Running head: FINAL EXAM

Final Exam HRM 326 Final Exam Contents of Interest The legal aspects of training have been an area of particular interest. The most interesting aspect was company liability. One common ground for not adhering to legal requirements such as OSHA, EEO, and Sexual Harassment was the likelihood of the company entering in the courtroom. When organizations fail to meet legal requirements they can be held accountable or partially responsible for any injury or illness that an employee, customer, or person within the organization at the time of the event may have suffered. Failure to meet legal requirements place organizations at greater risks for ruined reputations, loss in financial resources, high turnovers, low productivity, and so forth. Some of the information was reinforced such as Equity with EEO and Affirmative Action as well as OSHA and Sexual Harassment. Other areas such as the extent to which a company can be held liable for failure to meet legal requirements in the various areas is new information. In Sexual Harassment a special note was made to the liability a company may face for failure to identify, respond, or cease sexual harassment cases before they become too severe to correct. Ignoring the cases does not give the organization the benefit of a doubt but makes them completely liable for failing to provide a safe work environment for members of the organization including the victim. Content Key Areas Methods vary based on each one’s ability to assist in training. With this in mind, trainers must be able to weigh each method and determine the one most appropriate. Furthermore, methods can be divided as either cognitive or behavioral. Methods can be placed within categories and subcategories. Categories include lectures, games, simulations, on-the-job training, apprenticeship training, and visual aids. Subcategories range from discussions, role-playing, demonstrations, mentoring, to computer-generated dynamic presentations (CGDP). To ensure successful training the trainer must prepare, present, tryout, and follow up. All four steps are vital to the success of the information being trained. In addition, the trainer must grab the trainees’ attention, ensure retention, and observe behavioral reproduction. One could apply this approach with HomeFirst Mortgage Corp. (HFM) by determining which method or methods will be best suited. In this case HFM is a primarily home-based business spread across the United States with only a portion of employees working in company provided offices. This implies that HFM employees are not easily able to attend a classroom lecture or partake in a role-playing scenario. In a situation such as this the best methods to use would be computer-based lectures, webinars, or simulations. The ideal training would be over a short period such as 30 minutes to a maximum of one hour to help prevent the possibility of a personal or professional distraction. Short time frames will also help the employees’ with providing consistent attention. The training method used will help maximize their retention based on how interesting the method chosen is prepared and presented. Behavioral reproduction can be observed through revenue increases, customer complaints, and so forth. Strategic Role As a consultant, one would share vital facts with the Executive Committee pertaining to employee development. Employee development is essential in assisting with the success of any organization. Employee development is known positively to increase production, retention, recruiting, and revenues when correctly implemented in all areas including legal requirements, employee growth, and diversity. Employees want to be employed with organizations that support their growth within a healthy and legal environment. Employers who significantly promote diversity often recruit and retain diverse individuals who in turn offer the organization increased flexibility and creativity. Training in these areas is of particular interest. Failing to provide employee development within an organization can be damaging to a company’s revenues, reputation (locally and globally), and quality. Employers are more likely to have a loss in revenues from high turnovers, decrease in production, tenser environments, and less flexibility. Employers may be wind up in courtrooms facing fines, punitive damages, and much more from failing to meet legal requirements. This will also damage an employer’s reputation and limiting the recruitment selection to those not as qualified, which may reduce the quality of production.

References Blanchard, P. N., & Thacker, J. W. (2007). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Noe, R. A. (2005). Employee training and development (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.