Training and Development
Training and development is vital part of the human resource development.
It is assuming ever important role in wake of the advancement of
technology which has resulted in ever increasing competition, rise in
customer’s expectation of quality and service and a subsequent need to
lower costs. It is also become more important globally in order to
prepare workers for new jobs. In the current write up, we will focus
more on the emerging need of training and development, its implications
upon individuals and the employers.
Noted management author Peter Drucker said that the fastest growing
industry would be training and development as a result of replacement of
industrial workers with knowledge workers. In United States, for
example, according to one estimate technology is de-skilling 75 % of the
population. This is true for the developing nations and for those who
are on the threshold of development. In Japan for example, with
increasing number of women joining traditionally male jobs, training is
required not only to impart necessary job skills but also for preparing
them for the physically demanding jobs. They are trained in everything
from sexual harassment policies to the necessary job skills.
The need for Training and Development
Before we say that technology is responsible for increased need of
training inputs to employees, it is important to understand that there
are other factors too that contribute to the latter. Training is also
necessary for the individual development and progress of the employee,
which motivates him to work for a certain organisation apart from just
money. We also require training update employees of the market trends,
the change in the employment policies and other things.
The following are the two biggest factors that contribute to the increased need to training and development in organisations:
- Change: The word change encapsulates almost
everything. It is one of the biggest factors that contribute to the need
of training and development. There is in fact a direct relationship
between the two. Change leads to the need for training and development
and training and development leads to individual and organisational
change, and the cycle goes on and on. More specifically it is the
technology that is driving the need; changing the way how businesses
function, compete and deliver.
- Development: It is again one the strong reasons
for training and development becoming all the more important. Money is
not the sole motivator at work and this is especially very true for the
21st century. People who work with organisations seek more than just
employment out of their work; they look at holistic development of self.
Spirituality and self awareness for example are gaining momentum world
over. People seek happiness at jobs which may not be possible unless an
individual is aware of the self. At ford, for example, an individual can
enrol himself / herself in a course on ‘self awareness’, which
apparently seems inconsequential to ones performance at work but
contributes to the spiritual well being of an individual which is all
the more important.
The critical question however remains the implications and the
contribution of training and development to the bottom line of
organisations performance. To assume a leadership position in the market
space, an organisation will need to emphasise on the kind of programs
they use to improvise performance and productivity and not just how much
they simply spend on learning!
Training and Development - A Key HR Function
Training and development is one of the key HR functions. Most
organisations look at training and development as an integral part of
the human resource development activity. The turn of the century has
seen increased focus on the same in organisations globally. Many
organisations have mandated training hours per year for employees
keeping in consideration the fact that technology is deskilling the
employees at a very fast rate.
So what is training and development then? Is it really that important
to organisational survival or they can survive without the former? Are
training and development one and the same thing or are they different?
Training may be described as an endeavour aimed to improve or develop
additional competency or skills in an employee on the job one currently
holds in order to increase the performance or productivity.
Technically training involves change in attitude, skills or knowledge
of a person with the resultant improvement in the behaviour. For
training to be effective it has to be a planned activity conducted after
a thorough need analysis and target at certain competencies, most
important it is to be conducted in a learning atmosphere.
While designing the training program it has to be kept in mind that
both the individual goals and organisational goals are kept in mind.
Although it may not be entirely possible to ensure a sync, but
competencies are chosen in a way that a win-win is created for the
employee and the organisation.
Typically organisations prepare their training calendars at the
beginning of the financial year where training needs are identified for
the employees. This need identification called as ‘training need
analysis’ is a part of the performance appraisal process. After need
analysis the number of training hours, along with the training
intervention are decided and the same is spread strategically over the
next year.
Development
Lots of time training is confused with development, both are
different in certain respects yet components of the same system.
Development implies opportunities created to help employees grow. It is
more of long term or futuristic in nature as opposed to training, which
focus on the current job. It also is not limited to the job avenues in
the current organisation but may focus on other development aspects
also.
At Goodyear, for example, employees are expected to mandatorily
attend training program on presentation skills however they are also
free to choose a course on ‘perspectives in leadership through
literature’. Whereas the presentation skills program helps them on job,
the literature based program may or may not help them directly.
Similarly many organisations choose certain employees preferentially
for programs to develop them for future positions. This is done on the
basis of existing attitude, skills and abilities, knowledge and
performance of the employee. Most of the leadership programs tend to be
of this nature with a vision of creating and nurturing leaders for
tomorrow.
The major difference between training and development therefore is
that while training focuses often on the current employee needs or
competency gaps, development concerns itself with preparing people for
future assignments and responsibilities.
With technology creating more deskilled workers and with
industrial workers being replaced by knowledge workers, training and
development is at the forefront of HRD. The onus is now on the human
development department to take a proactive leadership role in responding
to training and business needs.
Systems View of Training - Stages in a Training Program
The success of a training program is evaluated in terms of the end
result or the increase in the work ability, skill or competency in the
trainee. For any training program to be successful it is very essential
to follow a certain process.
The basic process as illustrated in the figure below consists of
four stages which are assessment, development, delivery and evaluation.
- The process of training begins with the needs assessment
stage. The aim of the assessment stage is to understand whether or not
training is required. If the answer is yes; the next step is determining
competency or skills gaps and the appropriate training intervention
required. The training intervention is essentially decided in terms of
attitude, knowledge and skill (ASK), the combination of which is called
as competency. The assessment also called as the ‘training needs
analysis’ is undertaken at three levels, the job, the individual and
organisational analysis.
- Once the training needs analysis is complete, the next stage is that of Development.
This stage involves the development of content and the training
material. Right from designing the appropriate environment to deciding
the various tools, everything is taken care of in the development stage.
Games, A/V’s, Case Studies, Class room intervention are various means
that may be decided upon apart from the content delivered. For example,
in behavioural training emotional intelligence, teamwork, listening are
examples of competencies that are required to perform superior work. The
same may be transferred into the trainees through any of the above
means depending upon various factors like demographics, job nature etc
which are taken care of in the first stage.
- The most important stage and perhaps the least talked upon from the training process is the delivery.
Once the development stage is over it is time to conduct the training.
Factors like time and venue of delivery are already decided in the
earlier stages. There are various factors that determine the process of
delivery like the participant demographics, the training intervention,
the individual style of the trainer etc. This brings in a lot of
diversity to the training programs.
- Evaluation is the last stage in the training
process and more important from the perspective of evaluation of the
effectiveness of training. Needless to say, it is aimed at analysing
whether or not the training has been effective in achieving the
objective (bridging the competency gap, changing the attitude,
developing new skills etc). There are various ways in which the
effectiveness of training programs can be evaluated but not many are
able to answer in terms of ROI. The most effective tool for evaluation
of training is the Kirk Patrick Model of Evaluation.
In order for the evaluation to be effective the both the criteria and
design for training program is decided so that there is no discrepancy
and the participants are able to evaluate the benefits effectively for
themselves. The evaluation is made on the basis of participant reaction
to the training, their learning and the change in behaviour. This
feedback is then reused in the first step ‘training needs analysis’ for
making future training more effective.
Training Needs Analysis
Training is an expensive process not only in terms of the money spent
on it but also the time and the other resources spent on the same. The
most important question therefore is determining whether or not a need
for training actually exists and whether the intervention will
contribute to the achievement of organisational goal directly or
indirectly? The answer to the above mentioned question lies in ‘training
needs analysis’ which is the first step in the entire process of
training and development.
Training needs analysis is a systematic process of understanding
training requirements. It is conducted at three stages - at the level of
organisation, individual and the job, each of which is called as the
organisational, individual and job analysis. Once these analyses are over, the results are collated to arrive upon the objectives of the training program.
Another view of the training need is that, it is the discrepancy
between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’. Taking cues from this the world
bank conducted a needs analysis and arrived upon the conclusion that
many of its units in eastern regions of Europe required transformation
from state owned business to self sustaining organisations. A number of
universities were then contacted to develop the necessary modules and
conduct the training upon the same.
Although each step in the entire training process is unique in its
own, needs analysis is special in that it lays the foundation for the
kind of training required. The assessment gives insight into what kind
of intervention is required, knowledge or skill or both. In certain
cases where both of these are present and the performance is still
missing then the problem may be motivational in nature. It thus
highlights the need and the appropriate intervention which is essential
to make the training effective.
As mentioned earlier, the needs analysis / assessment is carried out
at three levels - organisational, Individual and Job. We now take up
each one of them in detail.
Organisational Analysis
The organisational analysis is aimed at short listing the focus areas
for training within the organisation and the factors that may affect
the same. Organisational mission, vision, goals, people inventories,
processes, performance data are all studied. The study gives cues about
the kind of learning environment required for the training. Motorola and
IBM for example, conduct surveys every year keeping in view the short
term and long term goals of the organisation.
Job Analysis
The job analysis of the needs assessment survey aims at understanding
the ‘what’ of the training development stage. The kind of intervention
needed is what is decided upon in the job analysis. It is an objective
assessment of the job wherein both the worker oriented - approach as
well as the task - oriented approach is taken into consideration. The
worker approach identifies key behaviours and ASK for a certain job and
the task - oriented approach identifies the activities to be performed
in a certain job. The former is useful in deciding the intervention and
the latter in content development and program evaluation.
Individual Analysis
As evident from the name itself, the individual analysis is concerned
with who in the organisation needs the training and in which particular
area. Here performance is taken out from the performance appraisal data
and the same is compared with the expected level or standard of
performance. The individual analysis is also conducted through
questionnaires, 360 feedback, personal interviews etc. Likewise, many
organisation use competency ratings to rate their managers; these
ratings may come from their subordinates, customers, peers, bosses etc.
Apart from the above mentioned organisations also make use of attitude
surveys, critical Incidents and Assessment surveys to understand
training needs which will be discussed in detail in other articles.
Techniques for Collecting Data for Training
The process of needs assessment happens at three stages or levels,
the organisational, the job and the person or the individual. This is
the basis for any needs assessment survey and remains the same more or
less in all organisations around the globe. There are however many
techniques for collecting the data for training need analysis. This
article discusses some of the methods used for the same.
The needs assessment conducted at various stages tries to answer a
different set of questions. Organisational analysis, for example, aims
at the ‘where in the organisation’ of the training. Person analysis
similarly attempts to decipher the question of ‘Whom in the
organisation’. There are therefore various instruments or techniques
that are used to collect data for the analysis at each stage.
Techniques for Collecting data at Organisational Level
As discussed already, in organisational analysis we try to ascertain
the areas in the organisation that require training interventions. For
example, among the various kinds of interventions that organisations
chose it was found out managerial training is picking up fast among
corporations and also that managerial competencies amount for 98% of
success in the jobs.
Personnel and skill inventories, organisational climate and
efficiency indices, Management requests, Exit interviews, management by
objectives (MBO) are the various kinds of techniques that are used at
the level of organisational analysis for collecting data for training
needs analysis.
Essentially all these tools collect data that is inferential in
nature, but does not give a clear picture of the training needs. For
example, the above mentioned tools may lead an organisation to deduce
that ‘there is a need for aligning the work processes with the
organisational goals / objectives’, which is not very rich
diagnostically. It may require further analysis, which is done with the
help of tools at the level of Job or the task.
The techniques for data collection at the level of the job include
job description, performance standards, work sampling, job
specifications, job literature analysis, and analysis of operational
problems among others. These techniques are aimed at extracting data
for understanding the target of training i.e. what exactly should be
taught in training. Time management may be may be one critical
intervention in project handling / management.
These techniques at the level of job are useful but yet not
sufficient in helping understand who requires training and when. Taking
the above example further, time management may be a critical
intervention for Projects people, but there may already be some who are
very efficient in time management and may require the intervention at
other level, which is only possible to ascertain with the help of
techniques used at the level of the individual or the person.
Training may prove worthless if it is conducted without studying individual data.
Every member in a team is unique and works as well as performs at a
certain level (n). There may be others who are at (n+1) or (n-1) or
more. Thus, the same intervention may halt the progress of a certain
individual and finally the organisation. There are therefore certain
tools that help in deciding interventions at the individual level.
Performance appraisal data, questionnaires, attitude surveys, 360 degree
feedback, assessment centres, critical incidents are some techniques
that are employed to a good benefit.
All these techniques are integral to the success of any training
program. Although each one of these may be used independently but the
combined use offers a holistic view of training within an organisation!
Development of a Training Program
Development of a training program is the next step after the
training need analysis has been conducted and there is a clear consensus
on the need of training within the organisation. The next vital
question to answer is whether the training should be conducted by an in
house expert or from a consultant outside.
Many of the fortune 500 organisations around the world have their in
house learning centers and many have even gone ahead to have their own
training universities where they train people onboard and those who
aspire to join in the future. Companies like Xerox, Good Year Tyres,
Kodak, Mahindra and Mahindra, Birla etc have such setups for generating
prospective employees with the requisite skills and also for training
the existing employees. There are other organisations too that have tie
ups with the best academic institutions for employee exchange
programmes.
Nevertheless the prerequisites for development of a training program
remain the same. We start with the development of a conducive learning
environment, followed by a choice of the training methods and
techniques.
Designing the Environment - every individual is unique. One
style of learning may not be applicable to each of the participants in a
training program. Therefore ‘how do various individuals learn’ is what
should be kept in mind while designing the training program. There are
certain who learn the experiential way by doing and yet there are many
who like the lecture based learning method. There are however pros and
cons of both and the appropriate learning style is generally the
discretion of the trainer / facilitator.
Establishing the Variables - trainability is one factor that
must be taken into consideration before developing any training program.
It is the duty of the trainer to ensure that the employees are actually
willing to sit and learn something in the training program. This is
especially very true of sensitivity training that is not viewed
positively by many. Trainabality also implies that the employee is
sufficiently motivated to learn apart from just the ability to do so.
Before any training program sets off, it is the responsibility of the
trainer to build hype about the event and such that it attracts all
types of employees from target audience within the organisation.
There are both formal and informal ways of doing the same. Formal
ways would be by sending mails to the employees who are supposed to
attend the program. Informal ways would be just creating conditions for
discussion in the cafeteria or the lounge where employees sit together,
discuss and hear things on the grapevine.
Finally, once the training program has been delivered the evaluation
of the same provides inputs for improving the process of training. These
are called as the ‘post learning inputs’. This evaluation which is
conducted at various levels may be utilised accordingly. Most of the
organisations evaluate training on the basis of Kirk Patrick Model. The
feedback at each level - learning, reaction, behaviour and results can
be used for effective design of training in future.
Designing and Developing Effective Training Programs
Training programs play a crucial role in enhancing employee’s
capabilities, upgrading his existing knowledge and help him acquire new
skills and learnings. Effective training programs help employees to cope
up with changes, think out of the box, survive the cut throat
competition with a smile and contribute effectively to the success of
organization.
Training programs need to be designed, keeping in mind the needs and requirements of employees. Training modules ought to be precise, crisp and informative.
Training programs should not be designed just for the sake of it.
Find out whether your employees really need any kind of training or it
is being conducted just as a mere formality?
Designing and Developing Effective Training Modules
Know Your Employees: Know your employees well before you begin
designing training programs for them. Sit with them and try to find out
where all they need assistance. Let them come up with their problems
and what all additional skills would help them perform better. It is
essential for managers to know the strengths and weaknesses of all his
team members. Design your training program accordingly. Knowing
employees well will help you figure out the skills you need to teach
them. Training programs need to be specific if you expect your employees
to benefit from the same.
Dividing Employees into Groups: One cannot design similar
training programs for each and every employee. Divide employees into
groups where employees who need to learn the same set of skills can be
put into one group. You can also group employees as per their age, work
experience, departments, functional areas and so on.
Preparing the Information: The next step is to prepare the
content of the training program. The content needs to be informative but
interesting. Include diagrams, graphs, flow charts, pictures to make
your training program interesting so that individuals do not lose
interest in the middle of the session. The information needs to be
relevant and authentic. Teach them what all is necessary and would help
them in their current as well as future assignments. Prepare your
training program keeping your audience in mind.
Presenting the Information: You need to design your
presentation well. Decide how would you like to present your
information? PowerPoint or word helps you design your training program.
It is absolutely up to the trainer to decide the software which he/she
would like to use. Make sure there are no spelling errors. Read your
presentation twice or thrice and find out whether it has covered entire
information you wish to convey or not? Highlight important information.
Make your presentation in bullets.
Delivering Training Programs: Select your trainers carefully.
Remember, the right trainer makes all the difference. Training programs
should not be a mere one way communication. As a trainer, you need to
understand that you are speaking not only for the individuals sitting in
the front row but also for employees sitting at the back. Be loud and
clear. Do not speak too fast. The trainer needs to involve his/her
audience and encourage employees to come up with questions and doubts.
Employees should not attend training programs to mark their attendance.
Try to gain as much as you can. Do not sit with a closed mind.
What are Employee Training Manuals ?
Employees need to be trained on a regular basis to acquaint them with
the latest developments, technologies, softwares and make them ready
for unforeseen circumstances.
Employee training manuals are small handbooks which are given to employees by training managers for their future reference.
Employee training manual should include relevant information which
would help employees enhance their capabilities, eventually increasing
their productivity and benefitting the organization. Individuals have a
tendency to forget things after a certain period of time. Employee
training handbooks help them recollect whatever has been taught to them
in various training sessions. You can also give a nice name to your
training manual as well.
Employee training manual is a collaborative effort of all trainers
who put together information, latest happenings in respective domains,
new updates for employees to help them acquire new skills and
learnings.The ultimate goal of training manual is to help employees in
their current responsibilities as well as future assignments.
There can be two formats for training manuals. One which would give
general information about company’s policies and rules and regulations
which every employee irrespective of his/her designation needs to
follow. Such training manuals ought to be handed over to the employee
the day he steps into the organization. It helps the new candidate to
understand company’s internal systems and procedures. Such employee
training manuals give a detailed insight into company’s timings, dress
code, labour laws, safety techniques, lunch timings, leave policy,
hierarchy, reporting system, grading system and so on. They contain only
general information that is applicable to all individuals who are
directly associated with the organization. Trust me; no one remembers
what he/she was told on the first day of joining. Let everything be in
writing for employees to refer to in case of confusions and
misunderstandings. Employees can also refer to their employee manuals
without bothering their superiors and fellow workers. Employee training
manuals also ensure transparency at all levels. Rules are same for
everyone whether he/she is a sales professional, admin executive or a
Vice President.
The other types of employee training manuals are those which give
specific project related, position related, task related information.
Such training manuals are designed in line with employee’s key
responsibility areas and specialization. These manuals give specific
information as to how a particular task should be performed. Position
specific training manuals help employees acquire additional set of
skills which would help them outshine their fellow workers and make a
mark of their own. Such training manuals can also focus on specific
tasks and roles. Such manuals guide employees to perform their tasks
with perfection and help them if they are stuck somewhere. Employee
training manual of a marketing professional would be different from that
of a MIS executive. Marketing professional needs training on brand
positioning, soft skills, time management, presentation skills,
effective listening skills and so on. Employee training manual of a MIS
executive ought to throw light on reporting formats, excel etc.
Employee training manuals should have correct and relevant
information. Make sure they do not have grammatical and spelling errors.
Do not use complicated jargons as people might find it difficult to
understand. Employee training formats should be in an “easy to follow”
format.
Efficient Transfer of Learning during Training
Needless to say, training in an organization is aimed at evolving
existing ways and patterns of work. It is aimed at individual
development, which cannot happen until there is a transfer of learning
from the trainer to the trainee and the same is reflected in their work
finally. But how can this learning be maximized considering time,
motivation and learning ability constraints?
There are certain practices that have been designed for both the
training session and the workplace. An implementation of these will
ensure an efficient transfer of the learning’s and subsequent
reinforcement. Some of these steps / practices are mentioned below:
- Training should match the Workplace: Most of the
training programs tend to be idealist in nature. The trainees leave with
a good positive impact but they find a huge disconnect when they try to
implement the same at their workplace. For good learning the context of
training and the context of job should be the same. For example, at GE
training involves action learning tools where real life problems are
discussed.
- Labeling: one good way to reinforce the learning
or the important aspects of the training program is to name them
appropriately such that they have a good recall rate after the training
is over.
- Create a Supportive Environment at Work: Managers
or senior management people should try and create an environment that
reinforces the learning and allows the trainees to apply new skills at
their workplace. This may involve giving the employees freedom to be
more entrepreneurial, innovative and risk taking.
- Continued Learning: It is the jurisdiction of the
management to ensure that learning be taken as a continual process
rather than a onetime process. This means that there should be
continuous follow-ups after training either by external consulting
agencies or through an in house expert. Sometimes retraining may be
required for continual skill up gradation and development.
- Practice: Employees should be compelled to
practice new skills. One of the better ways is to remove the existing
obsolete tools of work, so that people become out of practice of using
those.
- Opportunity: In many organizations it was found
out that it was the management and the work procedures that acted as a
hindrance in implementation of new concepts. For example, in a certain
study involving air force pilots it was found out that the trainees were
given the opportunity of practicing only 50% of the tasks they learnt
in the training! This is also true to midsized corporations that have a
centralized functioning requiring approval for even minor changes.
- Train - Practice - Train: This involves
supporting the employees to learn new skills, practice them in between
various training sessions. University of Michigan’s centre for Learning
and Development offers a management development program where employees
attend training for one week and practice them for the next three weeks
before coming back for the next intervention. These trainees spend the
three weeks working on organizational analytics, development and
organizational system projects etc.
If the above mentioned steps are implemented both within
organizations and inside the training rooms, organizations stand a very
good chance of making the training effective by ensuring a rich transfer
of learning.
Preventing Relapse for a Training Program
‘People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well neither does bathing - that is why we recommend it daily’
said Zig zagler. One of the strong objections to the usefulness of
training is that the impact of training programs doesn’t last longer and
that employees get back to older ways of doing things sooner. This may
be true for motivation which is like an injection, the effect of which
soon starts to fade away.
True, that a trainer or training has to ensure that not only does an
employee sit for a training program, he or she should be sufficiently
motivated to attend the latter and convinced about the usefulness of the
same. Not only motivation, changes in behaviour and attitudinal changes
also start to wane away when employees face a high risk situation where
they may not afford to take chance practising their new skill. Most
people therefore face a relapse after a certain period of time,
howsoever good the training may have been or howsoever the trainer may
have put in his efforts.
Training relapses are experienced in both technical and behavioural trainings.
For example anger management may have been one of the interventions for
a certain employee training and the trainees may have actually
exhibited a good behaviour during the training program. But then when
the same trainee faces trouble handling one of his subordinates or does
not get some assigned task or job finished in time, he or she may get
back to the old behaviour. Such relapses are important to prevent
because they dilute the impact of the training program.
The model of relapse prevention should be an essential part of the
training programs. This model lays stress on the importance of self
control and prevents relapse by informing the trainees about situations
that may lead them to switch to existing behaviours. For example in a
certain quality management program, it was decided that the materials in
a production line will be carried by conveyor belts rather than the
traditional method of ferrying by hands. The new method was implemented
successfully until the plant faced a problem and it did not know what to
do. The belt stopped suddenly and since material output in the
preceding step acted as input in the next step, all the production
activity was hampered. Panic took over in 10 minutes time before the
plant workers began carrying them with hands which led to chaos.
In the above mentioned example, there was a fundamental error in
quality management training that did not inform the trainees about
situations that may arise and how to act in those! These situations are
discussed as part of the relapse prevention in the training. Furthermore
it may not be possible for the trainer to pre-empt all the situations
that may arise, acting at the spur of the moment with losing self
control and being aware to the moment is something that can well be
taught / discussed in a training.
Cost Benefit Analysis for Training
As discussed in previous articles, it is very important to evaluate
the benefits of the training and be able to put that in terms of
numbers. Training comes at a cost and therefore any organisation would
be interested in knowing the return on investment (ROI).
Organisations use different methods to assess the benefits of
training in terms of numbers i.e. the profits. Some of the frequently
used methods are ROI and Utility analysis. There are many costs that are
associated with the training apart from the direct and apparent costs.
These costs can be described under two headings:
- There are costs incurred towards the training needs analysis,
compensation of the training program designers, procurement of training
material and various media like the computers, handouts, props, gifts
and prizes, audio visuals etc.
- Then there is another category is costs incidental to the
training session itself such as trainers fee / salary, facility costs /
rental etc.
- Finally there are costs involved is losing a man day of work
(for those who are sent for training), travelling, boarding and lodging
and training material that cannot be reused in some other training
program.
The various models that are used to estimate the benefits of the training program are as under.
The Return on Investment Model (ROI)
Organisations spend huge amount of money on employee development, it
is therefore very important to ascertain the benefits of training.
Different studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of
training programs. In one of the studies it was found out that sales and
technical trainings gave better ROI compared to managerial training
programs. Ford, for example, evaluates all the training programs against
the profitability in a given product line. The basic formula for
calculating the ROI for training is as:
ROI (in percent) = Program benefits / Costs × 100
Let’s assume that the total costs incurred towards a certain training
is USD. 80,000/- all inclusive and the benefits in terms of overall
improvement in productivity and quality are USD. 4,00,000/-. Thus the
ROI is 525 %, which means for each rupee invested the return in USD.
5.25 over and above the cost of the program.
This problem however relies upon the assessment of benefits from
outside, sometimes which requires that non financial benefits may be
converted into financial benefits. This requires precision and the
sources have to be credible.
Utility Analysis
This is another way of reflecting upon the usefulness of a training
program. Utility itself is a function of the duration up to which the
training leaves an impact upon the trainee, the relative importance of
the training program, the importance of the position or profile that
received training and the cost of conducting the training. For example
leadership programs conducted for top and middle management tend to be
high on value where as sales training programs for the front line sales
staff tends to be low on value scale.
Utility analysis basically derives the effectiveness from analysing
the change in the behaviour of the trainee and the positive financial
implications of the same. This model is not very famous because the
deductions made are essentially subjective in nature.
Training Evaluation - Meaning and its Benefits
Evaluation involves the assessment of the effectiveness of the training programs.
This assessment is done by collecting data on whether the participants
were satisfied with the deliverables of the training program, whether
they learned something from the training and are able to apply those
skills at their workplace. There are different tools for assessment of a
training program depending upon the kind of training conducted.
Since organisations spend a large amount of money, it is therefore
important for them to understand the usefulness of the same. For
example, if a certain technical training was conducted, the organisation
would be interested in knowing whether the new skills are being put to
use at the workplace or in other words whether the effectiveness of the
worker is enhanced. Similarly in case of behavioural training, the same
would be evaluated on whether there is change in the behaviour, attitude
and learning ability of the participants.
Benefits of Training Evaluation
Evaluation acts as a check to ensure that the training is able to
fill the competency gaps within the organisation in a cost effective
way. This is specially very important in wake of the fact the
organisations are trying to cut costs and increase globally. Some of the
benefits of the training evaluation are as under:
- Evaluation ensures accountability - Training evaluation
ensures that training programs comply with the competency gaps and that
the deliverables are not compromised upon.
- Check the Cost - Evaluation ensures that the training
programs are effective in improving the work quality, employee
behaviour, attitude and development of new skills within the employee
within a certain budget. Since globally companies are trying to cut
their costs without compromising upon the quality, evaluation just aims
at achieving the same with training.
- Feedback to the Trainer / Training - Evaluation also
acts as a feedback to the trainer or the facilitator and the entire
training process. Since evaluation accesses individuals at the level of
their work, it gets easier to understand the loopholes of the training
and the changes required in the training methodology.
Not many organisations believe in the process of evaluation or at
least do not have an evaluation system in place. Many organisations
conduct training programs year after year only as a matter of faith and
not many have a firm evaluation mechanism in place. Organisations like
IBM, Motorala only, it was found out, have a firm evaluation mechanism
in place.
The Way Forward
There are many methods and tools available for evaluating the
effectiveness of training programs. Their usability depends on the kind
of training program that is under evaluation. Generally most of the
organisations use the Kirk Patrick model for training evaluations which
evaluates training at four levels - reactions, learning, behaviour and
results.
After it was found out that training costs organisations a lot of
money and no evaluation measures the return on investment for training,
the fifth level for training evaluation was added to the training
evaluation model by Kirk Patrick which is called as the ROI.
Most of the evaluations contain themselves to the reaction data, only
few collected the learning data, still lesser measured and analysed the
change in behaviour and very few took it to the level of increase in
business results. The evaluation tools including the Kirk Patrick model
will be discussed in detail in other articles.
Kirkpatrick’s Model of Training Evaluation
Organizations spend a huge amount of money for training their
employees at various levels and on various competencies, behavioral and
technical. Every year new tools are designed to try and cater to
individual learning styles and make the training more effective. After
all an organization is concerned about its spending and the return on
the same!
Donald Kirkpatrick, professor emeritus, university of Wisconsin
began working on evaluating the effectiveness of training very early in
his life. His early work on the same was published in the year 1959 in a journal of American Society of Training Directors.
He laid out four levels for evaluation of any training.
This model is arguably the most widespread for evaluation in use. It is
simple, very flexible and complete. The four levels as described by
Kirkpatrick are as follows:
- Reaction of the Trainee - thoughts and feelings of the participants about the training
- Learning - the increase in knowledge or understanding as a result of the training
- Behavior - extent of change in behavior, attitude or capability
- Results - the effect on the bottom line of the company as a result of the training.
The fifth level which is the ROI has been recently added which is not
but a part of the original model. The graphic description is as
follows:
Level 4 - Results
Was it worth it ?
|
Level 3 - Behaviour
KSA’s being used on the Job ?
|
Level 2 - Knowledge
Did they learn anything ?
|
Level 1 - Reaction
Was the environment suitable ?
|
The beauty of the model is that each level can only be predicted when
the lower level prediction is complete. Thus evaluation at the level of
behaviour may not be useful unless evaluation at the knowledge has been
completed.
Reaction
Reaction implies how favorably the participants have responded to the
training. This evaluation is primarily quantitative in nature and is a
feedback to the training and the trainer. The most common collection
tool is the questionnaire that analyses the content, methodology,
facilities and the course content.
Learning
At the level of learning the evaluation is done on the basis of
change in the ASK (Attitudes, skills and knowledge) of the trainees. The
evaluation involves observation and analysis of the voice, behaviour,
text. Other tools used apart from the observation are interviews,
surveys, pre and post tests etc.
Behaviour
Behaviour evaluation analyses the transfer of learning from the
training session to the work place. Here the primary tool for evaluation
is predominantly the observation. Apart from the observation, a
combination of questionnaires and 360 feedbacks are also used.
Results
The results stage makes evaluations towards the bottom line of the
organization. Here the definition of the results depends upon the goal
of the training program. The evaluation is done by using a control group
allowing certain time for the results to be achieved.
There are many other models that are unique in their own ways, nut as
mentioned earlier Kirkpatrick’s Model is the one that is accepted and
used widely across all industries and with wider applications.
Special Training Programs
Most of training is either technical or behavioural in nature, but
there are still other trainings that are neither. These fall under the
ambit of special training programs and are conducted with an agenda of
smoothening the work process within the organisation.
Workforce diversity can be both positive and negative for the
organisation. Positive in that it brings fresh and different
perspectives to the latter and negative in that team building may not be
that easy. Multinational corporations that employ workforce of all
races, creeds and colour face the problem racism. Similarly
organisations in the Asian subcontinent more specially, face the problem
of sexual harassment of workers. There are other problems also apart
from these and these can only be resolved with the help of awareness
trainings.
In this article we briefly discuss trainings other than the behavioural and technical ones.
- Diversity Awareness Trainings - handling workforce
diversity is one of the emerging challenges for organisations in the
21st century. They face claims on from coloured workers, immigrants,
older people, various ethnic groups, gays and lesbians for harassment at
the work place. Also there is a need for addressing the values of
various employee groups, for example, the older generation lives by a
different set of values and does the younger lot. This leads to a
conflict which can only be resolved by providing appropriate training
intervention. Diversity awareness training is necessary to increase the
competitiveness and the general competency of the organisation. Many
firms have accepted diversity as a way of surviving and many that have
not often face the charge of discrimination.
- Sexual Harassment Training - these trainings are
mostly conducted in the developed nations and in multinational
corporations that function in various geographical locations. These
trainings are not very common in organisations in the developing world.
Almost all types of organisations, immaterial of what business they are
into, what industry they operate in and what kind of people they have
hired receive sexual harassment complaints at the workplace. In
developing economies they go unnoticed and unreported but in developed
economies where the workforce is empowered severely sexual harassment at
the workplace is reported, resulting in penal actions and thus the
sexual harassment training. Many organisation shave policies on sexual
harassment but often they are not communicated!
- Creativity Training - more and more organisations
want innovation and creativity as a way of being and expression which
ultimately happens only when its people are creative. Many organisations
use experiential learning, brainstorming sessions to compel the
employees think ‘out of the box’ and thus bring out the latent
creativity in them. There are trainings conducted on the art of creative
writing from them to write and express themselves beautifully.
Organisations like Frito lay and 3M use creativity training to push
their employees harder and make them entrepreneurial. These programs
have reported to be successful; Frito Lay for example reported huge
profits because of the creativity training!
There are other training types that involve training expatriates and
inpatriates. These form however a very small chunk of the entire
training programs. These special training programs are also with an
intent of organisation and people development, aimed implicitly at
organisational effectiveness and profits.
Informational Training Methods
Informational training methods are basically used to teach facts and
figures and for developing a change in attitude. There is a one way
communication between the trainer and the trainee that involves the
transfer of information without many deliberations. New policies,
programs, code of conduct are transferred using informational training
methods.
Lectures, audio visuals, self directed learning (SDL) methods,
programmed instruction (PI) and independent study are some of the
informational training methods that will be briefly described in the
article.
Lectures
The lecture based methodology is one of the simplest and the perhaps
the oldest technique of training. It is generally used to pass on new
knowledge and to present some introductory material or an ice breaker.
This method is often combined with audio visual, group discussions now
days to make it more effective and interesting. One of the most
important benefits of this training method is the low cost involved not
only in terms of the training content but also that it can used with an
audience of large size. The biggest limitation is that the audience
becomes passive and the session becomes dull and there is a poor
transfer of information.
Audio / Visuals
It is the one of the most effective means of conducting training
programs and the most used these days. It is used essentially to present
new knowledge to the audience and boost the morale. There are lots of
tools available in this training method; for example, the trainer has
the freedom to use slides, movies, video clips, flip charts, chalkboards
etc. Videoconferencing is picking up fast. Lots of training programs
also called as webinars are conducted with geographically dispersed
populations. The advantage over lecture based training is that it allows
for replays and brings in a lot of versatility to the training program.
Independent Study
This is a training method that is to transfer knowledge and for
updating on information, knowledge and facts on a continuous basis. The
trainee is free to complete the course of the training at his own pace.
This method saves a lot of cost by minimising the man-day of training
and also the cost of development. Since it is more of research and
continuous education based, a library or resource department has to be
developed for the same. Furthermore the training material has to be
customised to individual needs.
One of the greatest drawbacks is that the trainee cannot be evaluated
continually for a longer period of time without the intervention of the
trainer and that the level of motivation goes down after a certain
period of time. It is therefore not applicable to all types of jobs.
Programmed Instruction
Programmed instruction is a training methodology that is often used
to prepare individuals for a training program by bringing them at the
same level. Like independent study it also allows the trainees to go at
their own pace and a quick feedback. It is however expensive to develop
and may not necessarily result in an increase in the performance at
work.
Most of the training programs combine any or all of these for
effective training. In addition, there are lots of other experiential
training methods that may be used, which will be discussed in other
write ups.
Experiential Training Methods
Experiential training is a whole body of training methods that are
used to develop behavioural skills and physical abilities. Role playing,
equipment simulations, games, on the job training (OJT), behaviour
modelling, case analysis and computer based training are some of the
experiential learning methods that can be used to deliver a training
session.
Experiential learning is also called as ‘learning by doing’
and the training involves a two way interaction unlike the informational
training methods which are more of one sided. Here the major focus is
not just mere transfer of facts and figures but development of skills in
the participants, which may or not be the case in informational
training.
Let us take the example of sales training. When sales training is
imparted to the life insurance marketing people, they are introduced to
policies and procedures and later asked to remember the same. These
policies and procedures are unquestionable most of the time and the
information flow is unidirectional, with the help of informational
training methods. Whereas when it comes to developing sales skills in
individuals, simulation games and role plays are used when there is two
way communication between the facilitator and the participants.
A good training is a combination of both the training methods. Some
of the the experiential training methods are discussed below:
- On the Job Training (OJT): This training method is
used to impart new skills to the employees when they are working on a
certain position. Job rotation and apprenticeship training are some ways
in which new skills can e developed within the employees.
- Equipment Simulators: These are training methods
where in real life situations / conditions are created to enable the
employee to experience and prepare for the world of work. This type of
training is often used to develop physical, behavioural and team
building training. NASA for example uses simulators to train astronauts
before they set out for the outer space. This type of training is very
effective but the simulators are costly to develop.
- Role Playing: A role play is used essentially to
change attitudes and help people see things from the other person’s
eyes. It may also be used to practice certain job, behavioural skills or
for analysing interpersonal problems. This type of training is more
close to reality. The only drawback is that the employees may show
hesitation role playing situations or may not even take it seriously.
- Sensitivity Training: Sensitivity training is
imparted to essentially increase the self awareness of the employees. It
is aimed to help the employees or trainees see how others see them.
Such type of training is used to increase the self worth of the trainees
and also for changing interpersonal behaviours. More importantly it can
wipe out negativity from the organisation; in fact many organisations
in the west use this training method for top management.
- Case Study: Case study analysis is perhaps the
most frequently used tool for developing interpersonal, decision making
and analytical skills within the trainees. It is a very good and cheap
tool for developing problem solving skills within the individuals. The
basic drawback is non availability of updated case studies. Generally
one or two cases are discussed every year and there is no updating
subsequently.
These are some of the experiential training methods that can be and
are used for imparting training within organisations. Many organisations
also use games and computer assisted instruction / training, the use
and relevance depends on the kind of competency you are targeting.
Types of Management Training Programs
Training programs play a crucial role in honing skills of employees,
making them responsible, productive, efficient and well rounded
managers.
Let us go through various types of management training programs:
Employees need to be trained on how to interact with their fellow workers and superiors.
Not many people know how to behave at the workplace. Employees ought to
be trained on business etiquette, workplace ethics and how should they
conduct themselves in organization. There is a certain way of doing
things and employees need to be suitably trained. Employees need to be
trained to treat all fellow workers as one irrespective of their
designation and respect their female counterparts. Training on effective
communication is a must in organizations. Not everyone is born with
effective communication skills; it comes with time and specific training
programs. Training on soft skills helps employees to use the correct
language at the workplace and pass on information in its desired form.
Employees need to be trained on conflict resolution skills which would
not only help them find solutions to problems but also strengthen
employee relations.
Employees need to be trained on time management skills.
Employees need to make the most judicious use of time. Trust me; no one
listens to lame excuses that you did not get enough time to complete
your task on time. You need to manage your time well. Managers need to
master the art of making the best possible use of available resources.
Responsibilities should be delegated as per specialization and interest
levels of employees. Proper delegation of job responsibilities avoids
confusions at workplace and leads to a healthy work culture. Clear
clutter and organize your workstation. Keep all your documents in a
proper folder to avoid unnecessary searching when needed. Being
organized not only saves your time but also helps you achieve targets
within the desired time frame.
Safety of the employees is a major concern in organizations.
Employees need to feel safe and comfortable at the workplace. Employees
need to be trained on how to handle emergency situations.
Special
training programs should be organized to acquaint employees with fire
safety techniques, emergency /earthquake evacuations and other security
concerns.
Employees need to be trained on policies of organization and how the
same ought to be implemented in the correct way. Special training
programs ought to be designed to familiarize employees with the rules
and regulations of the workplace.
Effective trainings on leadership skills help managers to be a strong leader and a source of inspiration for their team managers.
A leader needs to be an effective listener as well. He needs to
patiently listen to the problems of his team members, counsel them and
give them appropriate solutions. A good manager should be a good mentor
who stands by his team members, guides them and helps them face tough
times with a smile. Leadership trainings help managers to encourage
their team members to work in unison for better results.
Customer trainings enable employees and managers to deal with customers sensibly.
Such trainings help employees to address customer grievances and make
customer centric decisions. You can’t afford to be rude with your target
customers or ignore their problems.
