Human Resource Development in Courier Industry

To compete favourably and succeed in business, courier operators must take human capital development seriously and make adequate investment in it. Training and development is a cornerstone in performance management.
Andrew Ebiloma, head of Inspectorate, Courier Regulatory Department has said that for courier companies to remain in business for a long time, they should begin to offer competitive and market-oriented employment conditions and benefits. In order to link employment conditions with business and individual performance, Ebiloma said due attention should be given to setting consistent values and that rewards particularly for managers should be linked to team-goal achievement as well as meeting company profitability objectives. Training of personnel in any organization is essential to the survival of the business.
Learning itself is a process and it helps us to acquire greater knowledge which in turn allows us to modify and develop our behaviour. According to Ebiloma, training at the workplace has the advantage of being real, immediate and practical and affords the trainee the ability to practice what is learned immediately.  Training that takes place elsewhere outside the office location allows some time out for employees and provides safe environment within which to practice new skills.
Training needs at any level have to be reviewed regularly to make sure they are updated. Ebiloma said the reasons  for this to happen could  be as a result of the introduction of new products/services, re-organization , mergers or sell offs, new legislation or changes in legislation, introduction of technology, quality initiatives, customer service initiative, high labour turnover or low staff morale, among others. These training needs could be identified by comparing the performance of the company against the targets or objectives set for it. Training needs need to be formulated into training plans which outline the ways in which the needs will be met. Unfortunately, some courier companies tend to neglect aspect of training in their business and concentrate in profit making. This in the long run affects such companies as human resource is the main engine upon which organizations rotate.
Since there is no university or higher institution that handles courier as a discipline, there is therefore the need to expose staff to refresher courses from time to time on developments in the industry.  The communications industry where courier belongs is dynamic especially with the evolution of Information and Communications Technology. Stakeholders in the industry should therefore be made to flow with innovations in the industry. The Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) has been acting as the stop gap in providing training opportunities for operators but unfortunately many courier companies are yet to exploit the opportunities offered by these trainings. The regulatory department should as a matter of necessity ensure that courier companies comply with training needs in the industry by making it compulsory that courier firms meet at least 50 percent attendance during the year. If this condition is already there, CRD should make it work by making it a condition to be met before licenses are to be renewed.