Outsourcing and its implications for employee training and development: A case study of Westel

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of outsourcing on employee training and development in Westel. The study argues that when a task is outsourced, the skills and competencies used for the performance of that task will be lost unless an alternative use for that skill is created. This raises the need for employees to be retrained. The study examined the training needs of employees and how such needs were assessed within Westel. The study used the case study approach. The study found that outsourcing has resulted in loss of skills and competencies in Westel. It was also found that Westel uses the performance appraisal system to discuss training needs of employees. It also uses the postcourse evaluation method to evaluate training. The study has revealed that 69% of employees whose roles were changed were retrained. The conclusions are that Westel practices outsourcing without an outsourcing policy. Outsourcing in Westel resulted in the loss of skills and competencies. However, employees whose skills were affected were retrained. The recommendation for the management of Westel is that an outsourcing policy should be instituted. For the human resource department, it is recommended that the professional development programme for employees should be restructured to cater for the needs of both technical and nontechnic al staff. The recommendation for the employees is that activities that interfere with workflow should be reported to the appropriate authority for redress. Finally, the head of the technical department should discuss the content of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the monitoring team.