Importance of Measuring the Effectiveness of Training

16th April 2020

An employee’s obligation and productive execution of work truly depends upon how committed that employee is towards the organization. It’s a common process by organizations to train and develop its managers to extract better results in terms of their performance which is directly proportional to the company’s quantum leap. But if given a thought, regular training and development programs may not be the real answer to the problem that is needed to be solved. For example, if an organization deduce that the source of their workforce failure is due to the lack of training, then the immediate question that should be asked is, what else is actually needed to be improved along with the training?

Majority will conclude saying that in such a case there is an emergence of more training, which might lead to the emergence of a comprehensive online trainer training course, needed for the development of the existing as well as future trainers in an organisation. This is categorically and downright obvious. But, considering other factors, isn’t it surreal to establish that in order to rectify actions of a “poor training” one needs more training? Who will guarantee that the same set of employees will be equally receptive to the extra training that will be done?

Let us study three probable reason behind the inaccuracy of an individual’s work behavior.

1. The individual was recent in the company and was untrained.
2. The individual was trained but did not fathom the need or expectations of the organization.
3. The individual was proficient in the job but was swayed by some unavoidable circumstances or changed condition that resulted in the adversity.

Here the first case is uncommon in today’s modern business world. Whereas if we talk about the second and third case, then it is much more pertinent in the real scenario.  The second example talks about that individual who has been trained and developed as per the organizational requirement but has failed to comprehend the specification of the job, which points out to an “INEFFECTIVE TRAINING”. This theory is well understood and most importantly, all Quality Management Systems including ISO 9001 and TS 16949 feels the necessity of training evaluation.

Organizing an effective training is multi-tiered and this is where the implementation of an online trainer training course might come into play. The first step includes identification and analysis of the stage. Simultaneously trainer also needs to assess the skills and understanding required for that position. From that assessment of the task and aptitude requirement one can develop and design the much needed training. A lot of isometrics can count as training. For example, a traditional in class training, virtual learning, mentoring or On Job Training. But it should be remembered that a professional training does not suffice here. An effective training vigorously supports and mentors an employee until a justified authority (can be an HOD or supervisor) is content with the fact that the employee completely gather and infer the company’s requirement. Simultaneously this also advocates the accountability of the managers towards their subordinate’s results.

Appallingly, organizations do not conduct training in a systematic approach and post training follow up is often underestimated.

There are certain professional methods that measure the effectiveness of Training:-

1. Knowledge Transfer – If an employee is capable of transferring the knowledge to his subordinates then that is considered to be the highest level of dexterity of a subject. So this definitely accounts for a good tool to evaluate training effectiveness.
    
2. “Objective & Assessment” should go hand in hand – Each one of Objective and Assessment is aligned to each other. So if the trainer’s objective is that by the end of the program, an employee should go and deliver certain things, the trainer has to ensure by checking that person deliver the same thing within the training itself.
    
3. Ranking Employees - Ranking employees is more than just an asset when it comes to measuring training effectiveness.  It motivates and inspire an employee to improve and upgrade with every training program. In a multi ethnic work culture, this practice helps in more than a way to yield productive outcome for an organization.
    
4. Kirkpatrick’s Four Level Training Evaluation Model – The Kirkpatrick’s Training Evaluation Model is considered as an established criteria for the evaluation of a training session. This subject has four levels to counter and objectify the gaps or ineffectiveness of a training.

• 1st Level – Reaction
  This level enables the trainer to understand the outcome of the learning by comprehending on the reactions of the learner.
   
• 2nd Level – Learning
  This level deals with the measurement of skills that an employee has learned throughout the training session. Once the trainer gets the required metrics using varied assessment methodologies then it can be determine that the training conducted was effective.
   
• 3rd Level – Behavior
  This level can be called as an extension of level 2 that mainly focuses and evaluates that whether the training forged an impact on the trainees’ attitude or behavior at work.
   
• 4th Level – Results
  This level actually attempts functional way to measure the implemented training through Return On Investment (ROI). It measures the corporeal results brought to the company through the training.