Unit 21 – P1 and M1
Introduction
In this assignment I will be looking at why a selected business trains its employees and I will then be
assessing how and why a business does this. In the first section of this assignment, I am going to assess
why Vodafone (a British multinational telecommunications company) trains its employees.
Training:
Training is ‘the process of increasing the knowledge and skills of the workforce to enable them to
perform their jobs effectively’. It is, therefore, a process where an individual can acquire skills and
knowledge in relation to a job or role within a business. Training is either internal or external. Internal
being performed by the staff and employees within the business that the trainee is being trained for.
While external training would be performed outside of the business and done by a different party or
organization in order to effectively train the employee in a certain area of expertise.
Development:
On the other hand, development is a process that is done in order to ‘sustain a new desired state that
benefits the organization or community and the word around them’.it is a continuous process which
means that it will go on for longer, unlike training which is short term.
Importance of training and development
Training and development are very important when conducting business and can be a vital part to the
success of a business because it is the cause of many positive outcomes in a business and may make
them more efficient and effective in their work if the employees there have undergone training and if
the business has undergone development.
Training and development weren’t as common in the past but recently, more businesses are investing in
it. The most successful companies are those who invest in their workforce allowing them to get more in
return such as increased revenue and market share; trained and skilled workers are more productive
and when engaged workers are invested in, there would be higher retention rates and a reduction in
staff turnover.
The main benefits of training and development are that there is an improved employee performance,
satisfaction and morale, consistency, increased productivity and innovation in new strategies and it
would enhance the company’s reputation and profile. All these factors would lead to the business being
more successful.
As well as being beneficial to the business, it is also beneficial to the employees being trained. Firstly, it
improves skills and knowledge – this would positively affect the productivity of workers because if they
are trained to know how to do their jobs efficiently and effectively and have the skills to do so, the work
output will increase. Other benefits include it prepares workers for higher responsibilities, shows
employees they are valid and will aid recommendations of performance appraisals.
, Vodafone
Vodafone is a British based phone network and telecommunications company which provides a wide
range of mobile services. Their main purpose is to ‘provide products, services and solutions of the
highest possible quality and to deliver more value to their customers that earns their respect and
loyalty.’ (Their mission statement) Vodafone Group PLC is based in Newbury, Berkshire in England and
predominately operates services in Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceana where they have a large presence
and a high number of users. Globally, there are over 625 million customers, with a presence in 65
countries and 17.3 million subscribers in the United Kingdom alone (as of November 2020).
This makes Vodafone the third largest mobile phone network operator in the UK after EE and O2. Their
mission is to ‘connect the UK and build and exciting digital future that works for everyone.’ 1 and their
values consist of running their business responsibly and sustainably, reducing the energy used and waste
produced. They offer equal working opportunities regardless of race, nationality, culture, gender, age,
marital status, sexual orientation, disability or religious/political belief.
Vodafone have 3 strategic objectives (long term plans) which would aid the business in becoming
successful in the future. They are:
To run their business more responsibly and sustainably by reducing energy usage
To be a wonderful place to work
To manage tasks inside of the business to help customers and their families live happily and safe
digital lives
The first strategic objective that Vodafone aim to achieve (to run their business more responsibly and
sustainably by reducing energy usage) means that they use sustainable materials while they produce
and sell their products and ensure that they limit their use of fossil fuels which can damage the
environment. To achieve this, Vodafone have reduced their energy usage by 100 gigawatt hours in three
years, preventing 25,000 Tonnes of Co2 from entering the atmosphere. By doing this, the company is
also saving money (£10 million). They have done this by making changes to lighting, heating and air
conditioning within 90 Vodafone UK sites which includes offices, call centers, mobile phone exchanges
and data centers.
The next strategy which is to be a ‘wonderful place to work’ means that Vodafone would like the
business and workplace to be an environment which is enjoyable and pleasant to the workers which
would allow them to become more efficient in their work, producing more work which would benefit
the business. They are trying to achieve this by being more creative and innovative with their technology
while maintaining a happy working environment where employees work together to achieve a shared
goal. The management and owners of Vodafone value their employees and ensure that they are in a
positive position in terms of work.
Furthermore, Vodafone’s next goal is to manage tasks inside of the business to help customers and their
families live happily and safe digital lives. This means that they are committed to ensuring that their
product is something that is useful to consumers while also being a good product/service. By managing
tasks within the business to support their customers’ lives, they are ensuring that the work and services
1
https://newscentre.vodafone.co.uk/about-us/mission-and-values/