Five Critical Aspects To Getting More Return From Employee Training

Five Critical Aspects to Getting More
Return from Employee Training
E
By Bill Rosenthal
MPLOYEE TRAINING fails to receive any training that was provid- mentoring/ apprenticeship programs
provide the value it should for ed to the original group. It also may that can involve shadowing an
many organizations. A major reason be advisable for the group's man- employee by a trainer or manager to
for this is training too often is agers to take related training. provide ongoing feedback.
viewed tactically rather than strate-
gically. It isn't connected to overall 2 WHO WILL DELIVER THE TRAINING? The training can be customized to
organizational goals and strategy. meet the needs of individuals in
The choice of who will deliver the
many different ways. Workshops can
training requires much creative and
Many organizations view training as offer individual coaching and feed-
strategic thinking. Does the organi-
something to be implemented when back, including ongoing video feed-
zation possess the needed training
time and budgets allow. Others think back. Individuals can help choose
skills? The abilities of internal
of training as remedial, as a matter skills that they want to improve as
resources sometimes are underesti-
of shoring up weak employees or fix- the result of assessments completed
mated.
ing problems. Those that use train- by the employee, his or her manager,
ing to maximum advantage view it and his or her peers or direct reports
Even with a large internal training
differently. Training is how skills are (360-degree feedback). This process
department, developing and imple-
developed, attitudes are changed, often is used with broad-based training.
menting a program in-house may
ideas evolve, and the organization is take too much time. This can be par-
reinvented. A new culture is created 4 HOW WILL THE TRAINING
ticularly true if a large number of
TRANSFER TO THE JOB?
as employees learn the skills that employees need new skills. In such
will increase sales, build effective cases, an external resource should be Perhaps the most important consid-
teams, improve quality standards, or considered. A training firm also eration is how the knowledge and
meet a wide range of other objetives. might be the best choice if the insights from training will be inte-
instructors are to model desired grated into each individual's day-to-
To make training cost-effective it's behavioral skills and can do so bet- day job. There are several ways to
necessary to ask five questions: ter than internal instructors can. accomplish this. Among the most
productive is having participants
1 WHO NEEDS TRAINING? Sometimes a blended solution is address their real life workplace
ideal. The training firm can train challenges in a training program's
Training needs can exist at the
and certify inhouse trainers— skills exercises. These exercises will
organizational, divisional, depart-
indeed, any employee who has com- give the participants fresh ideas
mental, team, or individual levels.
munication skills—to conduct the about ways to meet their goals.
The employees who will be trained
and their managers must perceive training. An external resource also
can customize one of its existing Another approach consists of sched-
that there is a need for training or
programs to meet the organization's uling the training so that there are
the initiative will fail. To create
needs. workdays in between the training
change, a large number of employees
sessions. Participants can practice
need to be involved. Getting a lot of
people on the same wavelength
3 WHAT FORM WILL THE TRAINING and solidify the skills they learned
TAKE? during their workdays and then
accelerates the drive to the goal.
develop those skills further on the
Employees will make the new There are many ways to teach skills.
last day of training. Personal action
process "the way we do things here." These include workshops, comput-
plans also can help transfer skills to
Newly promoted and newly hired erassisted learning, self-study pro-
the job.
members of a group should also grams, tuition reimbursement, and Continued
Five Critical Aspects
to Getting More Return from Employee Training
Continued
Communispond provides its clients with a three-step

process aimed at transferring training. The first consists
of materials given to participants at the end of their
training program. This kit of reinforcement tools
includes visual stimuli that participants can put on their
desks to constantly remind them to use the skills. The
second step in that process is a special training program
for graduates of the initial training program. This fur-
ther develops the acquired skills. As the final step,
selected employees at the organization are certified to
teach a follow-up program that further reinforces skills
and continues to encourage transference of the skills to
the job.
Managers of the employees who are receiving the train-

ing should understand the trainee and be committed to
supporting and reinforcing the new knowledge/skills.
This means being able to answer employees' questions
about the skills being taught, allowing extra time for
the new process to be implemented, praising and
rewarding the use of new skills, and in other ways creat-
ing environments in which the new ways can take hold.
5 HOW WILL THE TRAINING BE EVALUATED?
Ultimately, training must be judged on its efect on the

organization. This requires hard data on measurable
objectives, such as increased sales, market share,
reduced operating costs, lower rates of absenteeism, or
whatever other objective the training was designed to
achieve. Although it is recognized other forces affect Bill Rosenthal is CEO of Communispond. The company provides
these measurable criteria, it is nonetheless important communication skills training for interpersonal communica-
that training be tied to corporate objectives all the way tions, management, and sales to organizations worldwide. It
through to the payoff stage. has trained more than 450,000 managers and has served more
than 300 of the Fortune 500 companies.
Participants and their managers should be involved in
the evaluations in ways more meaningful than filling Contact us at marketing@communispond.com.
out little checklists at the end of the day. Group evalua-
tion sessions and discussions not only reinforce what Published in the Journal of Business Strategy
was learned; they also underline the serious purpose of
the training and stimulate employee ownership of the
results.
Training can provide extraordinary improvements in any

organization. The key to getting the most return on www.communispond.com
investment from training is to view it strategically
rather than tactically. 1-800-529-5925

Five Critical Aspects To Getting More Return From Employee Training

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Five Critical Aspects To Getting More Return From Employee Training

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Five Critical Aspects to Getting More

Return from Employee Training

Communispond provides its clients with a three-step

Managers of the employees who are receiving the train-

5 HOW WILL THE TRAINING BE EVALUATED?

Ultimately, training must be judged on its efect on the

Training can provide extraordinary improvements in any

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