Training and Development Course

The Cheesecake Factory

The cheesecake factory is one of the well-renowned incorporated restaurants in America to distribute cheesecakes in the country. Additionally, the company was founded by David M Overton in Beverly Hill, California, in 1978. The Cheesecake Factory is known for its diverse menu, large portions, and upscale atmosphere. The menu features a wide range of dishes, including appetizers, entrees, pizzas, sandwiches, and salads, as well as a variety of specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. In addition to its food offerings, The Cheesecake Factory is also known for its commitment to providing exceptional customer service and creating a welcoming and enjoyable dining experience for its guests. The company’s focus on employee training and development has been a critical factor in its success and growth. The company has gone on to operate in 219 fully serviced restaurants comprising 206 below the cheesecake factory trademark and 13 below the Grand Lux Café brand.

The study’s main aim is to evaluate the practical training and personal development programs the organization has implemented to ensure their employees improve their performance. Employee training and personal development programs are vital for enhancing an employee’s performance. Training helps employees to manage tasks at the individual and team levels as employees become well-equipped with skills needed for their jobs, making them take less time to find ways to perform their work. Additionally, employers can pinpoint the knowledge and skills they want their workers to have (Noe, 2019). Additionally, these programs help educate workers on new skills or even provide updates on preexisting skills to improve productivity. Training and development programs also have an impact on the organization as it reduces the rate of employee turnover.

Definition of Theories and Key Concepts

Various theories are related to training methods and the impact of training on personal and organizational success. Some of these theories include goal setting theory, which indicates that employees tend to put more effort, time, and passion into learning if there are specific and more hard goals to drive them. This is because workers feel a greater sense of self-satisfaction and achievement if they work harder to attain these objectives set by training and personal development programs instead of those that are typically ambiguous and easy. There are various ways this theory can apply in a training program, including using the SMART model and ensuring that workers understand these goals well (Niazi, 2011). Additionally, behavioral learning theory is also related to the training and development of workers. This theory is centered around the notion that individuals learn through their interactions with their environment. Typically, the theory is also based on the assumption that workers react and behave based on the link between responses and stimuli. Training programs should use positive reinforcement as it plays a vital role in training individuals. Microlearning theory is also vital in training and personal development as it indicates that learners absorb new information well when training is done in concise bursts.

Problem Statement

Training and personal development programs implemented in the Cheesecake Factory seek to address various areas. These problem areas that will be addressed include diversity, equity, inclusion, and communication and interpersonal skills. The human resource department should prioritize Training employees on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as it can help employees understand and appreciate the differences among individuals and promote a positive and inclusive work environment (Jehanzeb & Bashir, 2013). Some vital topics that the department can choose to train employees on include but are not limited to understanding unconscious bias, valuing and respecting diversity, promoting an inclusive workplace, and addressing discrimination and harassment. We live in a diverse world; thus, employees need to be trained on diversity, equality, and inclusion as it helps reduce cases of discrimination and harassment, thus reducing lawsuits against the company. Furthermore, it helps reduce and avoid unconscious biases in the company, which leads to developing a conducive environment that fosters harmony and unity of purpose.

Additionally, employees should be trained in communication and interpersonal skills as they can help employees develop their ability to communicate effectively with others and build positive relationships in the workplace. Employees would become better equipped to handle customer questions, thus increasing their trust in the company to deliver products or services (Jehanzeb & Bashir, 2013). Some crucial communication and interpersonal skills training topics could include active listening, verbal and non-verbal communication, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, team-building and collaboration, presentation skills, and influencing and negotiation skills. Training employees in this area will improve employee effectiveness and collaboration, increase teamwork, aid in conflict resolution, and support employees’ professional development. To achieve this training, the program will follow the framework listed below.

Gap analysis

Gap analysis is a term used to denote the method of assessing the performance of the programs established by the company to evaluate whether the programs were developed to address the requirements or the objectives the programs were developed to address (Nayak et al., 2019). Gap analysis helps evaluate the space between where the company is currently and where the company wants to be short. Additionally, the human resource examines whether the training programs are successful. To perform gap analysis would rely on interviews and questionnaires conducted on employees as they would provide the best feedback. This will help evaluate the effectiveness of training methods used, whether there is an information overload, workforce resistance, employee roadblocks, and even the effectiveness of feedback and support systems used by the company.

Relying on questionnaires and interviews has various challenges. Some problems related to interviews include asking the wrong questions leading to wrong conclusions. It may be affected by the inconsistency between interviewees (Nayak et al., 2019). Without a solid structure to conduct an interview, it is easy to fall into the trap of being inconsistent in the approach between different interview candidates. Consistently is vital for a compact interview procedure, and the aptitude to weigh the feedback received from various individuals.

Additionally, it may be affected by biasness, which is human nature for any assessor to permit some prejudice to creep into the interview process. Individuals are typically hard-wired to seek shared characters and interests toward what they want to be the outcome. Some problems related to questionnaires include incorrect feedback, ignorance of questions, different interpretations of questions used to collect feedback, lack of accessibility, and the risk of having superficial responses.

Conclusion and Recommendation

One of the organizations’ most prominent challenges in delivering their training and personal development programs is ensuring the content is relevant and up-to-date. As the business environment is constantly changing, training and development programs need to be able to adapt to these changes and provide employees with the skills and knowledge they need to stay competitive. Another challenge is ensuring that the training and development programs are accessible to all employees (Jehanzeb & Bashir, 2013). This means that the programs should be available in different formats, such as online and in-person, and should be tailored to meet the needs of employees at different levels within the organization. The third challenge is measuring the efficiency of the training and development courses. Establishments need to track employees’ progress and assess the effect of the training and personal development programs on their output. This requires the development of robust evaluation and assessment methods that can accurately measure the effectiveness of the programs.

One approach to address these challenges is ensuring that the training and development courses are affiliated with the establishment’s tactical objectives. This means that the curriculums should be planned to support the achievement of the establishment’s overall objectives and focus on providing employees with the skills and knowledge they need to support the organization’s mission and vision (Numonjonov, 2020). Another way to address these challenges is to involve employees in developing and delivering training and development programs. This can be achieved by involving employees in the design and implementation of the programs and by providing them with opportunities to provide feedback on the programs. This can ensure that the programs are relevant and responsive to the needs of employees. In addition, organizations can use technology to enhance their training and development programs. By leveraging online platforms and tools, organizations can provide employees with access to an extensive choice of resources and make it more convenient for employees to access training and development programs.

The company should develop a feasible training framework based on the following steps. Needs Analysis: The first step in the training framework is to conduct a needs inquiry to identify workers’ skills and knowledge gaps and the training and development programs required to address those gaps (Numonjonov, 2020). This can be done through surveys, interviews, and focus groups with employees and managers. Goals and Objectives: Based on the needs analysis results, the organization should establish clear goals and objectives for the training and development program. These goals and objectives should be aligned with the organization’s overall strategic goals. They should focus on providing employees with the skills and knowledge they need to support the organization’s mission and vision.

Curriculum Design: The curriculum for the training and development program should be designed to meet the goals and objectives of the program. This includes selecting appropriate training methods and materials, such as workshops and webinars, and incorporating relevant case studies (Numonjonov, 2020). Delivery and Implementation: The training and development program should be delivered and implemented in a way that is accessible and convenient for employees. This includes providing training in different formats, such as online, and offering training at different times to accommodate employees’ schedules. Evaluation and Assessment: The training and development program should be assessed regularly to measure its effectiveness and determine if any adjustments are needed. This can be done through pre-and post-training assessments and interviews with employees and managers. Continuous Improvement: Based on the evaluation and assessment results, the organization should make any necessary adjustments to the training and development program and implement a continuous improvement process to ensure the program stays current and meets the changing needs of employees.

In conclusion, organizations face many challenges in delivering their training and personal development programs. By aligning the programs with the organization’s strategic goals, involving employees in the development and delivery of the programs, and using technology to enhance the programs, organizations can overcome these challenges and ensure that the programs are effective in meeting the needs of employees. By following the proposed training framework, Cheesecake Factory would effectively deliver and evaluate its program, ensuring that the needs of workers are met.

References

Jehanzeb, K., & Bashir, N. A. (2013). Training and development program and its benefits to employee and organization: A conceptual study. European journal of business and management, 5(2).

Nayak, M. S. D. P., & Narayan, K. A. (2019). Strengths and weaknesses of online surveys. Technology, 6(7), 0837-2405053138.

Niazi, A. S. (2011). Training and development strategy and its role in organizational performance. Journal o Public Administration and Governance, 1(2).

Noe, R. (2019). Employee training & Development (8th ed.). McGraw-Hi l Higher Education (International). https://o line.vitalsource.com/books/9781260569599

Numonjonov, S. D. (2020). Innovative methods of professional training. ISJ Theor tical & Applied Science, 1(81), 747-750.