Proposed Training Program for Hotel New Hires - Research Proposal Example

Proposed Training Program for Hotel New Hires Name Course Name and Code Instructor’s Name Date Introduction The newly hired employees are susceptible to injuries; research has it that looking at the workplace accidents statistics, newly hired employees are the most likely to get involved in injuries. It is also essential to note the new employees are more than just the newly hired. The newly hired in most cases are young with inadequate workplace experience; they lack the necessary safety training and job knowledge to perform their duties safely and efficiently in their new workplace. Safety culture within any company is a factor that is rarely understood despite its significance; in this regard it is important to conduct safety training for the newly hired employees. The HR department should and must always be on the forefront to make sure that newly hired employees are given intensive safety training for them to be aware and cautious of their workplace. The safety program is primarily designed to provide the safety familiarization. The competitiveness of any company is not only catapulted by extensive marketing coupled with intensive marketing strategies but also recognizing the value of workplace safety and training employees on the same. The training might require several weeks or even extent to months in order to fully familiarize the newly hired employees with the company safety policies, safety practices and the overall safety culture. This document is a proposed safety training program for the newly hired hotel employees. The Learning Needs Organizational Hotel organizations provide workplace environment that must be handled with extreme safety precautions. Employees, guests and the owners of the hotel must always feel safe. In regard, there are various safety needs that must be met in order to ensure safe hotel working environment (ISHN, 2013). The company must always be prepared to handle or control any hazardous events. For instance, the management needs to train their employees on safety matters particularly in the workplace. This training must be on an ongoing basis where employees are continuously updated on the new safety techniques and procedures (ISHN, 2013). The newly hired hotel employees are a resource to the company and the organization must work to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary workplace safety skills (Stuhlmacher & Cellar, 2012, p. 14). Various safety topics must be designed and taught accordingly to make sure that all essential workplace safety elements are tackled conclusively. These can be achieved through; Hotel organization needs to commit, strongly advocate for safety as an essential part of the organizational culture. Workplace safety and health must be integrated into the business plan and be incorporated in all facets of the business. The organization need to write a safety policy emphasizing workplace safety and health. They also need to commit enough resources including money and time to ensure employee protection (Stuhlmacher & Cellar, 2012, p. 45). Must make it a mandate for newly hired employees to undertake or participate in safety training. For instance, all employees must know that safe work practice is the way of the business (ISHN, 2013). The organization must also promptly respond to reports of unsafe conditions or workplace practices. When the injuries and accidents occur in the workplace the organization must take it seriously and investigate the cause. And finally, the employer must strive beyond regulations and address all workplace hazards. The employer needs to involve employees; a safer and healthier workplace is always driven by employees and it is regarded as the employee’s responsibility (Erickson, 2006, p. 23). The organization in this respect must encourage employee involvement in the training program to make the agenda a success. For instance, everyone should do his part; this can be achieved through establishing an active workplace safety and healthy committee, safety inspection should and must be done daily basis and should be part of the employee’s job (Hopwood & Thompson, 2006, p. 102). Employees should also be kept informed of safety checks and balances. The employer also needs to actively identify and control hazards; for instance, before controlling any hazard you must have identified it (Erickson, 2006, p. 56). Reviewing records about accidents, injuries, illnesses and close calls; reviewing OSHA logs, first aid logs, workers’ compensation reports and complaints; and look for the trends of common factors like types of injuries, location, equipments, protective equipment and departments. Safety regulations must and should always be adhered to by the company. The employer must identify the OSHA regulations that significantly affect their workplace and comply with them accordingly. In the same line of argument, the employer needs to train the personnel about the workplace hazards and strive to protect them (Erickson, 2006, p. 121). This can be accomplished by general safety orientation for new employees and employees starting new jobs. They must also receive specific training on hazards that directly result from their specific jobs. Supporting the safety culture is one of the fundamental duties of any organization (Erickson, 2006, p. 81). The organization need to instill safety values in their employees making sure that workers hold safety as a core value. People People are the most valuable organizational assets. It is therefore important for the organization to assist this resourceful resource to be safe in their workplace thus providing them with sufficient safety information, safety training, work instructions, and supervision (Stuhlmacher & Cellar, 2012, p. 72). The employees and the entire workforce of any given company are exposed to numerous safety concerns. They need adequate knowledge and understanding with regard to safety issues in order to counter or tackle hazardous situation promptly. Injury prevention, following the job specific procedures, and using the approved work methods is all that employees need to ensure a safer working environment (Hopwood & Thompson, 2006, p. 61). Task Task safety analysis is a tool aimed at identifying the likelihood of the occurrence of a workplace hazard. It is used to control or reduce the risk associated with identified hazards. This might include impact of hazards like falling objects, penetrative or sharp objects, and falls from the elevated work platform, ladders, or stairs (Stuhlmacher & Cellar, 2012, p. 76). Electrical hazard, exposure to vibrating power tools, excessive noise, cold or heat, harmful gases and vapour, liquids, fumes, and dust. Job safety analysis is an important aspect because it helps in mitigating injuries, accidents, and incidents at the workplace. It helps in determining and establishing work procedures that will work best for a specific job (Stuhlmacher & Cellar, 2012, p. 102). The most essential component of a safety and health management system within any given organization and hence job safety assessment must always be conducted (Hopwood & Thompson, 2006, p. 11). Literature Review The workplace is continuously and rapidly being integrated in order to sharpen the company’s competitiveness. These technologies come with different and enormous risks both to the employees, the organization, and specific job tasks. The introduction of these new technologies in the workplace demands for safety training of the employees in order to increase employee workplace awareness, improve their performance, get the desired outcomes, reduce the incident and accident rates at the workplace, and/or create a workplace safety culture (WHO, 2009). The cost incurred in training new employees is extremely high; however the outcomes or benefit outweighs the cost. Safety training critics argue that it is the responsibility of the school system to equip the students with the necessary workplace skills for them to become workers; and also it is the duty of workers to learn the techniques and procedures of a job in order for them to be hired (WHO, 2009). To some extent, this argument can be regard as a plain fact; contrastingly, it does put into consideration that the school learning settings are different from the workplace settings. In this regard it is essential and relevant for employers to train the newly hired particularly in safety matters with regard to their workplace. We can sum up by saying the only reason why not to train a newly hired employee in workplace safety is the cost that comes with the training (Sullivan, 2003, p. 12). However, it has been established by many researchers into this subject that if any company has high employee turnover, then training the newly hired employees will automatically integrate their productivity. The employees will feel valued and they will regard themselves as important part of the company (ISHN, 2013). They will have a positive attitude about the company and hence work safely to make sure that they deliver safe results when tackling their specific tasks. Reducing absenteeism and employee turnover is a vital factor in ensuring high end company performance. The safety training program in this regard must set specific goals and responsibilities that must be met by the newly hired employees. Given this fact, prior to commencement of job specific duties, the organization’s management must put forward safety objectives that must be learned appropriately to equip the newly hired employees with the necessary safety skills and knowledge. For instance without these specific objectives, the new employees can easily overlook essential safety performance thus missing the direction and focus of the safety culture within the organization (Sullivan, 2003, p. 31). Consequently, it can lead to increased rates of workplace incidents and accidents. Equally important, after setting specific safety objectives that must be learned by the new employees; the organization must use experienced personnel in workplace safety matters in order to provide a one-on-one training. This will ensure that the job specific safety standards, practices, procedures, the acceptable work methods and the overall safety culture are conveyed in a positive and correct manner (Hopwood & Thompson, 2006, p. 46). The one-on-one training is the one of the most appropriate ways of conveying significant safety information as well as offering the best potential for maximum retention. Accordingly, this mentoring kind of training offers employees with an opportunity to be free and ask questions that might raise concerns; furthermore it personally demonstrates the safety culture of the organization (Cooper, 2006, p. 121). The trainer in this perspective can observe the new employee which makes it easier to prevent bad safety habits and instilling new and safer behaviours. When the employee develops good safety habits it will to great advantage for the company. Workplace safety advocates have concluded that safe workplace habits learned correctly are easier to retain and sustain. Reviewing and evaluating the training is very important; in this respect, the training program should be undertake to full completion and should be well understood by new employees in order for them to apply the acquired safety skills in their real job context. Consequently, their ability to apply good safety performance will actually indicate that these employees can develop good work habits thus building their confidence (Cooper, 2006, p. 63). Reviewing the training program also provides a check-and-balance system that confirms whether the correct safety training took place, and that the acquired safety skills will be put into practice. The training evaluating team should check to ensure that the newly hired employees will be able to maintain the safety standards specified in the safety training objectives (Piers & Balk, 2009, p. 73). The organization must also make sure that the trainees are a signed a safety buddy who will check the new employee’s safety performance several times a day (Cooper, 2006, p. 78-79). It is also recommended that if the safety buddy is unable to work all the time with the new employee all the time, he/she must avail himself/herself several times to check the new employee’s safety performance. The buddy system has been forwarded and recommended by many safety accolades to be the best system in translating safety training from theory and making it an active reality. Like any other trainings, safety training for new employees must have a follow up. The organization’s safety manager, the safety supervisor and even the plant or organization’s general manager should at least appear once during the safety training session (Piers & Balk, 2009, p. 86). This will show how important the training is and that the new employees should work to ensure safety is adhered to across the workplace. The worst thing that can be done by an organization is turn new employees loose only giving them limited time or amounts of check-ups. The stop-over by the stated high profile employees instils a positive habit about workplace safety. In this regard, the newly hired employees will understand that safety performance is significant and must be fully adhered to. Consequently, it shows the company strongly advocate for a safer working environment. Active participation of employees in the safety training is critical in making sure that they really are getting the concept. New hires should not be always on the receiving end during the training process. The trainers must work to ensure full active participation of all the participants in the safety training. The safety activities for instance, confined space entry permitting, equipment inspection, audits, accident investigations and the entire safety training must be taken actively by all the safety trainees. Seeing the safety in action will make the new hires is essential in allowing them view and understand what is meant by safety performance. Furthermore, the understanding that there are checks and balances in safety will strongly anchor the safety performance culture across the entire organization. Similarly, setting the safety cultural boundaries for the new hires is extremely important. The training program should make sure that nothing that can compromise workplace safety is taken for granted. For instance, the new hires should be given an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned through the training (Piers & Balk, 2009, p. 88). They should put the skills learnt at work. And accordingly, one time training and demonstration should not be the end, the new employees should be informed that there will be subsequent safety trainings. The training expectations for new employees should be clearly set; developing safe behaviour demonstrates safe performance which on the other hand confirms the safety culture that is desired by the company. Monitoring and evaluating the training is very important. This will let new employees perceive nothing else but their safety performance. And they should be made to understand that whet they do in their everyday work routine will the best training scenario for them. Program Design Who is in it? Newly hired hotel employees What is the program? Training program for the new hires in the hotel How to do the program The training process will involve the use of materials, hand book, and work shop. The materials like audio tapes, videos and documentaries about workplace safety will be used to teach the newly employed personnel about workplace safety (Piers & Balk, 2009, p. 34). The detailed handbooks will also be used where by the trainers will distribute trainees in different groups and give them a handbook to discuss various workplace safety issues and how they can be mitigated. The work shops will provide a tremendous interactive training where the newly hired employees will be able to actively discuss safety matters with their trainers. Methods of Training This training program will use three training methods; Classroom, Hands-on, and Interactive methods. Classroom training: it is the most popular training technique that uses the following training devices; blackboard or whiteboard, Overhead projectors, Video portions, PowerPoint presentation, and story telling (Hughes & Ferrett, 2009, p. 45). This method is efficient for presenting large body materials to both small and large groups of trainees, it is personal type of training, and above all it is cost effective. Interactive Training: this method of training encourages keeps trainees attentive throughout the training session. For instance it involves quizzes, small group discussions, case studies, role playing, demonstrations, and participant control (Hughes & Ferrett, 2009, p. 102). The training is highly interactive thus it is essential in keeping the trainees engaged all the time. Training is made to be fun and enjoyable. It provides a way for the tutor and other training personnel to convey the information while also allowing the trainees to air their views (Hughes & Ferrett, 2009, p. 76). Hands on Training: this method offers more effective and efficient training techniques for the trainees; it involves cross-training, coaching, demonstrations, apprenticeships, and drills. The hands-on training is mostly effective in teaching new procedures and new equipments; it is the readily applicable training to the employees’ immediate jobs (Hughes & Ferrett, 2009, p. 67). Through this training it is easier to determine if the employee acquired the skills. Training schedule Training Elements Performance Criteria Training topics Learning outcomes Week 1. Follow workplace procedures to identify the hazards and risk control i. Recognize workplace hazards and report to the designated personnel according to the procedure. ii. Workplace procedures and instructions for controlling risks are followed accurately (WorkCover Corporation, 2009) The safety law Health and Hygiene Recognizing safety hazards Manual handling Noise in the workplace Machines and equipment safety Personal protective equipment Working in confined spaces Recognize and report hazard Identify and follow safe work practices Recognize hazards and causes i.e. physical, mechanical, chemical and environmental (WorkCover Corporation, 2009) iii. Workplace procedure for dealing with accidents, fires, and emergencies are followed accordingly within the scope of the responsibilities and competencies Safety law Recognizing safety hazards emergency procedures Claims management and rehabilitation Understand emergence procedures and follow instructions Prevent fire and follow control procedures Identify designated personnel and report accident and injury Locate first aid facilities in the workplace (WorkCover Corporation, 2009) Week2. Contribute to participative arrangements for the management of occupational health and safety i. Occupational health and safety issues are raised with designated personnel in accordance with workplace procedures and relevant occupational health and safety legislation ii. (WorkCover Corporation, 2009) The safety law Health and Hygiene Recognizing safety hazards Manual handling Noise in the workplace Machines and equipment safety Personal protective equipment Emergency procedures (WorkCover Corporation, 2009) Understand safety laws and the employee and employer responsibilities Understand role of health and safety representative and identify representative Understand and follow workplace safety procedures Recognize, identify and follow safety signs Identify and report hazards. iii. Contribute to participative arrangements for occupational health and a safety arrangement in the workplace within organizational procedures and scope of responsibilities and competencies (WorkCover Corporation, 2009) The safety law Health and Hygiene Recognizing safety hazards Manual handling Noise in the workplace Machines and equipment safety Personal protective equipment Working in confined spaces Emergency procedures Understand the role and functions of health and safety representative and health and safety committee Recognize and identify hazards and report to the designated personnel Participate in hazard inspection (WorkCover Corporation, 2009). Program Evaluation The proposed training program for the hotel new hires will be evaluated using the Kirkpatrick evaluation model. This model is the most used and accepted evaluation training model as it focuses on what must be evaluated (Kraiger, 1993). Four levels of outcomes of training that are hierarchical in order are used in the process of evaluation (Kirkpatrick, 1998). These levels include trainee reaction to the training, the degree of learning, the learned behaviour, and the final organization results. Reaction: this level evaluates the initial reactions of the trainees to a course. For instance, it gives or offers insights to the trainees, a perception of value, and the level of satisfaction of the course(Kraiger, 1993, p.321). There are three types of reactions that exhibited and measured; emotional reaction, perceived reaction, and the difficulty of the training (Kirkpatrick, 1998). Learning: this measures the level of understanding or amount of learning that the participants get from the training and also determines how much behaviour can change on the job (Kraiger, 1993). It mainly focuses on the acquisition of skills and knowledge; however, training can modify participant’s attitudes and values (Kirkpatrick, 1998). The three learning outcomes that are measured at this level are: cognitive outcomes, skill-based outcomes and attitudinal outcomes. Behaviour: this measures the degree of transfer from what the trainee learned from the training to how the employee behaves on the job. This evaluation determines how much impact the training had on the organization. Fundamentally, this evaluation measure is anchored on the course objectives that are tested through observation, tests, surveys, and interviews with co-workers (Kirkpatrick, 1998). Results: this level measures organizational and business impacts of the training. It is usually done using different measurements; tracking the business measurement, observations, surveys and interviews are the commonly used (Kirkpatrick, 1998). Examples of these measures are the level of productivity, customer satisfaction, morale, profitability and efficiency. References Cooper. D. (2006).The impact of management’s commitment on employee behaviour: A field study. American Society of Safety Engineers. 3 18-22. Retrieved from http://www.behavioral-safety.com/articles/Impact_of_Management_Commitment.pdf Piers, M., M. & Balk, A. (2009). Safety culture for the ECAST. Safety Management System Working Group. Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory. Kirkpatrick D. (1998) “Evaluating Training Programmes: The Four Levels”, Berrett-Koechler Publishers Kraiger K., Ford J., and Salas E. (1993.) “Application of cognitive, Skill-based, and Affective Theories of Learning Outcomes to New Methods of Training Evaluation”, Journal of applied Psychology, 78(2), April 1993, pp. 311-328 WorkCover Corporation (2009) Workplace Health and Safety Training Resource Kit. Retrieved on 8/6/2013, from; http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/uploaded_files/resWHSTrainingResourceKit.pdf ISHN (2013) Safety Training For New Employees. Retrieved on 8/6/2013, from; http://www.ishn.com/articles/safety-training-for-new-employees Hughes, P., and Ferrett, E., (2009) Introduction to health and safety at work. Melbourne: Elsevier Sullivan, D. (2003) Tolley's fire safety training manual London:Taylor & Francis Erickson, P. A. (2006) Emergency Response Planning for Corporate and Municipal Managers. Toronto: Butterworth-Heinmann Stuhlmacher, F. A. and Cellar, D. F. (2012) The psychology of workplace safety. New York:American Psychological Association Hopwood, D. and Thompson, S. (2006) Workplace Safety: A Guide for Small and Midsized Companies. New York: John Willey & Sons WHO (2009). Global Status Report on Road Safety: Time for Action. World health Organization Read More