What Is Involved in Personnel Management Training?

Professionals undergo personnel management training when they are preparing to lead a team of workers or when they need to learn new skills and revisit concepts to improve their performance as managers. Individuals who practice personnel management typically are responsible for overseeing all operations within their departments. They monitor workers for quality control, see that they are performing safely and efficiently and might oversee scheduling and determine short-term plans and goals. Personnel management training normally includes leadership training, in which trainees get tips on ways to inspire confidence in their employees and to keep them motivated. It also is common for this kind of training to include information about practices and policies that are specific to an organization.

In most cases, personnel management training is conducted by a professional trainer or experienced manager. It is common for many managers from the same organization to attend training sessions as a group. Facilitators might begin workshops with icebreakers in which participants introduce themselves and discuss various relevant issues, such as traits that they believe make someone a good leader. They also might share experiences that they have had in leadership roles.

It is common for personnel management training to include information about concepts and practices that pertain to certain industries. For instance, in the manufacturing industry, it might be common for personnel management training to provide information pulled from research regarding the best management practices that can lead to the highest rates of productivity and the greatest cost effectiveness. In the retail industry, personnel managers who are in training might learn about proven methods for appealing to customers and making sales.

In almost any business environment, a manager must be aware of and uphold company policies. For this reason, it also is common for personnel management training to include information about organizational culture. Organizational culture describes the values, priorities, goals and public image of a company. In many cases, executives and marketing professionals write out this information in public statements, which might be distributed to personnel managers during training. They might also learn about about basic policies such as dress codes and codes of behavior.

After participating in group discussions and activities and listening to informative and motivational presentations, it is common for participants in personnel management training to take assessments or evaluations. These assessments normally are used to ensure that all of the participants understand the key concepts and practices that they should have learned. Evaluations also are used to help trainers understand how they can improve their own performance and make training more effective.