HRM Training

1. Introduction

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is one of biggest organization in Hong Kong owns 24000 employees, their mission is to provide total customer satisfaction through meeting the expectations of all customers and stakeholders. Therefore, it provides different training for staff, purpose to train their teamwork, communicate effectively and provide good customer service. Besides, the courses include business management, marketing promotion and customer service. It can make sure staff to obtain more skills and knowledge and it has the responsibility for society. With better staff, the organization will have more chances for them to develop the skills. Today, we focus on discuss HKJC Football betting service.

2. Describe the HRM Practice

HKJC Football has different bets mode to fulfill total customer satisfaction, allows to bet when and where it best suits for customers, e.g. Online Betting, Telephone Betting, etc.

We are focus on Telephone Betting training. In 2003, HKJC College adopted Internet-based training and CD self-study for assisting staff because they wanted to minimize employees being infected by SARS. This can make trainees to do self-study anywhere. But nowadays, the staff will have one week off-job training in training center.

Training process includes:
Day 1 – trainer mainly present on the Jockey Club profile, what services have been provided to customers and explain the terminology that trainees need to know in the job
Day 2 – still teach the theories and give a test with computer system to count marks at the end, everyone have two chances, if all fail, need to dismissal immediately
Day 3 – simulated training, teach how to use the system
Day 4 – simulated training and also provides a telephone recording for examination to test the level
Day 5 & 6 – After training in class, trainees will arrange to coach by experienced workers
Day 7 – Starting on job and observing by the supervisor at the beginning

3. Present the theory that you would like to analyze the HRM practice

Training methods

1) Lectures training – It is one of the common and traditional method to train up employee. The lectures whose familiar in the company general practice through power point or other aid to present the knowledge or theory and it is always the first step of training as the company have to give the basic knowledge to staff and made the further training can be implement more smooth and successful.

2) Computer- based training – This method means employee train by computer. It is software installed in a computer which included exercises tailor made for staff to test and review the skills and knowledge. The software provided interaction between user and computer. Once employee start training, it will show the exercise and question which close to the employee working saturation and ask them to choose the correct answer, the software then record the staff answer and reaction time. Finally, trainer can measure the trainee’s performance through the trainee record.

3) Simulated training – it is a center or a room which provide the same equipment the trainee need to use in the job. Company use this training method when trainee already understand the work procedure and almost able to doing the job. It requested the trainee to finish the whole procedure by themselves and record their performance for trainer asset their ability and make sure they know how to do when begin to work.

4) On-job training – employee coaching by experienced worker or supervisor, one on one, trainer first to demonstrate employee the skills, procedure and the things they need to notice in a normal working environment then the trainee have to copy the step which the coach transferred to them and make sure they can fulfill the company standard.

5) Audiovisual based training – company provide an audio material (e.g. CD-Rom) which contain the training content and let trainee to self learning.

4. Analyze the HRM issues(s) by using these theories/ models

Needs Analysis

1) Organizational Analysis
With a mission to provide total customer satisfaction through meeting and surpassing the expectations of all members and stakeholders. HKJC has launched a whole newly regulated football betting service in 2003. It needs to train up staff to be a good better to provide excellent customer service.

2) Task Analysis
Task analysis is used to identify the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the job adequately. It needs to enhance staff knowledge to about Football betting service. For example, Staff need to know the bet types, betting pools and gaming methods. Through the training, staff have the basic knowledge (KNOWLEDGE) about those gambling terms and help staff to be familiar with the betting procedure.(SKILLS)

3) Person Analysis
Find out staff’s weakness by appraisal form to provide training program to them. Through the training, staff can have improvement to meet HKJC’s expectation. For example, good greeting customers skills.
Also, according to the Maslow’s theory, a human being not just works for money but will seek for love and esteem this kind of psychology satisfaction. Provide training would help staff to feel respect by company and enhance their commitment. They also will be more confidence when completed the training because they would handle their work smoothly and accurately.

Training objective
The aimed at helping employees to get acclimatize football betting service and promote football betting services with maintaining the high quality football betting customer services.

Evaluation

1) Lecturing
Pros: -Employees will gain comprehensive information of the Club's core businesses.
-Able to train huge amount of employee at the same time and in a short period.

Cons: -It may not relate to the job duties, and trainee hard to concentrate.
-Not allow to estimate the trainee understanding.

2) Computer-based training
Pros: -Easily to remember the clear concept about different football betting terms and reduce learning time.
-Measure the trainee level in a accurate way.

Cons: -Each staff just have two chances to take the MC quiz, As you know, testing makes staff nervous and someone aren’t good at testing skills. It can’t reflect the actual working performance from the test.

3) Simulated training
Pros: -It helps staff to work in actual working environment and reduce mistake when beginning to work.
-More memorable and less pressure.
Cons: - Expensive

4) On job training
Pros: - Helps the tele-bet trainee quickly to pick up the job duties and familiar the working environment. - Coaching by trainer and get feedback on their performance immediately.
- Keep producing in training

Cons: -Trainee monitor by different supervisors. It is difficult to build up relationships experienced and decrease the loyalty to company. - Feeling confuse as coaching by different people and methods
- Feeling nervous and affect performance.

5) Audiovisual-based training
Pros: -Help staff easily to handle their timetable. Cons: -Staff may not have the motivation to have self study on those materials.
Follow up

HKJC also will review on their training methods. After training, the trainer or instructor needs to write report to share their views on the training methods. But Hong Kong Jockey Club does not have any follow up to the trainee, such as not providing someone to go or help trainee.

5. Present your arguments/comments/conclusion

When a part-time staff completed one week off-job training and pass the appraisal, then no training course will be given to them anymore. Therefore, we recommend the organization may give regular training for the part-time staff to keep their performance.

Besides, Hong Kong is an international city with different nationalities, so the language is also different, if the organization can provide different kinds of language courses to staff, employees will be able to enhance the face of difficulties about language.

Moreover, we suggest department manager to establish a report to evaluate the training according. The report must show the different results between getting the training course before and after. Is it getting better performance after the training or haven’t change? If no change, the company needs to provide more or fire them.

Then, HKJC College administers the training needs analysis (TNA) for staff to identify the employees’ learning needs. With this information, they can design the instructional content and materials. The training includes enhancing knowledge and broadening their horizons in soccer betting market via self-study CDs, giving guidance to new trainees through on-the-job training, teaching employees how to use the betting systems, greeting and serving customers via simulated call centre, as well as gaining a comprehensive understanding of the Club’s core businesses through lecturing.

HKJC has adopted the four-step training process: needs analysis, instructional design, implementation and evaluation. Through these steps, they can formulate a systematic and comprehensive training for their staff to boost work performance and efficiency. Based on the needs analysis, they have used a variety of training, each of which focuses on different skills areas. One advantage of providing varied training is that they can cater for individual’s learning needs.

Unfortunately, it is found that follow-up is not carried out in their model. They have not provided substitute staff to take the job of the staff who received training. This may cause some negative effects such as decreasing productivity or work efficiency, affecting counter service and staff morale.

It is suggested that follow-up should be administered. They could do a survey in the form of questionnaires and interviews so as to get the feedback from the trainees instead of just requiring the trainers to submit a report. With this information, they can improve the existing modes of training and learning materials for future training.

As a whole, HKJC has provided a comprehensive and high-quality training for their trainees. That’s why their customer service can remain high over the years.