DESIGNING AND EVALUATING TRAINING facilitate or inhibit training

SYSTEMS effectiveness.

Why trainings should be conducted in an  The process of determining the

organization? organizational factors that will either
facilitate or inhibit training
Training effectiveness.
 A planned effort by an organization to Task Analysis
facilitate the learning of job-related
behavior on the part of its employees  Use job analysis methods to identify
the tasks performed by each
 it is the “systematic acquisition of employee, the conditions under which
skills, rules, concepts, or attitudes that these tasks are performed, and the
result in improved performance” competencies (knowledge, skills,
(Goldstein & Ford, 2002). abilities) needed to perform the tasks
Needs Analysis under the identified conditions.

 the first step in developing an  determine how employees learn to

employee training system perform each task or obtain each
competency.
 The process of determining the
training needs of an organization as Person Analysis
well as the extent to which training is a  The process of identifying the
practical means of achieving an employees who need training and
organization’s goals. determining the areas in which each
 organizational analysis individual employee needs to be
 task analysis trained.
 person analysis  To determine the individual training
needs for each employee, person
analysis uses

 performance appraisal scores

 surveys
 interviews
 skill and knowledge tests
 critical incidents

Performance Appraisal Scores

 A rating representing some aspect of

an employee’s work performance.

 Low ratings on a particular dimension

for most employees may indicate that
additional training in that dimension is
needed.

Disadvantages in Using Performance

Appraisal Scores
Organizational Analysis
 several types of rating errors can
 The process of determining the reduce the accuracy of performance
organizational factors that will either appraisal scores
facilitate or inhibit training
effectiveness.  rarely are there situations in which all
employees score either high or low on
 The process of determining the a dimension. Instead, it is more
organizational factors that will either
 common for only a few employees to Skills and Knowledge Test
score poorly
 Skills Test - A test that measures an
 the current performance appraisal employee’s level of some job related
system may not provide the type of skill.
information needed to conduct a  Knowledge test - A test that
training needs analysis. measures the level of an employee’s
knowledge about a job related topic.

Critical Incidents

To use this technique for needs assessment,

the critical incidents are sorted into dimensions
and separated into examples of good and poor
performance. Dimensions with many
examples of poor performance are considered
to be areas in which many employees are
performing poorly and in which additional
Surveys
training is indicated.
 Questionnaires asking employees
about the areas in which they feel they
need training. 1. Establish Goals and Objectives
Advantages in Using Surveys In setting goals, it is important to first
determine what the organization wants to
 they eliminate the problems of
accomplish, given the time and resources that
performance rating errors
will be allocated to the training.
 employees often know their own
strengths and weaknesses best  Training goals and objectives should
 training needs can be determined with concretely state the following (Mager,
surveys, even when the organization 1997):
has not previously made an effort to
design an effective performance  What learners are expected to do
appraisal system or adequate job  The conditions under which they
descriptions. are expected to do it
 The level at which they are
The main disadvantages of surveys are that expected to do it.
employees may not be honest and the
organization may not be able to afford the 2. Choosing the Best Training Method
training suggested by the employees.
Examples of Available Training Methods:
Interviews
 Lecture
 Interviews are not used as extensively  Case study
as surveys, but they can yield even  Simulation
more in-depth answers to questions  Role play
about training needs (Patton & Pratt,  Behavior modeling
2002).  Video/DVD
 The main advantage of interviews is
that employee feelings and attitudes Examples of Available Training Methods:
are revealed more clearly than with
Distance Learning
the survey approach.
 The main disadvantage of interviews  Printed materials
is that interview data are often difficult  Video/DVD
to quantify and analyze (Brown, 2002).  Interactive video
 Podcast
 Webinar
 Webcast
Examples of Available Training Methods: Using simulation exercises to practice new
skills
On-the-Job Learning
 Simulation
 Modeling
 Job rotation An exercise designed to place an applicant in
 Apprentice training a
 Coaching
 Mentoring Situation that is similar to the one that will be
 Performance appraisal encountered on the job.

3. Delivering the Training Program

Using Lecture Conducting Classroom Training

 Lectures are a good training source if Who will conduct the training?
the goal is for employees to obtain  In-house or external Trainers?
knowledge  Videos?
 handouts are very important in this
form of training program. Conducting Classroom Training

Contents of the handout: Where will the training be held?

 a cover sheet with the title of the  On-site or Offsite?

training program as well as the date
Conducting Classroom Training
and location in which the training took
place; How long should the training be?
 a list of goals and objectives;
 a schedule for the training (e.g.,  Distributed learning or massed
breaks, ending times); practice?
 a biographical sketch of the trainer;
Adjusting the audience
 the notes themselves in outline form,
full text, or copies of the PowerPoint  Size
slides;  Knowledge, Skills and abilities
 activity sheets such as personality
inventories, free writes, or group Delivering the Training Program (Proper)
activity
 Introducing the Trainer and the training
 information;
session
 references and suggestions for further
 Use icebreakers and energizers
reading; and
 Delivering the presentation
 a form to evaluate the quality of the
training program.

Using case studies to apply knowledge Conducting Distance Learning

Case study  Asynchronous technologies -
Distance learning programs in which
 A training technique in which
employees can complete the training
employees, usually in a group, are
at their own pace and at a time of their
presented with a real or hypothetical
choosing.
workplace problem and are asked to
 Synchronous technologies -
propose the best solution.
Distance learning programs that
 Case studies are considered to be
require employees to complete the
good sources for developing analysis,
training at the same time and at the
synthesis, and evaluation skills (Noe,
same pace although they may be in
2013).
different physical locations.
 Living Case – A case study based on
 Interactive Video - A training
a real situation rather than a
technique in which an employee is
hypothetical one.
presented with a videotaped situation
 and is asked to respond to the
situation and then receives feedback
based on the response  Pass-through programs - A formal
 Programmed instruction - A training method of coaching in which excellent
method in which employees learn employees spend a period of time in
information at their own pace. the training department learning
 Webinar - Short for “web seminar,” an training techniques and training
interactive training method in which employees.
training is transmitted over the  Mentoring
Internet. Mentor - An experienced employee
 Webcast - A noninteractive training who advises and looks out for a new
method in which the trainer transmits employee.
training information over the Internet.
 Blog - A website in which the host 4. Motivates Employees to Learn
regularly posts commentaries on a During Training
topic that readers can respond to. Skill-based Pay
 Wiki - A collection of web pages in
which users can create web pages on  Compensating an employee who
a topic and readers can freely edit participates in a training program
those pages. designed to increase a particular job-
 Listserv - A program that related skill.
automatically distributes e-mail
Interest
messages to a group of people who
have a common interest.  Employees will be more motivated to
learn when the training program is
interesting. As a result, trainers who
Conducting On-the-Job Training are not effective presenters do not last
long. Some training topics are
 Modeling- Learning through watching naturally interesting and a trainer
and imitating the behavior of others. doesn’t need to do much to spice up
 Job rotation - A system in which the material.
employees are given the opportunity
to perform several different jobs in an Feedback
organization.
 Providing employees with specific
 Cross-training -Teaching employees
information about how well they are
how to perform tasks traditionally
performing a task or series of tasks.
performed by other employ
Negative feedback

 Telling employees what they are doing

Learning Through Apprentice Training
incorrectly in order to improve their
 Apprentice training - A training performance of a task.
program, usually found in the craft and
building trades, in which employees 5. Ensuring Transfer of Training
combine formal coursework with
Transfer of Training
formal on-the-job training.
 The extent to which behavior learned
in training will be performed on the job.
Learning Through Coaching and Mentoring
 Use realistic training programs
Coaching is another popular method of training  Have Opportunities to Practice Work-
new employees and typically takes one of two Related Behavior During the Training
forms: experienced employees working with  Overlearning - Practicing a task even
new employees and professional coaches who after it has been mastered in order to
work with all employees. retain learning
  Provide Employees with the 2. Experimental Group - Pretest-
Opportunity to Apply Their Training Training - Posttest
 Ensure Management Is Supportive of
the Training Control Group - Pretest - Posttest
 Have Employees Set Goals 3. Solomon four-groups - design An extensive
method of evaluating the effectiveness of
6. Putting it all Together training with the use of pretests, posttests, and
If training is to be the desired intervention, control groups.
several factors will affect its success:

 Employees must have the skills and

abilities to complete the training
successfully.
 There should be minimal outside
factors (e.g., work or family problems)
that might distract the employee and Evaluation Criteria
keep him from concentrating on the
 Content Validity
training program.
 Employee Reactions - A method of
 Employees must be motivated to
evaluating training in which employees
learn. That is, they must perceive that
are asked their opinions of a training
training is needed, that the training
program.
program meets their expectations, that
 Employee learning - Evaluating the
they have the ability to complete the
effectiveness of a training program by
training (self-efficacy), and that there
measuring how much employees
will be some reward (e.g., pay, career
learned from it.
advancement) for performing well.
 Application of training -
 The training method (e.g.,
Measurement of the effectiveness of
programmed instruction, behavioral
training by determining the extent to
modeling, lecture) must be a good
which employees apply the material
match for the employee’s learning
taught in a training program.
style, ability, and personality
 Business impact - A method of
 The training method must be a good
evaluating the effectiveness of training
match for the type of material being
by determining whether the goals of
learned (e.g., knowledge vs. a
the training were met.
physical skill).
 Return on investment (ROI) The
 The training program must allow for
amount of money an organization
goal setting, positive feedback,
makes after subtracting the cost of
distributed practice, overlearning, and
training or other interventions.
the chance to practice and apply the
materiallearned (transfer of training).
 There must be an opportunity and
encouragement to use the newly
acquired knowledge at work.

7. Evaluating Training Results

Pretest - A measure of job performance or

knowledge taken before the implementation of
a training program.

Posttest - A measure of job performance or

knowledge taken after a training program has
been completed.

1. Pretest - Training - Posttest