With employee development programs projected to increase, there’s good reason to want the biggest return on your training investment! According to research by the Society for Human Resource Management, published in the “Workplace Forecast: the Top Workplace Trends according to HR Professionals” (2011): * 75% of organizations surveyed plan on increasing training and development to boost skill levels of employees.
* 73% of organizations plan on investing more in leadership development programs.
* Another 46% of companies surveyed plan on retraining employees for new jobs.
There is so much a company can do to increase or decrease the chances that the employee will use the new skills they are taught.
Training design and delivery are important, but not the only determinants of training program success! In my experience, the degree to which the training meets corporate objectives is dependent on whether or not the corporate culture and the employee’s supervisor supports and reinforces the training goals!
Two Principles That Will Optimize Training Effectiveness!
Developing and facilitating training programs can be a lengthy and expensive process. On average, it can take 34 hours to produce 1 hour of instructor-led training, including design, lesson plans, handouts, PowerPoint Slides, etc. (Chapman, 2007). For the biggest return on your training investment, adopt the following two principles:
1. View training as an ongoing process that occurs inside AND outside of the “class room”.
2. The training process needs to be embedded into the corporate culture from “executive level to the front line”.
Principle #1: Ongoing Training Outside of the Classroom!
Employee training is a collaborative effort between the corporate trainers, the employee’s supervisor, coworkers, and of course, the employee. Research by the International Personnel Management Association (IPMA) concluded that “ordinary training typically increased productivity by 22%, while training combined with coaching increased productivity by 88%” (January 2001).
Learning is a continual process that is accomplished in and out of the formal training program!
Employees are more likely to apply new skills in their work environment when they are encouraged to do so and when their supervisor role models desirable behaviors. Research also shows that when supervisors fail to reinforce behaviors, they actually prevent motivated learners from using new skills. (Huczynski & Lewis, 1980; Richey, 1992)
Principle #2: Embed the Training Process into Your Corporate Culture!
Various research studies support the idea that “training” programs will “stick” only to the extent that the employee’s organization provides a supportive environment. The following strategies can ensure that your company meets its training goals!
1. Train the supervisor!
* Ensure that supervisors understand the goals of the training and what behaviors they can expect from their employees.
* Hold supervisors accountable for role-modeling desirable performance for employees.
2. Refine the supervisor’s “coaching skills”.
* Reinforce that supervisors are part of the ongoing training process.
* As employees practice new skills, feedback from supervisors should be non-punitive and supportive.
* Train supervisors to view mistakes as learning opportunities instead of “failures”.
3. Work-related assignments by the trainer allow employees to practice new skills while “on the job”.
* Supervisors should be encouraged to help employees with their “on the job” assignments.
* When employees develop action plans for applying the training material in the workplace, they are more likely to use and learn the news skills beyond the life of the training program (Gist, M. E., Bavetta, A. G., & Stevens, C. K, 1990b).
* Trainers can administer a test at the end of the training. Supervisors can be held accountable for reviewing any incorrect information with the employee.
4. Align performance evaluations with your training objectives and increase accountability.
* Incorporate training objectives into formal and informal performance evaluations of employees.
* Incorporate the need to reinforce, role model, coach and train employees into the manager’s performance evaluation.
Employee development programs can lead to low costs, high productivity, greater profits, better customer service, higher employee satisfaction and increased employee retention.
A company can undermine the best trainer and the best training program if the corporate culture isn’t supportive of the training goals. By viewing training as on ongoing process and embedding this process into your corporate culture, your organization will meet its training goals and get the “biggest bang” for its “training buck”!
Chapman, B. (2007) LCMS Knowledge Base: A Comparison of 30+ Enterprise Learning Content Management Systems. Published by Brandon Hall research, Sunnyvale, CA.
Gist, M. E., Bavetta, A. G., & Stevens, C. K. (1990b). Transfer training method: Its influence on skill generalization, skill repetition, and performance level. Personnel Psychology, 43(3), 501-523.
Huczynski, A. A., & Lewis, J. W. (1980). An empirical study into the learning transfer process in management training. The Journal of Management Studies, 17(2), 227-240.
Richey, R. C. (1992). Designing Instruction for the Adult Learner. London: Kogan Page Ltd.
Society for Human Resource Management, “Workplace Forecast: the Top Workplace Trends according to HR Professionals” (2011).
Copyright Denise Scotti-Smith 2011. All Rights Reserved.
Denise Scotti-Smith MS, PHR, is the Founder and President of “Mission Accomplished” Consulting LLC. As a Certified Executive & Leadership Coach, she provides coaching, consulting and training to non-profit and for-profit businesses.
With more than 15 years of leadership experience, she specializes in strategic planning, leadership & employee development, organizational development, change management, operations management, employee relations, and HR law. For more information, visit http://www.missionllc.org.
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