Auditing Learning Orientation of Non-Supervisory Staff

The learning of non-supervisory staff is very critical for the effective functioning of the organization. The workmen or supervisory staff, office staff, needs continuous updating knowledge and skills. They create lot of brand image. Hence, it is important to that they learn and build their own capacities. This section measures the extent to which they have learning capability or the extent to which they has created and facilitated their learning and development capability.

Various dimensions to audit are listed below.

Training: In-house

• Nature, frequency and utility of the programs.
• Seriousness and support on the part of organization.
• Employee attitudes and learning.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.

Training: Outside

• Nature, frequency and utility of the programs.
• Seriousness and support on the part of organization.
• Employee attitudes and learning.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.

Multi-skill Activities like Job Rotation

• Policies, mechanisms and experience of supervisory staff in using multi-skill mechanisms.
• Attitudes of the organization to learn and benefits from these programs.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.

Cross-functional Teams and Work Groups

• Policies, mechanisms and experience of supervisory staff of using this method.
• Attitudes of these teams.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.

Health, Safety and Environment related Activities including Training

• Attitudes of the employees towards health, safety and environment.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.

Quality Circles, Shop Floor Councils, and Such Other Small Groups Activities

• Policies, mechanisms and experience of supervisory staff of using this method.
• Attitudes of the participating employees.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.

Suggestion Schemes

• Employees’ enjoyment in participation of scheme.
• Ways their suggestions get treated.
• Managerial response to suggestions: extent to which they encourage creativity, challenge and talent building.
• Widespread use of the scheme.
• More emphasis on learning attitude of employees than on the source itself and its structure and implementation.

Communication from HRD, Top Management etc.

• Extent to which circulars and communications from HR department and management are informative.
• Methods of communication: oral or written.
• Credibility of communication.
• Attitudes of employees to the communication and the extent to which they use them as learning opportunity.

Self-initiated Activities of the Union and Other Bodies

• Learning activities initiated by employee teams and unions to facilitate learning and growth among employees.
• Extent to which this is done and its impact.

Other Activities Unique to the Organization

• Efficacy and coverage of the organization.
• Learning value and attitude to learn from these activities on the part of employees.

Assessment Methods for Learning Orientation of non-supervisory staff

• Interviews of the Staff: It can be conducted to assess the above dimensions of the learning orientation of the non-supervisory staff
• Questionnaire: Questionnaire can be developed to assess the potential and extent to which these sources are used and extent to which they are taken seriously by the employees.
• Observation Methodology: Observing class rooms, trainers, environment, learning culture, cross functional teams, Quality circles, Shop floor councils or such other group activities in operation, any project or sessions on Health, Safety and Environment, circulars and other communication.
• Secondary Data Analysis
• Information on nature and number of training programs conducted, budget allocated, benefits of the session.
• Job rotations affected.
• Innovations and reports of cross functional teams and quality circles.
• Number and nature of suggestions received, their acceptation and rejection.
• Precious communications and records, in-house newsletters, etc.
• Records and documents for union’s office.