The focus of human resource development (HRD) is to strengthen your

workforce so that they have the knowledge, skills and experience to

excel in their job duties and help your organization operate efficiently.
Common methods for achieving these goals include providing
appropriate training and coaching, developing employee career plans
and using performance appraisal techniques to monitor and correct
performance issues. Other HRD techniques that work to make your
staff more productive include the use of effective employee rewards
systems and employee wellness programs.

Performance Appraisal Methods

One of the most common techniques of human resource development is the use of
regular performance appraisals and feedback. The main benefit of an appraisal is
that it keeps managers and employees informed on how well they do their jobs and
can uncover performance problems that need immediate attention. Managers get a
chance to come up with action plans to address weaknesses, determine future
training needs and learn about the employee's career goals. To make the
assessment easier, you'll usually have predetermined metrics and key performance
indicators so that you know what to look for.

The performance appraisal method you'll use can depend on the specific job, your
company's mission and your goals for the assessment.

 If you're looking to gain general insights on how peers, customers and

managers view your employees' performance, you could use the 360-degree
feedback method that uses confidential questionnaires and weighs the responses.

 The management by objectives method suits cases where you need to

know whether your employees perform up to standards for specific goals you've
set.

 You can use employee ranking and rating methods to group workers from
the top to bottom in terms of performance or competency.

 You have behavioral checklists to uncover how your employees measure

up to specific criteria such as punctuality, appearance and work patterns.

Employee Training Programs

Training is one of the HRD techniques that works hand-in-hand with performance
appraisals and makes the development process more like a cycle. While the main
goal of employee training is to increase competence in each employee's role, it
also serves as a way to develop your organization as a whole in terms of making
employees more engaged, productive and motivated. When done well, your
 company's training programs can help you retain your talent, increase your profits
and even give you a competitive advantage.

While employees do receive their initial training and introduction to the company,
the training process doesn't stop there. Whether your company grows to offer new
goods and services or you uncover skills gaps during a performance assessment,
you'll find that you have to assign training activities periodically throughout an
employee's tenure. You have some different options for your employees' initial and
ongoing training that fall into a few categories.

 Instructor-led training: This type of training can range from having your

employees attend a college class with in-person lectures to bringing in an outside
trainer to your office for a short seminar. It can also take the form of having a
manager give a training presentation or even using a live online class. While this
method offers the benefit of two-way interaction between the trainer and trainees, it
may not work well when employees aren't at the same skill level, and it can cost a
lot and be less convenient too.

 Self-guided studies: Whether you assign self-paced online courses, have

employees watch simulation videos or hand out reading materials, you can use
self-guided study as an alternative to having a live instructor. This method offers
convenience and can save your company money, but it may not work well when
your employees need to learn a complex skill and have someone readily available
to handle questions. The flexibility can also create compliance issues with the
training if you don't carefully monitor whether employees actually complete it.

 Employee-to-employee training: When you need to allow employees to

physically observe an activity and get hands-on training so that they can perform
the task themselves, you might consider having experienced employees lead the
training. In addition to job shadowing and guided work, this category also includes
ongoing mentorship and coaching from managers and peers. Managers can assign
a mentor during orientation to guide an employee during her time at the company,
and managers can offer advice during formal meetings like performance reviews or
even casually throughout the workday.

Employee Career Planning

The process of human resource development also involves helping employees
discover the right paths for them in your organization. In addition to helping
employees unveil their talents and reach their goals, this HRD technique gives your
company some security in that it can help you line up capable employees who can
take over key roles as others leave the company.

The career planning process might begin as part of conversations during

performance reviews when managers can assess job suitability and ask employees
where they see themselves going in the company. An employee might also initiate
the process and ask for information about advancement opportunities.
To create a career plan, you'll first want to assess your company's future staffing
needs to determine a potential place for the employee. You can then develop a
coaching plan that addresses skill gaps, begin assigning appropriate training
and stay engaged with the employee during the process. Depending on the
desired leadership role, you may find it helpful to implement cross-training or job
rotations so that your employee has experience in more departments.

Use of Employee Rewards

While training, career development and performance appraisal most often come to
mind when you think of HRD, giving your employees rewards for their performance
and dedication to your company also falls within the scope of HRD. Not only can
the use of such rewards improve your workforce's efficiency and encourage
employees to do their best work, but they have a positive effect on team morale
and retention.

Rewards can have a monetary value or not. Financial rewards include profit-
sharing, holiday bonuses and productivity-based pay increases. Examples of non-
financial rewards include allowing workers to work from home, holding team
lunches and company parties, offering flexible scheduling and giving workers more
control over decision-making.

For the most effective use of rewards, consider factors such as the employee's
current salary, relationship with the company and personal motivators in deciding
the type to offer. The software company Plum notes that non-financial rewards
can particularly be an ideal option for top-paid employees with several years
of service with the company.

HRD Techniques for Employee Wellness

As with the use of employee rewards, having employee wellness programs helps
develop your employees, make them more productive and satisfied and increase
organizational effectiveness. After all, when your employees feel well, they
can perform at their best and also focus better on their assigned training
activities so that they retain the information and apply it in their work. Corporate
Finance Institute suggests that employee wellness programs can also save your
company money in health care costs, reduce employee absences and strengthen
team bonds.

While you could set up a private gym for employees if you have the resources, you
can foster employee wellness as easily as offering healthy meal options, giving
employees time to both rest and do brief exercises and arranging for community
service activities. You might also give employees some money off a local gym
membership or have a professional in your company who can offer mental health
support.