Corporate training and development is of prime importance to any organization and most often is the duty of human resources. This department focuses on organizational activities that can improve individual and group performance. Corporate training and development is often referred to as learning and development and also as human resource development.

Those who are involved in corporate training and development include training managers or training directors, managers of organizational effectiveness, training needs analysts, management development specialists, chief learning officers, and career development advisors. Typical roles in the field include management development, employee orientation, technical job training, professional skills training and customer service.

The Practice of Corporate Training and Development

The training and development of individuals and groups within an organization entails education, training, and development. The education aspect of corporate training and development entails focusing on positions that an individual might have in the future and evaluating that individual in regards to those positions. Training focuses more on the position that an individual is currently responsible for. Development is concerned with the tasks that an individual or that individual’s organization might perform in future times.

Involvement in Training and Development

The individuals who are involved in corporate training and development can be categorized into different classes. The senior managers of an organization are the sponsors, and the business planners are the clients. The individuals who actually partake in the processes are the participants. Staff members within Human Resources are the facilitators of corporate training and development, and the specialists in the various fields are the providers. Each group has a separate agenda and motivations, and this can cause conflicts between different group goals at times.

 Goals of Training and Development

One goal of corporate training and development is teaching an individual to interface well with authority and with individuals who have different points of view. This is a step toward long-term success, as a poor relationship with a peer, superior, or client cannot be overcome with knowledge, talent, and skills alone. Training is often offered in the realms of management development, professional skills training, employee orientation, technical job training, sales and marketing, customer service, and health and safety.

Another key goal of training and development is talent development. This is the process of changing an organization and the groups within it to aid the organization in achieving and maintaining a more competitive advantage. Talent development can encompass various components, including career development and management, training, and organizational development.