Content and benefits of in-service training.

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Today, all over the world, a multitude of companies offer various in-house programmes to improve the skills of their employees, based on the same logic. Mel Kleiman (2000) described that the key parts of a worthwhile employee in-house training program are designed based on employee orientation, management skills and business skills, theories that form the basis of any employee development and in-house training program.

Human resource development refers to the integrated use of all available resources to train employees, organise and develop work capabilities and improve the effectiveness of the individual, team and organisational structure. According to Swanson (2001: 245) it is that “area of research and practice that involves the integrated application of training and development, organisational development and career development to improve individual, group or organisational effectiveness”.

As a process, it promotes the basic competences that enable individuals, within companies and organisations, to staff existing and future jobs through well-organised and planned learning activities. Teams within organisations use HRD to initiate and manage the required changes, while ensuring a match between individual and organisational needs.

Often, the term human resource development is often confused with human resource management (HRM). Undoubtedly, these are two very important management concepts that are specifically related to the human resources of the organization. Although they are often used as identical, as concepts they can be differentiated for the following reasons (Nordhaug, 1993:156):

• HR management is mainly management-oriented (management tasks, employee records, payroll, etc.), while HR development is learning-oriented. Also, the structure of the organization in the case of human resource management is independent, while human resource development creates a structure that is interrelated and interdependent.
• Human resource management aims to increase the effectiveness of employees, while human resource development aims to develop employees as well as the organisation as a whole.
• Responsibility for human resources development is assigned to the personnel/human resources management department and specifically to the personnel manager, while responsibility for human resources management is assigned to all managers performing similar tasks at different levels of the organisation.
• Human resource management motivates employees by providing them with financial incentives or rewards, while human resource development emphasizes the motivation of people by satisfying higher order needs.
• Human resource development is considered a necessary condition for increasing productivity, forming better relationships, as well as greater profitability for any organization.

Its benefits include the following (Torrington et. al., 2005:467):

• Human resources development makes workers more competent, as it contributes to the development of new skills, knowledge, and attitudes in the workforce. By implementing a proper HR development programme, employees become more committed to their work and are also evaluated on the basis of their performance as the whole process provides them with an acceptable performance appraisal system. At the same time, HR development helps to create an environment of trust and respect within the organisation, as well as acceptance of any changes required.
• Employees are optimally equipped with problem-solving capabilities through human resource development. In this light, their personal development is promoted, while at the same time the team spirit in the organisation is strengthened. By making the right use of the available resources, it also actively contributes to the creation of a ‘culture of efficiency’, which leads to greater organizational effectiveness, as predefined objectives are achieved
• Together, human resources development significantly improves the levels of employee participation, as they develop a sense of moral commitment to their work in the performance of their responsibilities. Finally, it contributes to the collection of useful and objective data regarding the company’s employee programs and policies, data that further facilitates better human resource planning.

It follows from the above that in-company training is closely related to human resources development, since it aims at cultivating and acquiring new skills in employees in order to better meet the job requirements of their position. Considering the human factor of a company as the most important factor for its development, in-company training focuses on human resources and on meeting the training needs of the company’s workforce as far as possible.

Furthermore, the role of in-company training in the development of human resources’ skills has important implications for their overall development. As Phillips (2009) points out, a workforce that is properly trained and competent can more effectively manage any changes in a company, which is why most companies are moving towards strengthening their human resources in order to develop new and specialized knowledge, as well as social and communication skills, a cooperative spirit and flexibility, which contribute to the effective handling of activities related to all aspects of human resources. Papastefanakis (2015:45) summarizes the benefits of in-house training in human resource development, highlighting the need for training that contributes to the following:

• Change
• Increased productivity
• Specialization
• Error reduction
• Safety

As Torrington et al., (2005) point out, technological development, changing consumer needs, changes in the institutional framework, regulations and the environment, the introduction of new materials, systems and services by companies and organisations in order to meet the needs of international competition, contribute to the restructuring of occupations and requirements. In such circumstances, there is a need to redefine and constantly review the skills that workers need to possess in order to respond in the best possible way to the tasks assigned to them and to new developments.

Moreover, according to Halas (2009), the introduction of in-house training programmes by firms and organisations provides them with the opportunity for continuous development and innovation in the highly competitive business environment. At the same time, the training of human resources, apart from strengthening the knowledge and skills of employees, brings a change in the philosophy of people and companies, which is particularly important: the change in the attitudes of employees, which is achieved through their continuous training, which contributes decisively to the development of companies. An employee must be able to participate effectively, to help, to have the ability to solve problems, to promote innovation and to contribute to decision-making. The development of human resources, therefore, creates a social context within the firm within which creativity and innovation are enhanced (Gibb & Waight, 2005).

At the same time, training helps to ensure that employees’ attitudes towards customers and colleagues, trust, respect, and tolerance are at such levels that a good communicative climate of trust and calm is created within the company, which in turn promotes individual and collective development (Nassazi, 2013).

In order for these changes to take place, it is important to motivate employees in this direction through various incentives that can be offered to them, such as the provision of training services (Nassazi, 2013).