2.5.3b Why businesses train and develop employees Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Business, Unit 10

The 20 questions

1. Why do businesses train and develop employees?

   • To avoid paying any wages to staff who are learning new tasks
   • To reduce the number of hours that staff are allowed to work each week
   • To improve skills, which can raise productivity and the quality of work
   • To ensure that employees never ask for a pay rise in future

2. How does training link to motivation?

   • Trained staff are always less motivated because they have more responsibility
   • Training only motivates staff who are close to retirement age
   • Staff who are trained feel valued and are more likely to stay motivated
   • Training has no effect on motivation at any point in an employee's career

3. How does training help with staff retention?

   • Employees who are given a fixed job role with no changes are more likely to stay with the business
   • Employees who see development opportunities are more likely to stay with the business
   • Employees who receive training are more likely to leave for a rival firm offering a higher wage
   • Training is only useful for new starters, so staff who have been employed for years need none

4. A business introduces new software that all staff must use. Why is retraining needed?

   • Staff already know every piece of software on the market, so training is not needed
   • Staff need new skills to use the software effectively and avoid errors
   • Retraining is only needed for staff who are going to be dismissed
   • New software is always simple enough that no staff require any instruction

5. Why might a business need to retrain its workers when it introduces automated machines?

   • Automation means the business should dismiss all workers rather than train them
   • Workers no longer need any skills once a machine is installed on site
   • Automated machines never need an operator or any supervision at all
   • Workers must learn to operate, monitor and maintain the new equipment

6. What is a benefit of retraining employees rather than recruiting new staff?

   • It can be cheaper and keeps the experience and knowledge staff already have
   • It guarantees that retrained staff will always be paid less than new staff
   • It removes the need for any induction or training for the workforce
   • It means that new staff never need to be recruited for any role again

7. What is a potential cost of not training employees?

   • Lower wage costs because staff are not paid for training time
   • Lower productivity and more errors, which can increase costs
   • Higher motivation because staff are left to find their own way
   • Greater flexibility because staff cannot be moved between tasks

8. A business spends £8,000 on training 20 employees. What is the cost per employee?

   • £400
   • £800
   • £40
   • £4,000

9. Which is an example of training that develops employees for the future?

   • A quick safety talk given to all staff on a single afternoon
   • A notice on the wall reminding staff of the company dress code
   • A course that prepares a supervisor for a future management role
   • A one-off tour of the warehouse for a new starter

10. Why might a business use training to reduce staff turnover?

    • Training makes staff more likely to take jobs with rival businesses
    • Employees who receive training always leave the business within six months
    • Employees who develop skills and see progression are less likely to leave
    • Training means staff have no need for any pay rise in the future

11. A business trains staff to use a new computer system. Which benefit is most likely in the short term?

    • The removal of all need for any supervision of the system by managers in future
    • Higher wages for all staff immediately after the training session has finished
    • A permanent rise in the cost of the system each year without any change in use
    • Fewer errors when processing orders once staff are confident with the system

12. Why is it important for a business to train staff in health and safety?

    • It removes the need for the business to keep any safety records at all
    • It allows staff to ignore warnings from managers about dangerous equipment
    • It means staff are never required to follow any safety rules in the workplace
    • It reduces the risk of accidents and helps the business meet its legal duties

13. Which of these shows a business training staff to retain them?

    • Refusing to pay for any course that might help a worker to progress within the firm
    • Offering a clear career path with training for promotion within the business
    • Telling staff that they will be replaced by new employees at the start of next year
    • Changing staff roles every week with no training given at any point in the year

14. A business has high staff turnover after introducing new technology without training. What is the most likely reason?

    • Staff are unable to see any link between the technology and their pay
    • Staff are paid too much for the work they are asked to do each day
    • Staff have too many training sessions and no time left to work
    • Staff feel unable to do their jobs well and become frustrated

15. What is the link between training and productivity over time?

    • Training reduces output in the long term because staff spend less time working
    • Training raises costs without any effect on the level of output
    • Improved skills gradually raise output and reduce waste
    • Training only affects productivity in the first week after it is completed

16. Why might employees value a business that invests in their development?

    • It means employees can avoid any responsibility for the work they do
    • It removes the need for employees to perform their normal duties at all
    • It guarantees employees a promotion whether or not they improve
    • It shows the business cares about their future, which builds loyalty

17. A business is about to launch a new product line. Which action would best prepare staff?

    • Training staff on the product features and the new processes before launch
    • Asking staff to learn the product on their own after it has been sold
    • Relying on customers to explain the product to the staff who serve them
    • Launching the product before any staff have been told about it

18. Which is a cost to a business of training staff?

    • Staff time away from productive work and the fees for the course
    • Lower wages paid to staff who are attending the course in working hours
    • Higher profits, because staff are learning new skills during working hours
    • Lower staff turnover, which reduces recruitment costs for the business

19. Explain why a business that invests in training may gain a competitive advantage.

    • Training means that rivals are unable to copy any of the business's products or services
    • Trained staff can be paid less than untrained staff in every case and in every role
    • Skilled, motivated staff can deliver better service and adapt faster than rivals
    • Training prevents competitors from entering the market in the first place at all

20. Explain how training can help a business respond to changes in technology.

    • Retraining lets staff use new systems, so the business can adopt change without losing output
    • Technology changes are never relevant to the skills that staff need to do their jobs well
    • Retraining means the business no longer needs to adopt any new technology in its operations at all
    • Retraining allows the business to avoid any change in how it operates in the marketplace

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