Training and Development in Gescom
Orientation:
After an applicant has been hired, she/he must be oriented and placed on the chosen job. Orientation, also called induction, is designed to provide a new employee with the information she/he needs to function comfortably and effectively in the organization. In the words of Mathis and Jackson orientation is: “Planned introduction of employees to their jobs, their co-workers and the organization”.
Orientation programme is conducted for workers before they are put on the job in which they are given orientation in a particular field or activity. Put differently, the orientation is to the job and the field situations to which workers are going to be exposed. Typically, orientation conveys three types of information:
i) General information about the daily work routine.
ii) A review of the organisation’s history, founders, objectives, operations and products or services, as well as how the employee’s job contributes to organisation’s needs.
iii) A detailed presentation, perhaps, in a brochure of the organization policies work rules and employee benefits.
The need for orientation:
Most large organizations will have a formalized procedure for orienting new employees to the organization. However, smaller employers should also give some thought as to how they intend to welcome their new colleague and ensure that they settle in as quickly as possible.
Armstrong identifies three main aims for the orientation process:
a. To smooth the preliminary stages when everything is likely to be strange and unfamiliar to the starter.
b. To establish quickly a favorable attitude to the company in the mind of the new employee so that she/he is more likely to stay.
c. To obtain effective output from the employee in the shortest possible time.
So, orientation serves both a “Social” and a “Performance related” function to initiate the new employee into the culture of the orgnaisation as well as enable her/him to become proficient at her/his job in the shortest possible time.
Purpose of orientation:
Organisations are known to spend a few weeks or even months on orientation programmes. The idea is to make the new employees feel “at home” in the new environment. It is a well –known fact that employees feel anxious on entering an organization. They worry about how well they will Performa on the new jobs. They feel inadequate when they compare themselves with the more experienced employees, and they are concerned about how well they will they will get along with their co-workers. Effective orientation programmes reduce the anxiety of new employees by providing them information on the job environment and on supervisors, by introducing them to co-workers, and by encouraging them to ask questions.
The ease with which employees adjust to a new job and work environment is often, a function of the expectations they bring to the job. If expectations are realistic adjustment will be relatively simple. If, however, expectations are unrealistic or unreasonable, adjustment will be more difficult. In the latter case, orientation can be instrumental in modifying employee expectations.
In one study of considerable importance, researchers discovered the following about new employees:
1. The first days on the job were anxious and disturbing ones.
2. “New employee’s initiation” practices by peers intensified anxiety.
3. Anxiety interfered with the training process.
4. Turnover of new hired employee was caused primarily by anxiety.
5. The workers were relocation to discuss problems with their supervisors.
Employee orientation is aimed at minimizing such problems.
Orientation seeks to expose new employees to all areas of the organization. This prevents inducts from getting over specialized. Orientation makes the new hires become productive to the company quickly.
Finally, a good orientation programme will create a favorable impression of the organization and its work. Just as a favorable first impression of an individual helps to form a good relationship, so a good initial impression of a company, a co-worker, or a supervisor can help a new employee adjust better. Further, effectiveness of an orientation programme can have a lasting effect on absenteeism and turnover.
Requisites of an effective programme:
Orientation programme, to be effective, must be based on serious consideration of attitudes, behaviors and information that new employees need. Following are some of the requisites of an effective system:
Prepare for New Employees:
New employers must, initially, feel that they belong to the organization and are important. Therefore, both the supervisor and the HR unit should be prepared to receive the employee. It is very uncomfortable for a new employee to arrive at work and have a manager say, “Oh! I didn’t realize you were coming to work today” or “who are You?” This depersonalization, obviously, does not create an atmosphere of initial acceptance and trust.
In addition, co-workers must also be aware of the arrival of a new worker. This is particularly true when the new employee’s entry is likely to erode the position and status enjoyed by the current employees. In this case, the management must take the present employees into confidence and convince them about the need for hiring the new employee.
Determine Information New Employees Want to Know:
The overriding question guiding the establishment of an orientation programme is, “What does the new employee need to know now?” Often, new employees receive information of issues, much of which is not immediately required. At the same time, they fail to get vital information needed during the first day of a new job.
Determine How to Present Information:
Line managers and HR representatives should determine the most appropriate way to present the orientation information. For example, rather than telling an employee verbally, information on company sick leave and holiday policies may be presented on the first day in a handbook. The manager and the HR representative can review this information a few days later to answer any of the employee’s questions.
Completion of Paperwork:
All essential paperwork should be completed during orientation so that the employee gets paid accurately and on time. Various tax and insurance forms as well as time cards and other items need to be completed in a timely fashion. There is nothing more agonizing for a new employee than to miss the first pay cheque or to be paid improperly because the correct forms were not completed accurately.
Evaluation of Orientation Progaramme;
Generally, organizations with formal orientation programmes ask employees to complete a questionnaire evaluating the programme. It is desirable that the questionnaire is administered after some length of time, in order to enable the employee to gain some perspective about the work and the organization. In the alternative, the HR representative or the supervisor may conduct follow-up interviews to elicit the employee’s opinion.
Orientation Crisis:
An orientation programme can go wrong for a number of reasons. The HR department should try to avoid such errors. Some of them are:
1.Supervisor who is entrusted with the job is not trained or is too busy.
2.Employee is overwhelmed with too much information in a short time.
3.Employee is overloaded with forms to complete.
4.Employee is given only menial tasks that discourage job interest and company loyalty.
5.Employee is asked to perform tasks where there are high chances of failure that could needlessly discourage the employee.
6.Employee is pushed into the job with a sketchy orientation under the mistaken belief that “trial by free” is the best orientation.
7.Employee is forced to fill in the gaps between a broad orientation by the HR department and a narrow orientation at the departmental level.
8.Employee is thrown into action too soon.
9.Employee’s mistakes can damage the company.
10.Employee may develop wrong perceptions because of short periods spent on each job.
Training Policy in Gescom:
Karnataka has been a front-runner in the arena of power sector reforms. As seen in the chapter bygone, the erstwhile KEB was corporative, as part of reforms, with the incorporation of m/s. KPTCL in 1999. Further, the transmission and distribution activities were unbundled with the formation of ESCOMs. Thus, GESCOM came into being in 01.06.2002 as a part of the Government’s policy of improving its efficiency of utilities in power sector. Though the power sector in Karnataka has undergone a sea change, the employees still feel that they belong to the old structure and organization and are not ready to accept the new to reorient the mindset and attitudes of employees at all levels. Otherwise, it is going to be a case of old wine in a new role in the raids of its employees and customers within a short time. Hence, the need for bringing out a policy paper on training and development of its employees.
Objectives Sought to be Achieved:
This policy paper speaks in general about the necessity of training its employee’s vis-à-vis the overall objectives and organizational needs of GESCOM as a public sector enterprise. The objectives of the policy are spelt out as under:
1. The policy aims at developing vision about GESCOM among all its employees.
2. Promoting teamwork and team spirit at all levels, especially at sub-divisions and downwards.
3. It aims at increasing commitment among its employees to the company and its customers.
4. It shall inspire its employees to achieve targets within the stipulated time.
5. It shall create awareness among its customer about its utility and usefulness.
6. The employees shall bear good will of the company to its customers.
7. It shall improve the competency and efficiency of its employees at various cadres.
8. It shall promote competitiveness of the employees in relation to other similar companies and corporations.
9. It shall help company to achieve profit on a sustained basis.
10. It shall help the employees to identify with the company and it objectives.
Strategies Proposed to be Adopted:
The strategies to be adopted to develop training modules are:
To assess the training needs of employees at various levels.
Imparting training in house, external and outsourcing of training.
To outsource training personnel and institutions to import training and to get feedback from its employees periodically.
Deputation, exposure trips and tours form training strategy.
GESCOM shall develop its own trainers groups in the long to meet periodic needs.
The training shall concentrate more on new comers and those who have longer services.
The middle level cadre will be assisted to gain counseling skill.
Most of the training will be participatory and short duration in nature.
Training will be customer-centred.
Outsource Training Resource Person and Institutions:
The GESCOM does not have adequate training infrastructure to conduct training on its own. Therefore it has to outsource training resources elsewhere. Once the need analysis is completed, training resources person an institutions will be invited through wide publicity and short listing of required training resource persons and institutions will be made. This list will be reviewed periodically to assess their capability commensurate with the training needs of the organization for that period of time, say, 2-3 Years. A small selection committee comprising of senior level officers will selected the external resource person/institutions accordingly by the general Manager (ADM & HRD). This committee shall formulate guidelines of finalize the terms and conditions for entering into contract with external resources.
Deputations, Exposure Trips and
The GESCOM will also depute senior level and middle level management officers to outside training centers to have specialized training that is required at individual level an conducting of which will not be possible either because of logistic reason or economically not viable. These depurations and exposure trips will be done either suo-moto by the committee or the General manager (ADM and HRD)/manager (HRD) in the interest of company’s working or on individual’s requests, if it is found that such action is needed in the interest of increasing the knowledge and skills of the individual that are beneficial to the company.
Develop Own Training Unit:
Even though the company hires external resource person and institutions to meet its training needs, this has to be supplemented by its own training centre to meet the continuous demands of the company in the area of training and HRD. Manager HRD in consultation with suitable external consultants shall prepare a model training centre and place before the managing director for approval. This training centre will be equipped with all equipments and materials needed to give training to a batch of size 25 to 40 persons at a time. This will also including board and lodging facility in the campus itself. The facility of this infrastructure will also be provided on rental basis to other meet all training requirement of the company.
Training Emphasis on New Comers and Those with Longer Service:
As trainings designed are part of HRD and keeping in to mind the long term benefits that accrue on the performance of the company those who have joined afresh and have long term commitment to the company and new to the concepts and philosophy of GESCOM will be given priority over those who are about to retire and have a short stint of service in the company. However the needs of older employees will not be neglected totally and essential training will be imparted to them also as and when such need arises.
Counseling Skills to Middle Level Managers:
The heads of offices especially at sub-divisional level downwards, face a lot of stress and tension form the work related environment. She/he has to lead a team of junior level tech and non-tech. Staff who face the public wrath every day and solve many a ticklish problems in a diplomatic way. The team members have to be kept in high spirits and motivated enough to overcome these problems and delivery the goods. As a leader one has to have great negotiating skill and also act a counselor for most part of the day. This requirement special skill that can be imparted through training.
Participatory Training:
Research in human relations and development have proved that learning takes place only in free and participatory/ interactive environment. Therefore participatory approach shall form basic fabric of all trainings of GESCOM.
Training Aim- Satisfaction of Customers
Customer satisfaction is the vision of GESCOM. So all training will have this element behind their design and concept.
Finances:
Finances to the training and HRD activities will be provided in the regular budget. The budget will be prepared by Manager HRD and presented to the committee already referred in point 2 for further scrutiny. The final proposal will be placed for approval before the Managing Director GESCOM. However, the General Manager (ADM and HRD) may prepare interim budgets for immediate requirements and place before MD for sanction.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
The Managing Director will monitor the activities of the HRD wing periodically. The Manager HRD shall submit progress report in prescribed formats from time to time or as when required by the General Manager (ADM and HRD), or MD. He will also propose remedial measures based on feedbacks received from trainees for further strengthening HRD activities.
Developing Training Modules:
For the purpose of training, all the employees will be classified as:
1. Junior level: Linemen, Meter Readers, Ledger Clerks, SOs, JEs
2. Middle level: AEEs, AAOs, AOs, DCAs and EESs.
3. Senior level: Officers belonging to the cadre of SE/CE, Controllers, Chief Controllers.
Training modules will be developed in the following broad areas:
1. Role clarity in the changed environment – employee and company for all personnel at Sub0division and Section level.
2. Leadership skills of AEE and SO/JE, JTA, AO/AAO, Senior Asst.
3. Finance management for non-finance executives from non-finance backgrounds.
4. Basic computer training for all the staff over a period of time.
Interested employees will be selected for advanced training programmes Suggested training modules for the above three trainings is given below:
Prototype of the Training Module
| Name of Training | GESCOM-Its Nature and Impact | Leadership Skill Development | Finance for non-finance executives | Basic Computer Awareness |
| Purpose | To clarify employee /Company relations, roles n responsibility Understanding GESCOM | To enable middle-level functionaries leads to team for success | To enable them to understand basic accounting, efficient handling of book of A/c s. | In collaboration with EE (IT) and Computer Systems Manager |
| Participants | All employees sub-dn, and downwards | AEEs, AEs, AOSs, AAOs, DCAs, EEs. | All officers/ employees who handle finances but have not come from finance background | - |
| Contents | Reforms why-when; 4Cs status of GESCOM; Role of Unions | Crisis Mgmt; | Syllabus as developed by RANKS Winner Consultants | - |
| Methods and Tools | Group Discussion: Lecture; AV aids; 30-35 members batch | Group exercise; Games; Simulation; Exercises | As developed by RANKS Winner Consultants | - |
| Duration | 4 Hours | One day | 3 Days | - |
| Output Indicators | Employees will distinguish between GESCOM and its predecessors (2000 persons to be oriented) | Improvement in staff relations, mutual respect, sharing of works, delegation of works (2 courses per batch of 20; 2 person in 4 batches) | Better understanding of financial management practices (1 programme with 20-25 participants | - |
(Source: Personally collected Official Records of GESCOM,
The other modules will be developed after a more detailed need analysis. Year wise training plan will be finalized in consultation with heads of other wings of GESCOM. External training institutions are being identified. After need identification, the will be entrusted with training the staff/employees within a stipulated time frame. GESCOM desires to establish its own training unit to meet the long term training requirements of its employees. The proposal will be worked out later. In the first year, the above three training programmes will be given to all the employees (April to March 2010-11). Technical training programmes are to be finalized after job needs assessment.
Financial Requirement:
In the year 2010-11 separate budget allocation is made. Interim budget will be prepared as and when required and approval of Managing Director will be obtained. Training and HRD section will present budget requirement for 2010-11 and onwards within stipulated time.
Logistics:
To conduct training the employees on a long term basis the GESCOM needs both manpower and other resources like infrastructure finance and annual allocation. The organization structure to look after training and H.R. Management is given below.
Training Practices at Gescome:
GESCOM has given a lot of emphasis for Human Resource Development of its employees and recognizes the fact that HR is one of the key resources. A separate training policy has been formulated to cover all the employees under training and development activities in the company. Major guiding features are as under:
Focused trainings on attitudinal change and customer care aspects of HRD is being given to the employees in all Sub-Divisions and Divisions.
All the employees of A, B and C category will undergo at least one training every year.
GESCOM resource group will be formed for conducting in-house training activities as and when required.
GESCOM intends to establish a HRD training centre at
Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Limited
In House Training Conducted in
| Sl. No. | Particulars of Training | Name of the Course | Number of in House Training Programmes Conducted | No. of Days Cond ucted | NO. of Employes Attended | Period |
| 1. | Pre-employment Training to Junior Meter reader/ Overseers/Operators/ Assistant Store Keeper/ Meter Reader | MTTP-2 GESCOM | 1 | 40 | 38 | 15.04.2009 to 04.06.2009 |
| 2. | Pre-employment Training to Junior Meter Reader/ Overseers/Operators/ Assistant Store Keeper/ Meter Reader | MTTP-2 GESCOM | 1 | 40 | 40 | 01.09.2009 to 26.10.2009 |
| 3. | Refresher Course Training to Senior Assistant / Assistant / Junior Assistant | GESCOM | 10 | 30 | 308 | 10 Batches |
| 4. | Training to Assistant Executive Engineer (EI) Assistant Engineer (EI)/ Junior Engineer (EI)/ Overseers/ Meter Reader | Maintenance of Distribution System and AT&C Losses | 27 | 9 | 886 | 03.08.2009 to 11.08.2009 |
| 5. | Training to Line Mechanic Gr-II/Assistant Lineman Mechanic/Junior Lineman | Maintenance of Distribution System and AT&C Losses | 27 | 9 | 2403 | 03.08.2009 to 11.08.2009 |
| 6. | MFF Rggvy | Rggvy Training | 5 | 3 | 200 | 21.12.2009 to 23.12.2009 |
| 7. | C & D Employees | Rggvy Training | 7 | 3 | 280 | 29.12.2009 to 31.12.2009 |
| Total | 78 | 134 | 4155 | | ||
Vision for Employees Training in Gescom
The following are the prominent ones among others:
Gescom intends to optimize its manpower so as to achieve the mission it has set for itself. In this direction, efforts will be made to constantly orient the personnel of the company to the changing scenario and equip them with the requisite skills and knowledge.
Each employee should undergo at least one training every year by providing in house training and deputation to external training institutes at State and National level.
100% the ambitious computer literacy rate the Company wills to instill in its employees by March – 2011.
Establishment of HRD Centre in Gescom
Gescom officials team visited Gescom HRD Training Centre on 3rd September 2005 and assimilated the requisite information regarding the establishment of a similar training centre in Gescom.
Submitted the complete proposal in this regard
The matter was discussed in detail with the senior officers of GESCOM.
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