Question

With the help of a suitable example bring out any four differences between training and development.

Answer 1

1. Short term vs Long term

Some human resource experts explain the differences between training and development very simply: the first thinks about the present and the second about the future.

On the other hand, development focuses on the long term. Human resource managers propose a strategy to put in place over several months or years, comprising a set of initiatives that are expected to bear fruit over a long period of time. It is a continuous process in which you are trying to develop professionals in their next step or their next position of responsibility.

2. Job position vs Professional career

Due to its precision and commitment to the short term, training is designed for a specific job position. It seeks to provide professionals with tools and skills, taking into account the work that they will be doing at the company.

However, development focuses on the person: its objective is to get the best out of each professional in the company, identifying their interests and the fields in which they can more easily progress. If training focuses on a job position, development puts the emphasis on building a successful professional career.

3. Specific objectives vs Open objectives

In training, the objectives are specific and well defined: learning how to use a program, obtaining a certain personal skill or teaching the new protocols put in place by the company.

4. Group vs Individual

Training tends to be an initiative designed by a company and taught by a tutor or expert. The company pays for the expenses and organizes the courses, decides what sort of tools its employees should use, and sets the guidelines to follow in all the training activities. These initiatives are often taught in a group (a department, people who have recently joined the company, etc.).