Effectiveness Of Training Programs

The first thing an employee has to undergo after joining a new organization is orientation and training. The training that starts on day 1 continues in one form or another throughout the employee’s tenure in the organization. But are these trainings effective? Do they really add any benefits? Training can be effective only when the employee understands its importance. By importance I don’t mean additional points for performance review for completing the list of assigned trainings. I have completed many “mandatory trainings” by clicking ‘next’ till I finish all the slides. Was the training good? Maybe. Was it necessary? Maybe. But the reason I didn’t get involved in the training was that I couldn’t see its application. I didn’t know why I was made to undergo the training when it had nothing to do with my everyday work. I have seen people stay after office hours just to get done with the trainings or employees helping their friends get through the tests by sharing answer codes. If this is the way we are training our organization, no wonder we don’t see any positive outcome of such trainings. Since we can change only what we can control, it is important that the training is imparted in a correct and effective manner.

Trainings in organizations can either be face to face or online. Face-to-face means ‘being in the presence of another’ or ‘in person’. The traditional method of teaching and learning is synchronous and typically involves the employment of a classroom where the teacher and students interact face-to-face with one another within a certain time and space. The most important advantage of this method is that the message can be communicated in the most efficient and effective manner with high level of interaction and participation. Employees can get immediate feedback. Other than that, physical environment is created in this method for learning since employees have to come together at a particular place and at particular time to get the knowledge which ensures discipline. Just like every coin has two sides, this method of education has few drawbacks as well. A significant drawback is that face- to-face education is highly teacher-driven. Employees may easily assume a passive role during the lesson. Also when there is a large number of people in the classroom the amount of personal attention a person can get from the teacher or instructor is almost negligible.

Another method is e-learning. With the advent of technology we have seen that many companies today opt for e-learning methods which are also cost competitive. E-learning delivers content through electronic information and communications technologies (ICTs). This delivery method increases the possibilities for how, where and when employees can engage in lifelong learning. With e-learning, a company can deliver training without having to gather participants together in a single classroom. Live, instructor-led training can be presented while the participants are still at their own desks. The participants meet in a virtual or electronic space. There, they can receive direct interaction, skills practice, and real-time instructor feedback. Because it is easier to bring participants together, e-learning can offer the benefits of just-in-time training, reduced travel costs, and less productivity downtime. Overall, the advantages of e-learning can be very appealing to a business. It can be customized as per the requirements and there is no time pressure.

But there are barriers to this method as well. The cost of developing and purchasing e-learning initially and the ongoing cost once an e-learning intervention is underway can be high. Sometimes there is no suitable content in the market or the content is designed for traditional methods of delivery, and unsuited for e-learning. Band width and infrastructure related shortcomings can cause problems too. Employees generally undergo e-learning in their own cubicles which lacks the classroom ambiance which can result in lack of motivation. Since there is no one to check on you, employees can cheat or do other work simultaneously.

Employers need to find ways to overcome these barriers. We can identify the following success factors:

• building an organizational learning culture;
• conducting extensive research and careful planning;
• partnering with other businesses and educators to save money and time and to share expertise;
• starting small and testing e-learning before scaling up to a broader audience;
• aligning e-learning solutions with core business processes and learning competencies;
• ensuring teamwork and communication between information technology and human resources;
• training trainers and managers in how to use e-learning and support employees;
• clearly communicating the value of e-learning; and
• Integrating e-learning with knowledge management, performance management and communication systems.

 Effective training practices can increase relevance of learning and training to the organisation’s skill development needs. It can help in attracting (high quality) new employees as the organisation will be known in the local community as being one which provides high quality development for staff.

Similarly, it can help in retaining (high quality) employees, if they feel they are provided development opportunities. Being organisation-specific it can help in transmitting and underlining the organisation’s culture and values.

Various factors have to be considered while choosing the perfect method of training –

1. The surroundings and environment within the organisation.
2. Respect regarding rewards.
3. Propensity and ability to learn.
4. Employee training should align with the organizational strategy.
5. Availability of trainers, facilitators, learning agents.

For a training to be effective, the employees need to understand the reason behind the various trainings. Once it happens, employees will experience improved job satisfaction as a result of skills development. They can have an improved self-image along with increase in employability. Trainings also help the employees perform their daily job with improved efficiency and more understanding. Acquisition of work-relevant skills help ensure that people are increasingly adaptable in conditions of rapidly changing national economies – and which is therefore a help in retaining employment and reducing the chances of becoming unemployed.

It doesn’t matter what method of training we are using, a training will be effective only when the employee wants it to be.