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You’ve heard about “measuring training effectiveness” but aren’t quite sure how to do it. You’ve been filling out training attendance sheets for as long as you can recall, and they have served the purpose. So why is training effectiveness all of the sudden a topic of discussion, and what exactly is required to demonstrate it?
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Attendance sheets are the bare minimum
When it comes to assessing training effectiveness, training attendance sheets are the bare minimum. If you think about it, all they indicate is that a person attended the session on whatever topic was taught. But did he understand, comprehend, or even listen to the information? An attendance sheet attests that there was a warm body present during the training, but that’s about it. You have yet to determine if this person’s competency was enhanced by the training or if it improved his performance and really benefited his position and the organization.
Why have they been relied on for so long?
If you have solely relied on training attendance sheets to measure training effectiveness, you are not alone. They have long served as the line of least resistance in many organizations.
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Comments
Webinar attendance
For the purpose of documenting the fact that I actually sat through an online Webinar (e.g. for ASQ certification purposes), I photocopy the first page of my handwritten notes onto a printout of the event title and the agenda. This way there can be no question as to whether, for example, I just printed out the event description and then did something else entirely. "If it isn't written down, it didn't happen."
The training itself is only a small factor in its effectiveness
True, attendance sheets have nothing to do with effectiveness. Evaluations often measure something other than effectiveness, mainly how enjoyable the class experience was. Pre- and post-tests generally are more about finding questions participants cannot answer until they have taken the class, rather than effectiveness from learning those answers.
The biggest factor affecting training effectiveness has nothing to do with the training itself. The ability of a training participant to apply training lessons is largely determined/limited by the work environment to which the participant returns, especially the knowledge and attitudes of the training participant's managers and to a lesser extent of co-workers. Since the managers seldom attend the training, they are highly unlikely to know or understand most of the training's lessons; and therefore they often albeit unconsciously prevent the participant from applying the training lessons. Adults quickly forget training lessons they are not able to apply within a day or two of the training.
If an organization truly wants to get value for its training dollars, make sure the managers and co-workers get the training too at the same time; and hold the managers accountable for making sure the training lessons are applied immediately upon completion of the training.
Author of the recent Artech House book: Discovering REAL Business Requirements for Software Project Success
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