Efficacy of Training and Development on the Productivity of Employees: Case of the Higher Colleges of Technology

Employees are the significant resources of any institution. They play numerous acting roles in the organization’s success. The established corporates cannot underestimate their employees’ contributions. This study assessed the efficacy of training and development (TD) on the productivity of employees, a case study of the Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates. As part of an active methodology to gather qualitative and quantitative data, a scheduled meeting was first held with the Human Resources Management (HRM) representatives on the zoom platform due to the COVID-19 breakout that has claimed a toll on our lives and economy. The discussions predominantly focused on identifying specific vital parameters, such as the: 1) types of TD programs, 2) frequency of these programs, 3) evaluation (performance) of the programs, 4) perception of the programs, and finally 5) benefits of the programs to both employer and employees. Shortly after, a questionnaire was randomly sent to a sample of thirty-seven (37) employees (academic and non-academic personnel) across the institution. The abstention rate was 5.40%. This research utilized the five-point Likert scale to measure the effectiveness of TD on employees’ performance. The qualitative results showed that HCT employees had undertaken three types of TD programs on average. These TD programs were 1) Experiential (70%), 2) Through Others (20%), and 3) Formal (10%). Contrariwise, the quantitative results disclosed that 80% of the answers go to "Agree" on the five-point Likert scale. This percentage carries a weight of 4/5 on that scale. In all cases, most of the respondents "Agree-d" with the statement. Consequently, this sample indicated that TD programs positively impacted the employees’ performance.