On most matters the solution is not an either or. The hr DIRECTOR OF Pand G must have been taken out of context because research shows that certain organisations expererience real growth when they have training programmes otherwise there is no benefit in going to school. However training on its own without supporting structures e.g assignments monitoring and linkages between the training and the practice will have minimal effect. In addition some things just improve climate which has been known to affect productivity
From Nigeria, Lagos
From Nigeria, Lagos
Let us not forget that 'on-the-job-training' is also one form of training. The discussion here is about how to measure the effectiveness of training - whether it is 'on-the-job' or 'out-of-job' is immaterial. The view expressed that it is the job of HRD rather than that of the 'trainer' is partially correct. It is only partially correct because if the trainer does not know or attempt to know the effectiveness or otherwise of the training his further training is aimless. Evaluation and validation are parts of the training process. Training cycle is not complete without them.
As a practical measure we can try the following steps;
1. Setting out the training objectives in measurable terms. There should be clearly spelt out learning outcomes for each session.
2. A test at the beginning of the training session to assess the entry behaviour i.e. to assess the level of knowledge/skill/attitude (KSA)of the participant in the subject matter of training.
3. A test at the end of the training to assess the improvement in the level of KSA and also to assess whether the training objectives have been met.
4. Oral and written feed back from the participants at the end of the training.
5. Feed back from the Supervisor after say three to six months on the job on completion of the training.
These steps will provide a certain amount of evaluation of the training. The active cooperation of HR as well as the line-supervisor/Manager is required for step 5.
From India, Madras
112As a practical measure we can try the following steps;
1. Setting out the training objectives in measurable terms. There should be clearly spelt out learning outcomes for each session.
2. A test at the beginning of the training session to assess the entry behaviour i.e. to assess the level of knowledge/skill/attitude (KSA)of the participant in the subject matter of training.
3. A test at the end of the training to assess the improvement in the level of KSA and also to assess whether the training objectives have been met.
4. Oral and written feed back from the participants at the end of the training.
5. Feed back from the Supervisor after say three to six months on the job on completion of the training.
These steps will provide a certain amount of evaluation of the training. The active cooperation of HR as well as the line-supervisor/Manager is required for step 5.
From India, Madras
Dear Mr Dinesh,
Well done. You have driven home some valuable insights.
However, I would like to bring to attention a serious flaw in conveying the accountability for learning. You said, "The query that you have asked does not fall within purview of training professionals. This is HR challenge.". I am sure you will agree that, as with most other KRAs, training or more specifically, learning is a top leadership challenge. HR are mere "facilitators" acting, at best, as advisors and process experts. I am assuming HR have the capability to do so. If they are not competent, then they should seek the expertise or engage external help. It gives away a good feel of how serious training and learning is treated in an organisation.
Why do you think learning fails, in most cases?. Invariably, you will find it is due to lack of buy-in or support from either top or line leadership. That's why you get the feedback as shared by UK Mitra. Why blame training for the failure of learning transfer (In Mitra's case, it's Off Job). By learning, I am refering to the ultimate achievement of "unconscious competence" level. If we are serious and genuine on learning, then there is no room for acknowledgement and cognizance to systemic excuses such as busyness, memory lapses or how politics impacts the operating culture.
In fact, you have supported this in saying, "Convince your management first to assign this task to someone of follow up and then go ahead with the training.". Yes, assigning a dedicated person sure goes a long way to demonstrate seriousness of top leadership accountability. The next level would be having your own organic learning division and institutionalising learning as a performance task.
I serve as a HR practitioner cum Trainer. The biggest challenge to HR is not employees but rather leaders who have less faith and commitment in the dynamic potential of people. This alone is good enough to keep the training & development role in the back burner.
Dear Mr Bhavesh,
If your focus is effectiveness, then do the right thing - Revisit your entire training /learning cycle. From what you have described it seems you have missed the elephant in the process. Evaluation is the tailend and to put that right would require you to go back to the start - TNA stage, where you are suppose to engage the sources/beneficiaries in determining the objectives, both enabling and terminal. Unfortunately, many people (even trainers) don't go deep into this and end up with superflous objectives that does not help translate into measurable results or demonstrable behaviours. It will also lead you to agree on how the learning will be manifested upon return from training.
Unfortunately, many leaders at the line don't have a clue of what their responsibility and accountability to their charges, in ensuring improvement to results and/or behaviour occurs. And, when it does not, then they need to solicit feedback and engage to identify if there are other non-training interventions that is needed to turnaround employee performance and growth. If you ask me, make TNA or Organisational (ONA) a mandatory learning KRA for line leadership - supervisory & above.
The only way for HR to get this is to hold the leadership accountable for learning. It should form part of their KRA/KPI. If you follow the Kaplan & Norton's BSC, it is "common sense" to realise business results is derived from learning. Sadly, common sense is not so common, afterall.
I am sure you would agree the recent global crisis had, more so now than before, highlighted the biggest challenge that needs attention - LEADERSHIP. And, what always comes to my mind is the quote, "The fish rot's from the head".
Also, remember Einstein's quote, "Not all that counts is measured and not all that's measured, counts"
Yuvarajah
Malaysia
From Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Well done. You have driven home some valuable insights.
However, I would like to bring to attention a serious flaw in conveying the accountability for learning. You said, "The query that you have asked does not fall within purview of training professionals. This is HR challenge.". I am sure you will agree that, as with most other KRAs, training or more specifically, learning is a top leadership challenge. HR are mere "facilitators" acting, at best, as advisors and process experts. I am assuming HR have the capability to do so. If they are not competent, then they should seek the expertise or engage external help. It gives away a good feel of how serious training and learning is treated in an organisation.
Why do you think learning fails, in most cases?. Invariably, you will find it is due to lack of buy-in or support from either top or line leadership. That's why you get the feedback as shared by UK Mitra. Why blame training for the failure of learning transfer (In Mitra's case, it's Off Job). By learning, I am refering to the ultimate achievement of "unconscious competence" level. If we are serious and genuine on learning, then there is no room for acknowledgement and cognizance to systemic excuses such as busyness, memory lapses or how politics impacts the operating culture.
In fact, you have supported this in saying, "Convince your management first to assign this task to someone of follow up and then go ahead with the training.". Yes, assigning a dedicated person sure goes a long way to demonstrate seriousness of top leadership accountability. The next level would be having your own organic learning division and institutionalising learning as a performance task.
I serve as a HR practitioner cum Trainer. The biggest challenge to HR is not employees but rather leaders who have less faith and commitment in the dynamic potential of people. This alone is good enough to keep the training & development role in the back burner.
Dear Mr Bhavesh,
If your focus is effectiveness, then do the right thing - Revisit your entire training /learning cycle. From what you have described it seems you have missed the elephant in the process. Evaluation is the tailend and to put that right would require you to go back to the start - TNA stage, where you are suppose to engage the sources/beneficiaries in determining the objectives, both enabling and terminal. Unfortunately, many people (even trainers) don't go deep into this and end up with superflous objectives that does not help translate into measurable results or demonstrable behaviours. It will also lead you to agree on how the learning will be manifested upon return from training.
Unfortunately, many leaders at the line don't have a clue of what their responsibility and accountability to their charges, in ensuring improvement to results and/or behaviour occurs. And, when it does not, then they need to solicit feedback and engage to identify if there are other non-training interventions that is needed to turnaround employee performance and growth. If you ask me, make TNA or Organisational (ONA) a mandatory learning KRA for line leadership - supervisory & above.
The only way for HR to get this is to hold the leadership accountable for learning. It should form part of their KRA/KPI. If you follow the Kaplan & Norton's BSC, it is "common sense" to realise business results is derived from learning. Sadly, common sense is not so common, afterall.
I am sure you would agree the recent global crisis had, more so now than before, highlighted the biggest challenge that needs attention - LEADERSHIP. And, what always comes to my mind is the quote, "The fish rot's from the head".
Also, remember Einstein's quote, "Not all that counts is measured and not all that's measured, counts"
Yuvarajah
Malaysia
From Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
As rightly said the commitment of 'leadership' for the necessity of training is the fundamental factor for effectiveness of training. Unfortunately this is what is lacking in almost all places despite every other CEO worth his/her salt having heard about the 'toyota way of learning'. It is ofcourse paradoxical that even those who talk much about these 'sucess stories' pay only lip service to training. There is hardly any commitment to training at the top in most places. Wherever such commitment is there, those organisations are successful, albeit such success has many claimants as their father.
From India, Madras
From India, Madras
Hi everyone,
This is a discussion I have been yearning to have with my fellow citehr members.
I freelance, and with every assignment I do a TNA/ONA and then the training, and post training evaluation. A effectiveness evaluation/progress tracker is also shared by me. I use the '3 test behaviour assesment' and the "Kilpatrick model of training evaluation" for the above.
Having said that, many a times I fail to understand why the Training co-ordinators/HR reps fail to understand the need for a follow-up, even though I explain to them that it MORE to their benefit (when linked with performance appraisails) than mine. And many a times I have been told that "there is no method to track soft skills effectiveness" OR " we dont have time to get those employees to take the evaluation/meet with you to take a measure" OR even " your immediate post training evaluation was X,why bother with an effectiveness form" OR "my managers/supervisors/team leaders etc have NO time to track changes post the training" !!!!
In all of these, I feel that either the training co-ordinators or HR reps have no clue about the importance of 'follow-ups'' (which Yuvarajah, Dinesh,bpugazhendhi,V V Deshmukh..in fact baring UKMitra have all agreed to) OR they dont really care about training and its long term impact for their employees.Same goes for those managers/leaders who supposedly 'nominate' their team to undergo training,but have no real desire to show their team how they have become more effective once they "implemented" the learnings.
I know I am very young in this industry, but it still galls me that organizations dont understand the need for 'training' which is a complete package with TNA/ONA,training linked to performance enhancement/revenue leakage,followup/evaluation post a specified period of time.
I am at the same time relieved that there are those out there who believe in the entire package.
Respectfully concerned about the training scene in India,
Richa Joshi
From India, Mumbai
This is a discussion I have been yearning to have with my fellow citehr members.
I freelance, and with every assignment I do a TNA/ONA and then the training, and post training evaluation. A effectiveness evaluation/progress tracker is also shared by me. I use the '3 test behaviour assesment' and the "Kilpatrick model of training evaluation" for the above.
Having said that, many a times I fail to understand why the Training co-ordinators/HR reps fail to understand the need for a follow-up, even though I explain to them that it MORE to their benefit (when linked with performance appraisails) than mine. And many a times I have been told that "there is no method to track soft skills effectiveness" OR " we dont have time to get those employees to take the evaluation/meet with you to take a measure" OR even " your immediate post training evaluation was X,why bother with an effectiveness form" OR "my managers/supervisors/team leaders etc have NO time to track changes post the training" !!!!
In all of these, I feel that either the training co-ordinators or HR reps have no clue about the importance of 'follow-ups'' (which Yuvarajah, Dinesh,bpugazhendhi,V V Deshmukh..in fact baring UKMitra have all agreed to) OR they dont really care about training and its long term impact for their employees.Same goes for those managers/leaders who supposedly 'nominate' their team to undergo training,but have no real desire to show their team how they have become more effective once they "implemented" the learnings.
I know I am very young in this industry, but it still galls me that organizations dont understand the need for 'training' which is a complete package with TNA/ONA,training linked to performance enhancement/revenue leakage,followup/evaluation post a specified period of time.
I am at the same time relieved that there are those out there who believe in the entire package.
Respectfully concerned about the training scene in India,
Richa Joshi
From India, Mumbai
On the side of the Trainer there is also a need to devise proper 'feed-back' forms to evaluate the effectiveness of training. It should not take it for granted that the person trained in a particular area is actually deployed only in that area after the training. It may so happen that he/she is not deployed in the same area in which she/he was trained. There may be so many reasons for that. In such a situation, there is no point in asking the immediate superior to assess whether the individual has shown any improvement in performace after the training or whether he/she is able to apply the techniques learnt during training while on actual job. This is the most common practical reason why external validation of training does not come to the trainer.
From India, Madras
From India, Madras
Help me. Pl!! on " Effectiveness on Pre-training and post-training"
Hi 2 All!!
I'm a UG II yr student.
As a part of my curriculum and completion of my degree, I'm on with my Project titled, " Effectiveness on Pre-training and post-training"
Can you help me with preparing my questionnaire???
Hope yr knowledge and expertise will help me in the process of my learning and practice on the topic.
Pl respond to my request at the earliest and help me in my project.
Regards,
Revathi.S
From India, Madras
Hi 2 All!!
I'm a UG II yr student.
As a part of my curriculum and completion of my degree, I'm on with my Project titled, " Effectiveness on Pre-training and post-training"
Can you help me with preparing my questionnaire???
Hope yr knowledge and expertise will help me in the process of my learning and practice on the topic.
Pl respond to my request at the earliest and help me in my project.
Regards,
Revathi.S
From India, Madras
The project title itself is confusing! What is meant by 'effectiveness of pre-training'? When we talk about 'effectiveness', it means effectiveness of something on someother thing. Here what is that 'something' and what is that 'some other thing'? Please clarify.
From India, Madras
From India, Madras
Hi all
It s indeed i feel very blessed to have all your kindness and suggestions in my project. I'm a II ug student. As a part of my curriculum, i'm doing a research project on the title, "effectiveness on training" and done with a set of questionnaire.
I request you to suggest some tools in evaluating my questionnaire. Being a UG student, I basically know to evaluate the questionnaire with basic statistical tools lik chi-square test, pie- diagram and bar diagram and few more.
I would like to display my project more professionally. so requesting you all to suggest some unique methods and tools to evaluate the outcomes of my questionnaire.
Thanks in Advance!!!!
Regards,
Revathi.S
From India, Madras
It s indeed i feel very blessed to have all your kindness and suggestions in my project. I'm a II ug student. As a part of my curriculum, i'm doing a research project on the title, "effectiveness on training" and done with a set of questionnaire.
I request you to suggest some tools in evaluating my questionnaire. Being a UG student, I basically know to evaluate the questionnaire with basic statistical tools lik chi-square test, pie- diagram and bar diagram and few more.
I would like to display my project more professionally. so requesting you all to suggest some unique methods and tools to evaluate the outcomes of my questionnaire.
Thanks in Advance!!!!
Regards,
Revathi.S
From India, Madras
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Measuring ROI of Training.zip
Measuring ROI of Training.ppt