Learning and Development on Employee Engagement Essay Sample

Introduction To the Impact of Learning and Development on Employee Engagement

Learning and development (L&D) focuses on the acquisition of new skills and enhancement of existing skills as well as ability. This is the function which helps in filling the learning gaps, evaluates the employees and identifies the potential development sessions for the growth & development. This essay will include the importance of the learning and the development department in the organization and how this will help in improving the engagement of the employees. For this project, Aldi has been selected which is the most popular retail store in the UK. It deals in providing variety of the consumer goods through 6520 stores across 11 countries. It has provided job opportunity for more than 155000 individual. The market share of the company is 10.1% with £13.5 billion turnover in the year 2022 (Market share of Aldi, 2023). This essay will include information regarding various L&D model and theories which could be useful in motivating the employees in increasing their performances.

Aldi's focus on L&D

Aldi has well defined department for the learning and the development of the employees in the organization. This will help in increasing the efficiency of the employee and keep them motivated to improve their work performances. Natalie Parikh is the head of the department who form various strategies for the development of the employs. The company existing on boarding strategy involves making the new employees familiar with the working of the other department and includes creating a connection with the colleagues and creating an adequate inters personal relation among them. For individuals training the company aims at improving the technical training in dealing with the software (L&D department of Aldi, 2023). As it is multinational company the company aim at the providing training and development session for the improving the intercultural relation between the employees. The employees are made frequent in both English as well as German as the company had relocated to the Austria. The company had also taken initiation for the developing the leaders by providing the two year training programs. Personnel development, employee's leadership and motivation are the various areas in which the customized training is also provided.

Importance of L&D department in the organization and its contribution in employee engagement

The L&D department plays an important role in the development of the organization by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the employees. The importance of L&D involvement in the organization is explained through following points:

• Change in the employees demand: Employees need in the current situation has been changes as they focus on both financial incentive as well as the growth opportunity (Audretsch and Belitski, 2020). For acquiring the employees in the company the firm should provide various growth opportunities to the employees of the firm so they feel motivated to work.
• Employee's retention: Employees turnover has been increased in the firm where the growth opportunity and the developmental activities are not undertaken. Therefore, to retain the employees in the organization the company's should focus on providing training sessions as the cost of the employee's acquiring become expensive for the organization.
• Helps in building Positive culture: It has been identified form the research that the 88% of the individual's behavior is influence by the cultural of the firm (Barratt?Pugh, Hodge and Smith, 2020). The L&D department helps in creating a positive environment in the organization and thereby fosters high employee engagement.
• Increases employee motivation: Providing timely training to the employees helps in improving the confidence in them and motivates them to work more effectively. Development sessions help in increasing the self satisfaction of the employees by developing new skills. Aldi provides two year training program to new employees which help in development of new skills which lead to increase in motivation. Moreover, employee are highly motivated them they encouraged to implement innovative business practices. Further, with the help of learning programs they would become able to know about how activities need to be performed. Referring this, it can be stated that organizational learning enhances employee's efficiency and thereby fosters engagement as well.
• Reducing the company's risk: Performance of the employees is not effective then it will result in increasing the risk for the company. For reducing the risk Aldi conduct various development sessions which help in increase in the efficiency of completing the task. This will result in reducing the cost and the financial risk of the company.
• Increase the reputation of the company: Providing training and the development session for the employees helps in increasing the reputation and goodwill of the company in the market (Süt?ová, Šooš, and Kó?a, 2020). Moreover, trained personnel are highly engaged and motivated towards their work. Thus, providing training to the employees help in improving the efficiency and the effectiveness of them which further facilitates goals accomplishment. This will help in improving the profit for the company which led to enhancing the position and reputation of the company.

L&D theories and model for the Aldi Company

There are various theories and model which are helpful in the successful accomplishment of the training and development session for the employees. This model provide base on which the organization need to work to provide effective training to the employees. Below are the various models which the Aldi is using and can use for the excepted outcome from the employees (Gao and Li, 2019). This will help in increasing the employee's engagement as the employees will have job satisfaction and will be motivated to work in the organization which will help in overall development of the individual. This model provides bases on which the company need to work after analysis the suitable model for the company. Aldi should analysis all the model and identify the best model which can help in improving the performance of the employees and improving employee's engagement in the organization. Various types of the theories are as follows:

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Behavioral learning theories: These theory focus on the providing the training to the employees by identify and analysis their behavior. The organization aim at provide positive and appropriate reward to them on the basis of the performances. This involve provide reward and recognition to the employees so that they changes and influence their behavior according to the organization needs (Garavan, et. al, 2020). Training process could be improved by clearly defining the objective and goals of the firm so that employees understand what they need to do achieve and in which direction they need to work. The behavioral theories could be implemented in the Aldi organization by proving reward to the employees if the certain % of the sales has been increased by the organization. This will help in motivating the employees in achieving their goals. This training model also emphasizing on providing training by motivating employees in observing the other employees in the organization and try to take initiation to bring changes in their performances. The Aldi Company could use this theory to increase the involvement of the employees in the organization as this will help in enhancing their motivation level by providing reward for their performances.

Constructive Learning theory: This theory emphasis that the individual could learner better from their own experience. The idea of giving knowledge in the form of lectures and session will not have deep impact on the working of the individual. Employees have prior knowledge regarding the matter and the new learning from this understanding will be gain by personal experiences (Habib, Abbas and Noman, 2019). Hence, experience can be gained through allowing them to solve various problems, Analyses different situation and conducting various discussions. The organization could use the constructive learning theory by adopting various strategies. Aldi used the collaborative problem solving technique which aims at asking on the regular basis to employees to identify various problems that their business is facing. After this they have been asked to conduct research and identify solution for the problem existing in the market. The company also conducts a debate session by which they can gain more knowledge and come to the final solution by analysis all the factors affecting the market. In this the instructor seems themselves as the guide or the facilitator in the development of the employees.

Cognitive Learning theory: This is another model of L&D which emphasis on the mental process though which all the information is arranged in a systematic manner to achieve the preferable outcome. The employees had gained new information and the existing information which both are linked together to form suitable solution for the employees. This help in improving the engagement of the employees in the organization by creating a cognitive environment (Lerner, Geldhof and Bowers, 2019). The Aldi Company apply this theory by providing new challenges in the form of increasing the sales this will help in identify new method through which this could be achieve. This will help in gaining new skills by the employees and the firm should also conduct various seminars, provide mentorship and coaching to them.

Social learning theory: It has been identified that verbal or written information related to matter could not have long lasting impact on the employee. This will not help in gaining new technique with the almost efficiency (Spanjaard and Freeman, 2023). This learning theory emphasis on observing others and identify the way they are able to achieve the goals and objective. This is the type of training in which the individual try to imitate other and adapt the qualities of the other to improve their performance. This will help in improving the engagement of the employees as they will have job satisfaction for the current work as they are able to generate new skill which helps in overall development of the individuals. Group discussion, collaboration and the peer-to –peer learning are the training session through which the social learning training could be provided to the employees. The Aldi Company conducts the team building session and the group discussion once in a month to develop the skills.

Micro learning theory: It is believed that if the large amount of information is provided together at the same time, it leads to confusion in the mind of the employees. This technique aim at breaking down the huge information into smaller set to make employees deeply understand the topic. This will help in retention and engagement of the employees by the providing them valuable information regarding different aspect which will increase their knowledge level and improving the job satisfaction. This information could be shared in the form of the podcasts, quizzes, interactive session or the short videos. Continuous learning of the new skills and development of the employees could be catering by employing this training theory in the organization (Papanastassiou, Pearce and Zanfei, 2020). Now days the uses of laptop, mobile and the other devices had beneficial in successful implementing the skills and the impact has become long lasting. Aldi has used this technique by displaying various short video in the companies screen and conduct games for developing the skills.

Information processing theory: Individual gain bulk of information from various sources in a day from the firm or outside the firm. This theory is based on having an attention to the external and internal environment in which the organization is working (Saether, 2019). This information needed to be store in the mind and then arrange all information in the systematic manner to initiate connection between them. This training could be undertaken by providing various opportunities to practice their knowledge, provide session where the clear communication can be conducted. Aldi Company could undertake this theory by providing learning session to the employees who will help in retention and acquirement of the skills.

Learning curve theory: This theory is based on repeating the same task for the longer period of the time which will help in completing the task with most effectiveness and efficiency. This theory also highlight the level at which the individual could attain the diminishing return by continuous repetition of the task (Miko?ajczyk, 2022). The organization create new challenge in the same task and enhance the complexity of the will help in improving the problem solving skills of the individual. This includes setting up the expectation for the employees which are realistic which the employees need to achieve for the improving the training session. Aldi can implement the Learning curve theory which will help in improving the performance of the employees in the organization.

Connectives theory: In the traditional model it has been determine that the learning and knowledge of the individual can be improved by one self. The modern theory emphasis on the increasing the networking of the individual which will help in identify various thinks in the society. This aim at the individual should increase its social network by socialism and forming a group which will help in gaining different information related to their own cultural and the work they do. After the evolution of digitalization this theory could be easily undertaken through social media, personal network or the online communities (Mayhew and Rockenbach, 2021). The company should adopt this training to improve inter personal relation and collaboration among the employees. This will help in improving the engagement of the employees as they work in place where they have friend who help them in solving their problem. It is believe that there is plenty of knowledge available with an individual and with the networking it could be reach to wide population. Aldi used this theory to enhance cooperation in the employees and gaining more knowledge for their colleagues. The company achieved this by using the digital and technology tools in the organization.

Experiential learning theory: This theory emphasis on the personal experience through which the individual can gain more knowledge and help in development of the skills. The theory focus on the real world scenarios on which the existing knowledge, experience and the problem solving strategy could be implemented by the employees (Li and Ghirardi, 2019). This will help in critical analysis the situation by the employees and identify various measures through which this could be solved. Aldi apply this theory by creating an opportunities and situation where the employees need to apply their existing knowledge and the skills. It also include identify the best measures through which this could be solved effectively. Experience of the training session could be more impactful and the employee's engagement could be enhance by employing this method of the training.

Conclusion

It has been concluded from the essay that the learning and development has the great impact on the working of the organization. It has an impact on acquiring new talent and retaining the existing talent as the need of the employees in the current situation has been changes. It has been identified that earlier financial incentives were the only motivators for the employees in the organization but now it has determined that training and the scope of development for the employees also play an important role. Besides this, it can be inferred from the evaluation that L&D sessions help in improving the engagement of the employees. The demand of the employees is changes with their motivation which make it important for the company to introduce L&D department in their organization. Aldi has paid emphasis on providing training for the individual and group differently. Under individual they provide training for the technical aspect and under group they focus on the cultural training. There are various theories which could enhance the performance of the individual such as cognitive, constructive, social, experimental and micro learning theories which help in development of the new skills.

References

Books and Journals

• Audretsch, D.B. and Belitski, M., 2020. The role of R&D and knowledge spillovers in innovation and productivity. European economic review, 123, p.103391.
• Barratt?Pugh, L., Hodge, S. and Smith, E., 2020. Learning and development practitioners: identity, profession and future trajectory. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 58(2), pp.220-246.
• Gao, F. and Li, L., 2019. Predicting educators' use of Twitter for professional learning and development. Education and Information Technologies, 24, pp.2311-2327.
• Garavan, T.N., Heneghan, S., O'Brien, F., Gubbins, C., Lai, Y., Carbery, R., Duggan, J., Lannon, R., Sheehan, M. and Grant, K., 2020. L&D professionals in organisations: much ambition, unfilled promise. European Journal of Training and Development, 44(1), pp.1-86.
• Habib, M., Abbas, J. and Noman, R., 2019. Are human capital, intellectual property rights, and research and development expenditures really important for total factor productivity? An empirical analysis. International Journal of Social Economics, 46(6), pp.756-774.
• Lerner, R.M., Geldhof, G.J. and Bowers, E.P., 2019. The science of learning and development: Entering a new frontier of human development theory, research, and application. Applied Developmental Science, 23(4), pp.305-306.
• Li, C. and Ghirardi, S., 2019. The role of collaboration in innovation at cultural and creative organisations. The case of the museum. Museum Management and Curatorship, 34(3), pp.273-289.
• Mayhew, M.J. and Rockenbach, A.N., 2021. Interfaith learning and development. Journal of College and Character, 22(1), pp.1-12.
• Miko?ajczyk, K., 2022. Changes in the approach to employee development in organisations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Training and Development, 46(5/6), pp.544-562.
• Papanastassiou, M., Pearce, R. and Zanfei, A., 2020. Changing perspectives on the internationalization of R&D and innovation by multinational enterprises: A review of the literature. Journal of International Business Studies, 51, pp.623-664.
• Saether, E.A., 2019. Motivational antecedents to high-tech R&D employees' innovative work behavior: Self-determined motivation, person-organization fit, organization support of creativity, and pay justice. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 30(2), p.100350.
• Spanjaard, D. and Freeman, L., 2023. Supermarket tribes and the temple of Aldi: A comparison between the UK and Australia. Journal of Consumer Culture, 23(1), pp.3-26.
• Süt?ová, A., Šooš, ?. and Kó?a, F., 2020. Learning needs determination for industry 4.0 maturity development in automotive organisations in Slovakia. Quality Innovation Prosperity, 24(3), pp.122-139.

Online

• L&D department of Aldi. 2023. Online. Available through: < https://aldi-sued-holding-careers.com/about-us/we-as-an-employer/training-development>
• Market share of Aldi. 2023. Online. Available through: < https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2023/04/discounters-value-kantar/#:~:text=Aldi%20secured%20double%2Ddigit%20market,16%20April%2C%20Kantar%20figures%20showed>