HOW LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT (L & D) IS ALIGNED WITH THE BUSINESS STRATEGY

 

Over the past decade, the global workforce has been continually evolving because of several factors. An increasingly competitive business landscape, rising complexity, and the digital revolution are reshaping the mix of employees. Meanwhile, persistent uncertainty, a multigenerational workforce, and shorter shelf life for knowledge have placed a premium on re-skilling and up skilling. The shift to a digital, knowledge-based economy means that a vibrant workforce is more important than ever. When an organization achieves its goals employees or human resource of the organization act main role and they are a very essential factor to the organization. So, all of these trends have elevated the importance of the learning-and-development (L&D) function. Most of the scalars describe the importance of learning and development to the organization once they achieve their business goals. (Pandey, 2021)

So once the organization aligned their business strategies with their Learning and development is very important to every organization.  To get the most out of investments in training programs and curriculum development, L&D leaders must embrace a broader role within the organization and formulate an ambitious vision for the function. An essential component of this effort is a comprehensive, coordinated strategy that engages the organization and encourages collaboration.

As strategic business partners, we should ensure that our learning and development (L&D) strategy is aligned with the mission of the businesses we support. Training and performance solutions should enable organizational goals, rather than detract from them by wasting time while not adding value. Here are a few guidelines you can use to define your L&D strategy and align it with the business. (Brassey, Christensen and Dam, 2020)

·       Understand Business – In here need to get a holistic view of the company. The easiest way to gain the respect of the teams you support is to take the time to understand the business and the work these teams perform. This also will help you better communicate and emphasize the value that L&D brings to the organization.

·       Define Priorities and Develop the Plan - Once you understand the business, schedule some time with your functional leaders and have them walk you through their business strategies. The steps you took to understand the business will put you in a better position to have meaningful conversations with them. By using some questions able to do this easily.

ü  What are the main priorities for your function this year?

ü  What are some of the biggest challenges your team faces?

ü  How does your team acquire new knowledge, skills, and experiences? 

Then based on the information collected through functional leaders develop a learning and development programme for the company. Below factors are important here.

ü  L&D Vision

ü  Business Goals

ü  L&D Road Map

ü  Resources Required

ü  Project Timeline

·       Align Leadership –Once develop the learning and development plan need to align leadership with a plan so able to call a meeting with the leaders of the organization and get feedback from them. If needed, propose a pilot program with a small group and let the team know you would like to evaluate and review the results with them to determine the way forward for future programs.

When following the above steps to develop the Learning and development plan should feel extremely confident that your proposed L&D plan will bridge the gap between the business's strategy and performance. Indeed, the L&D function should be seen as strategic learning and performance advisors to the business.

 

Reference

Brassey, J., Christensen, L. and Dam, N. van (2020). Essential components of a learning and development strategy | McKinsey. [online] www.mckinsey.com. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-essential-components-of-a-successful-l-and-d-strategy.

 Pandey, A. (2021). Aligning Learning and Development Strategy to Business Performance. [online] Training Industry. Available at: https://trainingindustry.com/articles/strategy-alignment-and-planning/redefining-the-purpose-of-learning-and-development-aligning-ld-strategy-to-business-performance-spon-eidesign/ [Accessed 24 Nov. 2021].

 

 

Factors affecting Performance of Employees in Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka

 

Introduction

The apparel industry is a significant contribution to the economy in Sri Lanka and generated more employment opportunities over the past two decades. 15% of the country's workforce including the apparel industry of Sri Lanka and 85% near to women and Sri Lanka is among the top apparel producing countries in the world relative to its population. In Sri Lanka, the economy apparel Industry played the main role and this industry has been the largest export revenue earner for the past 30 years.

When describing employee performance as labour incentive industry it is a very important factor to the industry. In the garment industry if employees will perform well, the purchasers are going to be satisfied and if customers are going to be the satisfying overall performance of the corporate are going to be good and satisfactory. So, the organization should pay attention to employee performance within the organization.

Employee performance can be described as how employees behave in the workplace and how well employees perform job duties they have obligate to them. (Donohoe, 2008)

Employees are a most precious asset for any company as they will build up or destroy the reputation of the company and that they can affect profitability ((Rodjam et al., 2020).

When describing employee performance many factors can be identified to affect the factors to employee performance. Many researchers also identified many factors. According to my experience in the apparel industry can identify the below factors,

Factors affecting Employee performance

1.       Methods and machinery and technology which used in an organization

As an updated and imagine industry new technology and new machinery are very important tools for employee performance. So, the apparel industry in Sri Lanka also needs to move forward with new technologies and new methods and machinery. For example, Sri Lankan leading apparel manufactures use these new technologies in their productions and they make sure to give proper training and development to their employees relating to new technologies and machines. When an organization did not try to get new machinery and new technologies it happens to underperformance of employees.  

2.       Skill level of team members

In the current world, team concepts are a very important factor and the apparel industry also use this method currently. When describing the apparel industry this concept is very important and organizations get many actions to develop the skills of the team. They introduce many incentive methods based on the team performance also. Not only that but also, they give many training opportunities to a selected group of people in the organizing. Not only that but also they use many methods like on the job training, career development programmes etc to develop the skill level of the team of employees.      

3.       Financial incentives

Financial incentives are a very important factor to increase employee performance. Most of the employees hope to get good financial benefits from their jobs when they can get good financial benefits it is very important to them. So, in the apparel industry organization get many actions to give good financial benefits to their employees by using many techniques. Apart from their salary they pay incentives based on their targets and the performance of the team.

4.       Leadership practices

Leaders are a very important role when describing employee performance. So, in the garment industry in Sri Lanka special need to pay attention to this. They can make leaders by giving good training. Sometimes they are not only become top level of the organization sometimes good leaders become bottom levels also. In this situation, organizations need to identify good leaders and build them according to the organization vision, mission and goals. By the leader's organization need to communicate the targets, vision, mission and goals of the employees. Because this is very important to increase employee performance.   

5.       Working conditions

Work environment and working conditions are also very important to employee performance within the organization. Good work environments should be tailored to the needs of the workplace culture and the workforce. A creative work environment, friendly work conditions with their core workers, maintaining a good culture within the organization are good conditions to make perform employee. Generally, the better the work environment – from desks to décor – the better employees will feel at their job. So, in Sri Lanka apparel industry also need to make a better workplace to work for their employees.

Bibliography:

Diamantidis, A.D. (2012). (PDF) Factors affecting employee performance: an empirical approach. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329978024_Factors_affecting_employee_performance_an_empirical_approach.

Donohoe, A. (2008). Employee Performance Definition. [online] Bizfluent. Available at: https://bizfluent.com/facts-7218608-employee-performance-definition.html [Accessed Nov. 2021].

Rodjam, C., Thanasrisuebwong, A., Suphuan, T. and Charoenboon, P. (2020). Effect of Human Resource Management Practices on Employee Performance Mediating by Employee Job Satisfaction. Systematic Review Pharmacy, [online] 11(3), p.2020. Available at: https://www.sysrevpharm.org/articles/effect-of-human-resource-management-practices-on-employee-performance-mediating-by-employee-job-satisfaction.pdf.