Shift from traditional long training programs to more flexible and efficient approaches such as e-learning and shorter, targeted training sessions. Implement competency frameworks to ensure that training is tailored to specific job roles and business needs, and to enable more focused assessment of employee performance. Develop a knowledge-sharing culture wanyo27@gmail.com DRAFT OF THIS ESSAY Assignment Workload: • This Assignment comprises of a short Case. • Assignments are to be submitted by each student individually. Assignment Purposes/Learning Outcomes: After completion of Assignment one students will be able to understand the following • LO1: To understand the role of human resources within the organization. • LO2: To differentiate between the major functions of Human Resources and their interdependency. Read the case given below and answer the questions: Meltos Co.is one of the world’s largest bakery businesses with a significant market share in many of the world’s biggest bakery markets, including many emerging markets. It has a long and proud tradition, stretching back more than 150 years, including a long history of developing its employees, which has remained part of its ethos during its progress to becoming a global company. Despite very positive sales figures over the last 12months, Meltos Co. has prioritized streamlining the business to make it more competitive and has placed a strong emphasis on reducing costs over the next 18 months. Despite being keen to preserve its longstanding reputation as a firm that is committed to developing all its employees, in respect of learning and development, this ‘streamlining’ activity has focused on: • ensuring a clear return on investment in training activities • changing the way that learning programs are delivered and being more creative in developing approaches to learning. • connecting training activities to the strategic needs of the firm. The most important driver of the assessment of its training provision at Meltos Co.is change. Whilst performing well in the marketplace, senior management continue to express discontent with levels of productivity and employee performance. Moreover, senior management has determined that the company needs to become more flexible and adaptable to respond to change in its market context, for example by an ability to adapt organizational structures to meet new business needs or through the introduction of technological innovation. Therefore, Meltos Co. wants to move towards a system of continuous improvement by creating a culture whereby workers are empowered to implement small incremental changes, rather than have substantial change imposed on them from time to time. Traditionally, training needs analysis at Meltos Co. has been ‘gap-led’. In other words, training tends to be focused where Meltos Co. identifies a gap in capability – for example, where the introduction of new technology requires worker skill to be updated, company policy is changed or a key worker leaves the firm, requiring training to be provided to their replacement. Typically, this gap-led identification of need is conducted at a local level, with little reference made to the wider national or international workforce. Currently, the company runs several large training events each year designed to update manufacturing staff on everything from health and safety changes, business strategy and company performance to the adoption of new production technology. This is sometimes coupled with skills training for these workers as and when appropriate. The head of learning and development, (L&D)responding to a call to cut costs from the HR director, is now of the opinion, however, that such long training programs, often of up to three or four days, are no longer the most cost-effective and efficient means by which to develop the staff. Such training has the dual problem of requiring regular investment and repeat sessions to cover workers on different shifts or at different plants, as well as leading to undesirable downtime of certain aspects of production. In particular, the head of T&D is keen to reduce the reliance onexternal training providers to design and deliver interventions to different workforce groups, from senior management to shop-floor workers. Nabeel , the head of learning and development at Meltos Co. recently attended a seminar at a local university on ‘the changing nature of workplace HRM’. He was slightly alarmed to find out that much of the company’s practice was seen as outdated. In particular, he was interested in examining how some more contemporary approaches and techniques in HRM could help the company both reduce costs and better performance through continuous improvement. Questions 1. What changes would you recommend that Meltos Co. make to their current learning and development provision to reduce costs and improve performance?(4 Marks) 2. Discuss how e-learning, competency frameworks and improved knowledge-sharing at Meltos Co. might help to cut costs and make the HRM at Meltos Co. more strategic.(4 Marks) 3. How might the firm seek to ensure a return on investment for its learning and development activity?(4Marks) 4. How effective is training in the organization you work for and mention a few methods being used for effective development?(3 Marks) Answers: Introduction: Meltos Co. is a bakery business that has a long history of developing its employees. The company’s priority is to streamline the business and reduce costs while preserving its reputation for employee development. This paper will suggest changes to Meltos Co.’s learning and development provision, discuss how e-learning, competency frameworks, and improved knowledge-sharing can help the company cut costs and make HRM more strategic. Additionally, the paper will explain how the firm can ensure a return on investment for its learning and development activity. Changes to learning and development provision: Meltos Co. can make the following changes to reduce costs and improve performance: a) Shift from traditional long training programs to more efficient approaches such as e-learning and shorter, targeted training sessions. b) Implement competency frameworks to tailor training to specific job roles and business needs and to enable focused assessment of employee performance. c) Develop a knowledge-sharing culture that empowers workers to implement small incremental changes. d) Explore in-house training options to reduce reliance on external training providers and align training content with company-specific needs. E-learning, competency frameworks and improved knowledge-sharing: Implementing e-learning can help Meltos Co. cut costs by reducing the need for physical classroom training, reducing travel costs, and allowing employees to complete training at their own pace. Competency frameworks can help the company identify and address skill gaps more effectively, and improve knowledge-sharing can enable employees to learn from each other and collaborate more effectively, leading to better performance and continuous improvement. Ensuring return on investment for learning and development: To ensure a return on investment for its learning and development activities, Meltos Co. should track key performance indicators such as employee retention, productivity, and customer satisfaction. By aligning training activities with business goals and continuously assessing employee performance, the company can ensure that its learning and development efforts have a positive impact on its bottom line. Training effectiveness in the organization: In the organization I work for, training effectiveness is evaluated through regular performance assessments, employee feedback, and measurement of key performance indicators. Some methods used for effective development include on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring, e-learning, and peer-to-peer learning. Additionally, the company uses competency frameworks to tailor training to specific job roles and business needs, and offers opportunities for employees to attend external training programs and conferences to expand their knowledge and skills. Conclusion: In conclusion, Meltos Co. can make changes to its learning and development provision to reduce costs and improve performance. Implementing e-learning, competency frameworks, and improved knowledge-sharing can help the company cut costs and make HRM more strategic. To ensure a return on investment for learning and development activities, the company should align training with business goals and continuously assess employee performance. By adopting these practices, Meltos Co. can improve its training effectiveness and promote continuous improvement throughout the organization.

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