Case Study: Changes in HRD at Hansen Group

The Hansen Group is one of the UK's largest construction groups. The company is now involved in diverse activities and employs an increasingly diverse workforce, from street cleaners to highly qualified civil engineers. Hansen recognises that talented individuals are the lifeblood of the firm. The management drives Learning and Development (L & D) innovations, provides analysis of business learning requirements, and manages the delivery of cost-effective learning solutions to support business goals. It includes traditional off-the-job classroom programmes, short courses, online learning interventions, workbooks and mentoring. The firm has recently recruited two new team members specifically to design in-house e-learning solutions and upgrade the company's online learning management system. Hansen employs a further 12 learning and development professionals who are located throughout the country and work directly with particular business units and clients, many of whom have diverse needs regarding employee development. Traditionally, training needs for Hansen staff have been identified centrally and based on the employee group. This has been consistent with its traditional approach to training for large groups in classroom settings. In 2010, the L&D team sought to supplement its traditional classroom-based training programmes with a series of bite-sized (typically half an hour) interactive learning modules for construction site staff that were linked together to form part of a meaningful programme of activities. These were known as 'toolbox talks' and were delivered by site managers using materials developed to support them by the central team. The talks are mainly devoted to site management and health and safety issues. In addition, a significant part of Hansen's revised approach to learning and development is to increase the number of on-the-job coaching employees receive and to create a coaching culture within its management community. Hansen has made a significant investment in technology-based learning (or e-learning), particularly software that enables e-learning specialists within the learning and development team to produce online training programmes, several of which are compulsory for all employees. Historically, the evaluation of learning and development interventions at Hansen has tended to focus on the initial reactions of employees by asking them to complete evaluation forms after having attended a training programme. However, as part of the company's broader changes to learning and development, a longer-term evaluation of interventions is now in place. It involves the learning and development centre asking the manager sponsoring any new programme to define what a positive outcome would look like to determine an appropriate metric for assessment, such as employee engagement or productivity. In addition, it involves contacting recipients of training 36 months after they have completed a programme and asking them whether they are doing anything differently as a result of what they have learned.

Based on the above case, answer the following questions:

a. Why do you think that Hansen Construction has increased its investment in learning and development activities despite the tough economic climate? (5 marks)

b. Suppose you have been asked to perform task analysis for the engineer in Hansen. Which method do you think would be more appropriate in analyzing this job? Support your choice. (5 marks)

c. Do you think HRD professionals in Hansen should use performance appraisals to enhance the value of information obtained from a person analysis? Explain your answer. (5 marks)

d. One of the training methods in Hansen is off-the-job classroom programmes, identify and explain TWO (2) advantages of off the job classroom in Hansen. (6 marks)

e. The 'toolbox talks' in Hansen were delivered by site managers as the trainer, using materials developed to support them by the central team. Describe an advantage and a disadvantage of using co-workers as the trainer. (5 marks)

f. Hansen also supplemented its traditional classroom-based training programmes with a series of bite-sized (typically half an hour) interactive learning modules for construction site staff. Explain the effectiveness of such programs for construction site staff in Hensen. (5 marks)

g. Hansen has made a significant investment in technology-based learning (or e-learning). Briefly explain TWO (2) advantages and TWO (2) disadvantages of e-learning in Hansen. (6 marks)

h. Suggest and explain to Hensen how to use the Four levels of evaluation based on Kirkpatrick's model. (8 marks)

i. Do you think Hensen should evaluate their training program using monetary terms? Support your answer? (5 marks)