In today’s fast-paced world it is becoming clear that ongoing training is needed to keep skills and knowledge current or up-to-date and develop employee knowledge and skills. According to Piskurich (2006), technology-based training is a great tool for training with the following goals:
Knowledge acquisition
Problem-solving
Changing attitudes
Interpersonal skills
Knowledge retention
Ongoing training may be necessary to manage change in the organization, understand or update processes, procedures, new equipment, products, services, and more. It is important to find the right platform to deliver your training, that will fit your organization’s needs, is accessible to your workforce, and allows you to evaluate and monitor progress throughout the training. Delivering the information is only one part – evaluating and validating the training program is equally essential to the training course/session. Once you’ve designed or purchased and delivered a training module for your workforce, you may be asking yourself:
Was the information clear and appropriate?
Were the participants motivated?
Did they retain the information presented?
Are they applying this knowledge to their work?
Evaluations before, during and after training will help answer these questions. Evaluating training ensures that the material is consistent from session to session – each learner is receiving the same information and is being tested in the same way. The information gathered from evaluations will allow the trainer to make adjustments to the training and also identify areas of improvement. Piskurich (2006) believes that when evaluating training: The simplest approach usually works best. A five-question “transfer to the job” evaluation might go something like this:
Did the training address the requirements of the job?
Were the trainees performing the job requirements competently before the training?
Are the trainees now performing the job requirements competently?
What are the trainees still not doing correctly?
Were there any unintended consequences of the training?
These evaluations can be integrated into the eLearning software – allowing a smooth transition from content to evaluation – using quizzes, surveys and polls built into the training course. A certificate tracker can be used to validate and record that the training occurred. It can also help managers track expiring training certificates in their team – allowing them to plan for future training sessions. Providing ongoing training will not only help your employees develop their skills and knowledge but also provide managers and supervisors with a qualified and reliable team. Full disclosure, I work in sales for a company specializing in employee learning and development through an online platform. This may make me seem biased considering the topic of this blog but online training has been replacing the traditional classroom style for a long time now so let’s look into why exactly that is. I’ve used insights from clients on why they want to move out of the class and onto the computer to outline the benefits of online training.