When responding to a case study or scenario, the HR practitioner should use a consistent, fact-based, problem-solving approach. The development of this skill will allow the HR practitioner to respond to issues as they arise using an analytical methodology in order to explore possible solutions.

When TPK, a manufacturer of small applianceselectric kettles, toasters, and ironsautomated its warehouse, the warehouse crew was reduced from 14 to 4. Every one of the displaced employees was assigned to another department, as TPK had a history of providing stable employment.

Jacob Peters, an employee with more than 15 years of service, was transferred to the toaster assembly line to be retrained as a small-parts assembler. When he arrived to begin his new job, the supervisor said, This may be only temporary, Jacob. I have a full staff right now, so I have nothing for you to do, but come on, Ill find you a locker.

As there really was no job for him, Jacob did nothing for the first week but odd jobs, such as filling bins. At the beginning of week two, Jacob was informed that a vacancy would be opening the next day, so he reported for work eager to learn his new job.

The operation was very simple. All Jacob had to do was pick up two pieces of metal, one in each hand, place them into a jig so that they were held together in a cross position, and press a button. The riveting machine then put a rivet through both pieces and an air jet automatically ejected the joined pieces into a bin.

This job is so simple a monkey could do it, the supervisor told Jacob. Let me show you how its done, and he quickly demonstrated the three steps involved. Now you do it, the supervisor said. Of course, Jacob did it right the first time. After watching him rivet two or three, the supervisor left Jacob to his work.

About three hours later, the riveter started to put the rivets in a little crooked, but Jacob kept on working. Finally, a fellow worker stopped by and said, Youre new here, arent you? Jacob nodded. Listen, Ill give you a word of advice. If the supervisor sees you letting the rivets go in crooked like that, hes going to be really mad at you. So hide these in the scrap over there. The co-worker then showed Jacob how to adjust the machine.

Jacobs next problem began when the air ejection system started jamming. Four times he managed to clear it, but on the fifth try, he slipped and his elbow hit the rivet button. The machine put a rivet through the fleshy part of his hand, just below the thumb.

It was in the first-aid station that the supervisor finally had the opportunity to see Jacob once again.

Requirements:

Q1. Comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the on-the-job training that Jacob received. What did the supervisor do that was consistent with job instruction training? What did he fail to do?

Q2. What does this case tell you about the traditional approach to on-the-job training? What does it tell you about job instruction training?

Q3. If you were the supervisor, how would you have trained Jacob? What would you do differently, and why?

Q4. If the job instruction training method was used, how would Jacobs training have been conducted? Explain how each step would proceed.

Monica

Q.5 Describe any other on-the-job training methods that might be used to train Jacob. What methods do you think would be the most effective and why?