MAKE A RESPONSE TO THIS ARTICLE AND ANSWER THE DISCUSSION QUESTION

Article Summary:

A recent study has determined that employees view a workforce culture that embraces learning and development as a necessity (Perna, 2022). Companies are being faced with two challenges, the first challenge is a shortage of talent and the other is a gap in skills (Perna, 2022).

Training is moving towards more thoroughly including the following areas, technology, diversity, and mental health (Perna, 2022). This training must be generation specific, because there are currently four generations working and each have different strengths and weaknesses (Perna, 2022).

Since the pandemic, employers need to support the mental health of their workers more than ever (Perna, 2022). Life skills that can be taught through training include emotional, social, and cognitive skills and these can improve mental health (Perna, 2022).

Employers are more likely to retain their employees if they provide continuous training (Perna, 2022). Some employees are getting training outside of their job to ensure they remain in a competitive position (Perna, 2022). This training gives the employee skills which can result in career advancement either with their current employer or a different employer (Perna, 2022). Since we are in the Great Resignation retention is important (Perna, 2022).

Some of the reasons why people found the training lacked effectiveness was because the training was not fully relevant, lacked employee control, and/or lacked social interaction (Perna, 2022). Therefore, employers need to take their employees' voices into consideration so that the training is a good fit for the employees receiving it (Perna, 2022).

Connection to Training and Development:

The impact that context has on training is made abundantly clear by both the textbook (chapter 1) and the article (Perna, 2022; Saks & Haccoun, 2019).

To begin, the environment is affected by the increased use of technology, demographics which is currently composed of four working generations, and the labour market which is suffering from a skills gap, all of which in turn affect the organization (Perna, 2022; Saks & Haccoun, 2019).

Next, the organization must form a strategy that will determine how they will achieve a specified competitive advantage, if organizations have a culture of learning and development that itself can act as a differentiator (Perna, 2022; Saks & Haccoun, 2019).

Then, the HR system must help the strategy (L&D culture) be achieved (Perna, 2022; Saks & Haccoun, 2019). Most HR managers are planning on spending more on learning and development which will help them achieve their strategy (Perna, 2022; Saks & Haccoun, 2019).

Finally, the HR system will result in training that will improve employee performance which benefits the entire organization (Saks & Haccoun, 2019). Overall, the training will help employees reduce the gap in skills, work well with technology, and will help the members of different generations work better together (Perna, 2022; Saks & Haccoun, 2019).

Discussion Question:

Do you think there are other ways of accomplishing the following - help employees reduce the gap in skills, work well with technology, and will help the members of different generations work better together - without fostering a culture of learning and development (Perna, 2022; Saks & Haccoun, 2019)? Please explain why.