Training and Development in HRM: Meaning, Processes, and Practical Examples

Training and development in HRM has emerged as the single most important driver of organisational success in 2025. In every company, an organization’s unique value, and driving force, are the people. While systems, machines, and organizational workflows support the structure of a company, it is the human/machine interface and the abilities of the workers that determine the level of efficiency and creativity in completion of the tasks. Because of this, training and development have been and continue to be a central focus in Human Resource Management (HRM). Today’s organisations hire talent, but, must be willing to invest in ongoing training to develop that talent. For Business students, practitioners in HR, and those with an interest in the behavior of organisations, the impact of training and development in HRM will forever transform the ways one thinks about learning in the workplace and employee development.

As a result of increasing global competition, technological advancement, and changes in the marketplace, the range of skills that an employee must possess in order to be relevant and productive is increasing. This is an industry advancement that all organizations must embrace. This article explains the meaning of training and employee development, the difference between training and development, the role of training and development in HRM, and real business examples that illustrate these concepts.

Training: Explanation and Objectives

Training is the process where employees gain and build the knowledge and skills that are required for their particular job and responsibilities. It is something that is practical and task-oriented and is for the short term. In Human Resources Management, the training is viewed as being both corrective and preventive. It is corrective when employees are not performing their duties as required and is preventive when organizations foresee the need for employees to acquire future skills and train employees for it.

Training is not just random, it is more focused and systematic. An example of this is when employees need to learn a new training software. Training will not just focus on what the system should do, e.g. logging in, making entries, running reports, and error correction strategies to do. This focus is what makes training an efficient process. This is done so employees can complete their jobs and effectively do so with confidence.

Employees are more stressed when training gaps are wider. It is not that employees do not care about their work, it is that many do not understand it, and training is an effective way to gain understanding. It allows employees not only to understand the work processes but their expectations, which allows them to complete work in a fast manner and with a reduced error rate.

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The Field of Development: Goals and Objectives

Unlike training, which adopts a narrower focus, development takes a broader, deeper, and more holistic view approach. Development is about enduring professional and personal growth. Development aims to evolve employees’ skills to meet an ever-changing array of roles and to ensure long-term advancement in their careers. It is less about specific tasks and more about building mental and emotional maturity, leadership, and strategic thinking.

Development isn’t something that can be accomplished in one session or workshop. It is a self-motivated, continuous, and ever-changing process, which is supplemented by HRM. It can include a variety of ongoing activities, such as mentoring, coaching, job rotations, feedback, personality tests, and leadership programs, as well as reflective activities. For instance, a potential future manager may be assigned decision-making responsibilities, or be asked to lead small teams, as a way to encourage their development. The aim is to prepare them for future roles, rather than to focus solely on improving their current performance.

In summary, development is about the future. Organizations depend on programs to be able to develop teams of capable decision-makers, problem-solvers, and innovators who will lead the organization in a dynamic environment.Difference Between Training and Development

These terms are commonly used in conjunction with one another in discussions surrounding the workplace. However, differences become evident when you study their nature and purpose. Training deals with current workplace needs and situation while development looks to the future. Training deals with workplace skills while development encompasses both the personal and the workplace.

Difference Between Training and Development

While training has to do with the short-term and is slightly more tactical and concrete in dealing with the needs of the individual in the workplace in terms of instruction, development is more long-term and more strategic in targeting the generic needs of the individual in the workplace with an aim for more holistic growth. Development, while still keeping the employee’s improvement in mind, changes the focus to enabling them to take on higher roles in the organization with more responsibilities.

While training is slightly more collaborative, with a guide or instructor who has more knowledge of the topic and the employees, development is more self-initiated with the individual gaining more control and steering the directions of the self-improvement. Training makes an employee more proficient in their role. Development, however, has the aim of gaining more vision for the organization and the employee’s role within it. Development changes the employee’s line of thought and how they perceive their work while training changes the tactical approach of the employee to a more refined one.

Both of these are not opposing features. They are both interdependent. If an organization does not focus on training, while having a plan for development, employees will not have the skills to take on higher roles. If an organization does not focus on development, while having a plan for training, employees will only have superficial skills on the existing roles, and they will not be inspired or proactive. In Human Resource Management, the focus is to have a balance combination of both.

The Value of Training and Development in HRM

The significance of Training and Development in HRM is profound. They are critical. Organizations require these attributes to harness a competitive workforce and optimize employee engagement to boost productivity and drive costs down. Let us analyze this sufficiency more closely.

When employees undergo training, there is a positive shift in performance as a result. Employees are more self-assured, grasp their role better, and execute their assignments with greater levels of sophistication. Such outcomes, in turn, enhance workflow, lessen the burden of managerial oversight, and allow supervisors to spend more time on tasks that require their full attention rather than on activities that are micromanaged.

Training and development in HRM fuel employee motivation. Employees appreciate being valued when their organizations embrace their development. They become more dedicated and satisfied with the organization. This is critical as turnover costs the organization more in both time and financial resources as it is more expensive to hire and train new employees than it is to develop the employees who are already in the organization.

From the organization’s standpoint, when there is a practice and policy of training and development, that organization is likely to have a competitive edge in adaptability. The business landscape is changing, whether it is new technology, new policy frameworks, or changes in customer behavior. Employees who are trained and developed respond to changes more readily. Employees who are under trained are a liability to the organization.

The best development programs incorporate succession planning . Organizations train employees to fill these positions rather than rely on external hiring for every managerial or strategic vacancy.

Training & Development Processes in Human Resources Management

There is a sequence to effective training and development in an organization, which should not be arbitrary.

1. Determining Needs

The first step is for HRM to know which skills or competencies are lacking. This can be derived from performance assessment, feedback from customers, a job analysis, interviews, or simply by watching. We are trying to make the gap less between what is expected to be done and what is actually done.

2. Formulating Emphatic Goals

Setting measurable goals is a prerequisite to the design of a program by HRM. Goals can be something like, ‘The time taken to complete billing by the employee should be less than two minutes’ or ‘The supervisor should be able to run a meeting within a team successfully.’

3. Program Planning

HRM decides on the content to be used, the tools and methods, trainers, and the time to be used. They choose the forms of training to be used, whether the training is to be practical or theoretical, on whether the training is to be online, on the job, or in a workshop.

4. Execution

After a program is designed, the next step is to implement the program. HR should ensure employees are present for training sessions, engaged in the training, and are given the required training materials.

5. Evaluation

After training or development programs are completed, HR is reviewing whether the objectives have been achieved. This can be achieved through tests, performance reviews, feedback sessions, or simply looking for improvements in the workplace.

Business Examples

Suppose a retail organization is frequently receiving complaints about the billing being slow. After performing a breakdown of specific tasks, HR determines that the employees do not have the necessary speed and accuracy in the billing system. A training session is conducted where employees learn to do live transactions, use shortcut keys, and process the system without making mistakes. After a month, complaints are no longer coming in, and customer satisfaction improves. This is a training counter example that focused on a performance problem.

Now imagine a young supervisor. This young supervisor lacks an ability to manage a team, but he does have the necessary technical skills for the job. HR puts this supervisor in a development program that consists of a series of workshops on leadership, paired with a mentor, and communication training. Over time, this supervisor became a confident and effective team manager. This example shows how development helps prepare employees for the future.

Types of Training in HRM

To avoid being too redundant, here is a composite explanation.

Training in HRM pertains to what is required of employees, which can be of various types. One form of training occurs in the workplace, in which employees learn by watching senior colleagues or doing tasks under a supervisor. This is referred to as on-the-job training. It is beneficial to the employer as employees learn while working.

Alternatively, training may occur in the absence of the workplace in the form of workshops, seminars, simulations, or discussions of cases. This is referred to as off-the-job training. This way, employees can learn concepts in more depth without distractions of the workplace.

Organizations may also provide the training of induction to help new employees understand the culture, rules, and expectations of the company. Technical training is also a norm when employees are required to operate machines or new software. Training on soft skills is also useful as it helps employees to communicate, work in a team, and solve problems, all of which is essential in nearly all the roles in today’s world.

Types of Development Methods in HRM

A more comprehensive approach is required for this kind of development. Employees are trained by more seasoned experts through coaching and mentorship for extended periods of time. Employees are moved through various departments on a temporary basis with job rotation. This method teaches them how various processes integrate. Leadership development programs are tailored for employees with high potential and are designed for strategic positions. Group work, simulations, and reflective learning are common features of these programs for employees to attain emotional and analytical intelligence.

Challenges in Training and Development

There are challenges associated with training and development, and though beneficial, they cannot be overlooked. One of the greatest challenges is ensuring the employee’s needs align with the organization’s requirements. There are essentially times when employees desire to advance in areas where the organization is in no way interested. Additionally, training doesn’t always have a visible outcome, and measuring the impact of the training is difficult. Without appropriate evaluation mechanisms, organizations are left to guess the results.

Quality deficits in training programs are caused by budgetary constraints. Employees might also oppose training if they believe it disrupts their routines or highlights their weaknesses. It is the responsibility of HRM to communicate to employees the importance of training to encourage their voluntary participation.The Future of Training and Development in HRM

Technology, personalization, and data-driven choices will determine the future of training and development in the field of human resources management. Employees will have access to flexible learning in the form of micro-learning and virtual simulations, as well as AI-based assessments for real-time learning feedback. The human component will nonetheless be a constant, as will the development, and most certainly, the human development of leadership, which will still be relationships, mentoring, and the use of emotional intelligence.

Conclusion

The activities associated with training and development in HRM are solely the responsibility of the HR department, and there’s still no clearer separation of these functions. Strategic considerations depict the competitive advantages of the modern organization. Training makes employees more competent and efficient in the performance of their present duties, while development equips the employees with the skills and competencies that will aid them in overcoming future obstacles. The distinction existing between training and development will be disbursed by HR with the information that will assist in the structuring of programs in an evolutionary format. Future workplaces will model evolved training, and organizations that continue to develop their employees and train them will enhance the competitiveness of their workforce and improve their overall productivity.

FAQs on Training and Development in HRM