Should organizations be more interested in training or HRD (Human Resource Development)?

To be successful in the current rapidly changing business environment, organizations need to maximize the productivity of all of their resources, include physical, financial, information, and human resources. Employees' development played crucial roles in acquiring competitive advantages from human resources.

Training is the process of providing employees with the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to help them perform their current job more effectively and efficiently (Dessler, Griffiths et al, 2004). The fundamental purposes of training are to help employees to achieve organizational goals and personal growth.

Whereas training focuses on skills needed to perform workers' current jobs, HRD is learning of a long term nature. It organized learning activities arranged within an organization in order to improve performance and personal growth for the purpose of improving the job, the individual, and the organization (Gilley and Eggland, 1989, p5).

Human Resource Development wasn't only about training employees, it also related to Human Resource Management, a field which includes HR research and information systems, union and labour relations, employee assistance, compensation and benefits, selection and staffing, performance management systems, HR planning, and organization job design (McLagan, 1989).

Human resources team works to improve customer ser...

Chris Martin

SCMHRD's auditorium

As the world shift to the knowledge economy, the organizations rise in need of intellectual property. Many organizations face the challenge of developing greater confidence, initiative, solutions-finding, and problem-solving capabilities among their employees. Organisations need employees and management at all levels to be more self-sufficient, resourceful, creative and autonomous. As the result, it enables staffs operate at higher strategic level, which makes organizations more productive and competitive.

However, conventional skills training give people new techniques and methods, it less likely to develop their maturity, belief, or courage, which is essential for the development of managerial and strategic capabilities. In fact, most of organizations considered that the future success of company depended on having staff who...