Employees are sent for training to upgrade their skills and knowledge in the work areas they can improve on. However, some companies make little effort to send their employees for training as managers are beginning to believe that training makes little difference to the performance of the employee. They believe that it is a waste of time and money to train their employees. So, employees work with the skills they have and continue to deliver their current level of work performance.
Attending training can be rewarding. How do companies reap a higher payback on the training that they invest in their employees? How do companies realize savings with training? Here are the three essential steps in the process:
1. Analyse the training need
The manager needs to be able to describe the expected outcome of the task, and identify how the employee is not achieving this outcome. What are the issues involved in this below expected outcome? This is where the analysis comes in. There may be many reasons for this gap in performance, some within the control of the manager and employee, and some reasons may be out of their control.
If, as a result of the analysis, the gap in performance is due to a lack in a competency, then there is opportunity to improve in this area. At this stage, a training programme can be identified for the employee.
2. Measure current performance and costs
Before the manager sends the employee for the identified training, the manager should explain to the employee his expected improvements after the training. This is to ensure that the employee is conscious of the expectations and is more aware that he needs to apply what he learns in the training to his job.
Measuring the current level of performance before the training is also a good idea. Measures can be in the form of time taken to perform a task, number of errors, accuracy, wastage, rejects. What are the costs involved?
3. Evaluate the result of the training
After the training, it is essential to evaluate the training outcome. There are several types of evaluation on training. One of them is to evaluate the performance of the employee on the same areas measured before the training. Are there improvements identified? What are the costs saved if there are improvements? Monitoring of this performance after the training will bring a higher level of awareness on the savings on operating expenses as a result of training. This is my recommended way to ensure that the manager reaps a return of investment from the training.
There is now every reason to send an employee for training if we consistently go through this evaluation process.
For more information of the types of evaluation and doing a needs analysis, click here for our programme brochure.
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