Kmart Corporation

Kmart Corporation Calandra Kimbrough BUS 692 Strategies in Human Resource Management Dr. Lao January 21, 2013 Kmart is an American chain of discount stores headquartered in the United States. The chain purchased Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. Increasing productivity is one of the most critical goals in organizations such as Kmart. In this paper I will be assessing the technology requirements relevant to employee productivity, staffing systems, career development systems, and training systems used by Kmart. Training Training is essential when hiring new people to an organization.Training refers to the methods employers use to give new or present employees the skills they need to perform their jobs. Training is one of the most profitable investments an organization can make. No matter what business or industry you are in the steps for an effective training process are the same and may be adapted anywhere. The first step is establishi ng a needs analysis. Training needs analysis is a systematic method for determining what caused performance to be less than expected or required (Blanchard 2010). An effective training needs assessment analysis will help direct resources to areas of greatest demand.The assessment should address resources needed to fulfill organizational mission, improve productivity, and provide quality products and services. This step identifies activities to justify an investment for training. The techniques necessary for the data collection are surveys, observations, interviews, and customer comment cards. Several examples of an analysis outlining specific training needs are customer dissatisfaction, low morale, low productivity, and high turnover. The objective in establishing a needs analysis that is used at Kmart is to find out the answers to the following questions: – â€Å"Why† is training needed? â€Å"What† type of training is needed? – â€Å"When† is the training needed? – â€Å"Where† is the training needed? – â€Å"Who† needs the training? and â€Å"Who† will conduct the training? – â€Å"How† will the training be performed? By determining training needs, Kmart can decide what specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes are needed to improve the employee’s performance in accordance with the company’s standards. Training is necessary if you notice a need for performance improvements and operational problems and changes. The second step is developing training programs and manuals (Infande, 2012).This step establishes the development of current job descriptions and standards and procedures. Job descriptions should be clear and concise and may serve as a major training tool for the identification of guidelines. Once the job description is completed, a complete list of standards and procedures should be established from each responsibility outlined in the job description. Th is will standardize the necessary guidelines for any future training. The final step is evaluating your training program after you have initiated it. This step will determine how effective and profitable your training program has been.Methods for evaluation are pre-and post- surveys of customer comments cards, the establishment of a cost/benefit analysis outlining your expenses and returns, and an increase in customer satisfaction and profits (Infande, 2012). There are several obvious benefits for evaluating a training program. First, evaluations will provide feedback on the trainer’s performance, allowing them to improve themselves for future programs. Second, evaluations will indicate its cost-effectiveness. Third, evaluations are an efficient way to determine the overall effectiveness of the training program for the employees as well as the organization (Infande, 2012).Staffing Staffing systems involve complex processes and decisions that require organizational direction, coordination, and evaluation. Most organizations must create mechanisms for managing their staffing system and its components. Such management of staffing systems requires consideration of both administration and evaluation, as well as legal issues. Staffing factors may also cause problems. Some examples of why poor staffing can be a problem are too heavy a workload, an under staffing can cause people to make mistakes.Hiring people who are inexperienced to do the job which may have them making costly mistakes. Also hiring people who are lazy, or have bad attitudes can cause low morale among the workers that can lead to good people quitting. Career Development Providing ongoing career development programs is one strategy a business can use to retain employees and reduce turnover. It’s in the best interest of a company to ensure all employees are properly trained, kept up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in their field, and are generally interested in furthering th eir individual careers.The task of overseeing training programs and working with employees on assessing and improving their skill levels, as well as ensuring workers are in the position best suited to them is left to the career development manager. Kmart is becoming much more proactive in its training of employees. A great deal of importance has been placed on training and development. Kmart is starting to commit to helping its employees develop the skills needed to succeed in its retail and corporate environments. Conclusion The need for training your employees has never been greater.As business and industry continues to grow, more jobs will become created and available. Customer demands, employee morale, employee productivity, and employee turnover as well as the current economic realities of a highly competitive workforce are just some of the reasons for establishing and implementing training in an organization. To be successful, all training must receive support from the top man agement as well as from the middle and supervisory levels of management. It is a team effort and must be implemented by all members of the Kmart corporation staff to be fully successful.For a training program to be successful, the trainer should be conscious of several essential elements, including a controlled environment, good planning, the use of various training methods, good communication skills, and trainee participation (Infande, 2012). ? References Infande, D. A. (2012). The Four Basic Steps in the Training Process. Retrieved July 23, 2012 Blanchard, P. N. & Thacker, J. W. (2010). Effective Training: Systems, Strategies, and Practices (4th ed). Upper Saddle River, N. J: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 9780136078326