In a word, I learned that lifelong learning results in a permanent change in such aspects as knowledge, skills, behaviors, and competitiveness, which is consistent with what I learned from Noe (2020). As such, companies must endeavor to cultivate a learning culture among the employees.
Changes in Training and Development and its Determinants
The HR manager conceded that there have been drastic changes adopted in the training of HR managers in recent times. These changes have been necessitated by advances in technology, economic decline, and a new generation of employees (Milligan, 2017). According to the HR manager, many companies are adopting technology-based training. As a result, training has become more effective compared to the past. Another factor that has contributed to these changes is the growing competition for skilled workers. ...