In today's rapidly changing business environment, and facing so many challenges such as workforce scarcity, the lack of talents, diversity etc. HR management plays important role in gaining a competitive advantage. An organisation cannot build a good team of working professionals and achieve high performance without good Human Resources.

The key functions of the Human Resources Management (HRM) team include recruiting people, training and development, performance management and rewarding employees. This course provides throug all these functions.

• Training is provided in a firm to help employers to develop employees. Training should be systematic and need to respond to real training needs of the firm to fill the competency gap. Simplified training cycle, which is presented below, can be easily adopted in art and craft firm.

a) Analysis of training needs: Assess what your employees need to know in order to successfully do their jobs. You can ask questions: what knowledge, skills and attitudes are needed in your firm? Who needs the training? What would be the most efficient way to learn these?

b) Design: Determine what your on-the-job training program will look like.

c) Delivery: Decide who/when/how you will implement your training program.

d) Evaluation: Get feedback so you can know if your training met you and your employees’ needs.

• Employee development techniques can be divided into those taking place in the workplace – on the job - and outside the workplace – off the job trainings. On the job trainings are often less expensive and very practical. In turn, off the job trainings give the opportunity to obtain new competencies, to encounter new trends and it does not disrupt the normal operation. However, they are usually more expensive, it is not directly in the context of the job, it is often formal and may not be based on experience.

• In business the blended learning approach is gaining more popularity as it means using more than one training method to train on one subject. New forms of training such as e-learning, open and distant learning or the support of external coaches have helped many SMEs to face new challenges.

• The evaluation of the training program is important as it helps to assess if the goals of the trainings were achieved and what in fact is the value of the training. For the employer evaluation of training and development means assessment of the impact of training on trainee’s performance and behavior. Desired employee behavior and better performance will result in higher quality of product or service and finally in profits. However, it is important to assess the value of the program not only to the employer but also to the employees. This can be assessed by satisfaction of the employees.