EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE TRAINING METHODS 2

Effective Employee Training Methods

Go to the Chief Learning Officer’s (CLO) Website and read the article titled “Southwest
Airlines: Employee Education Takes Flight”. Next, determine if Southwest’s method of
training is an effective way to conduct training. Support your position. Provide one
recommendation for improvement.

Southwest Airlines has a highly effective training method. The method involves
partnership between technology and business units (Site Staff, 2003). The technology system
used by the company, Pathlore Learning Management System, is used by the airline to determine
what employees need to learn and for how long (Site Staff, 2003). Thanks to this technology
system, employees are only given training that helps them to effectively perform their daily
tasks. The seamless collaboration between the technology system and business units, therefore,
has resulted in efficient and effective employee training. The success of the training has resulted
not only in improved performance of employees but also development of strong employee
loyalty to the airline. This loyalty explains why, for instance, the company has relatively low
employee turnover. While Southwest Airlines has put in place an effective employee training
strategy, there is still room for improvement. For instance, it can make their training more timely
such that any time an employee needs a given set of skills to make their work easier, they get it
at the time they need it.
Compare the following training methods: presentations, case studies, simulations, and
discussions. Determine which training method you believe to be the most effective and
explain why. 
Presentations involve the use of visuals, such as videos to transmit important information
and skills to employees. Case studies use examples of real world problems to help employees

EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE TRAINING METHODS 3
develop analytical skills that are needed to solve similar problems in their workplace (Diploye,
2018). Discussions, on the other hand, involve use of employee groups for learning. Employees,
learn from each other through sharing knowledge, experiences, and skills. Lastly, simulations use
models and dummies to help employees learn how solve real-world problems.
Of these training methods, I believe that simulation is the best approach of training
employees. Simulation involves creation of real-life work scenarios (Diploye, 2018). Employees
are then required to use the knowledge and skills that they have been taught to handle those
scenarios. This method is effective because it allows employees to develop hands-on skills for
effective job performance.

EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE TRAINING METHODS 4

References
Dipboye, R. (2018). Employee Training and Development’.
Site Staff (September 4, 2003). Southwest Airlines: Employee Education Takes Flight. Retrieved
on 15 th May, 2020 from https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2003/09/04/southwest-
airlines-employee-education-takes-flight/