[ Volume Nineteen ]

Article Overview: As unemployment continues to remain at record low levels, the Australian workforce is becoming more mobile and more demanding. Organisations with ever tighter training budgets increasingly require accountability and measurable impact from their training investment. So what are the latest innovations in training design, measurement and delivery - and what can we apply to our own training practices?

There are well documented links between effective training and employee satisfaction and retention. One extensive study in the United States that reviewed 60,000 exit interviews found a strong connection between training and an employee's commitment to an organisation. It concluded that if an organisation's employees don't get the training they want, 41% will leave".[1]

So what lessons does this study provide for Australian Organisations?

With unemployment in Australia hovering at record lows, the market for quality candidates is tight and the need to retain high performing employees more critical. The organisations that will succeed in the future are thoughtfully developing their most important resource, the people they employ. One of the ways they're doing it is by adopting innovative training and development practices that have a measurable impact on both their people and organisation's performance.

So what are the latest employee training trends?

1. Consult on performance rather than assess needs.

A performance consultation is far broader and much more hands on than the traditional training needs assessment. It requires the training consultant to closely interact with both internal and external clients. The consultant can then be specific about the employee's needs and tailor training content that helps both the employee and organisation achieve their desired results.

Consultation may be undertaken with all levels within an organisation using techniques such as one-on-one interviews, surveys and focus groups. Such methods allow the consultant to ask pointed questions to identify the key areas where training is required. For example when a line manager says: "I need my supervisors to have good people skills" the performance consultant can then ask "how do you define good people skills?" One important benefit of determining specific problem areas is more accurate analytics to measure the success of the training.[2] And with effective probing questions the consultant can also isolate training problems from things that can never be fixed by training, such as poor work systems, inefficient processes or inadequate technology.[3]

However to do a performance consultation well, the training consultant needs experience in organisational development, group process and consulting methodologies. They also need managerial support and buy-in as the success of individualised programs is not easily measured by the traditional tick sheets and smile ratings typical of classroom training. [4]

As more and more training budgets are linked to learning analytics, level three and level four measurements are becoming critical. To therefore gain continued organisational support for training initiatives, programs should be focussed on the indicators that the business values. Accordingly, getting management to agree in advance on how success should be measured becomes an important part of the training design process.

3. Create stickiness

It is clear that trainees must both absorb and apply course content in order for the training to have a measurable impact on their future performance.

The perceptive trainer creates "stickiness" by defining a context for the training - that is, ensuring that employees understand why the training is necessary. One way to achieve this understanding is for the trainer to provide pre-training assignments. The trainer also needs to create a "back on the job" environment that supports the trainees by briefing supervisory and managerial staff on the content and relevance of the training prior to its commencement.

Ultimately to ensure the trainee embraces their new knowledge, the trainer needs to make it clear to the employee that any benefit they will gain from the training is ultimately their responsibility and that they need to commit to applying what they have learnt once they are back on the job.

4. Online training delivery

Today, a growing number of organisations use some form of online training delivery: CD's, local intranet sites or web based programs. With advances in technology this is an easy way to distribute and regulate training efficiently throughout an organisation. Indeed, the use of online tools in the training arena is expected to grow.

That said, designing web-based training comes with its own challenges. The drop out rate of self-paced and self-monitored training can be high. It's not enough to simply upload existing training manuals into an online course and leave the participant to work through them. Doing so does not take advantage of the interconnectivity advantages that the web offers (eg. the ability to publish up-to-date information instantly).

Successful online training design acknowledges the paradigm shift from "trainer in charge" to "learner in charge". Consequently, discussion around the online course design table should centre on engaging the online participant using methods such as live instruction, peer interaction and off air assignments. Effective execution using tools such as instant on-screen puzzles and drawings can also engage the audience.[7]

5. Train the trainer rather than the trainee

Studies show that 87% of the skills change brought about by even the best staff training is lost without follow-up reinforcement and coaching. Accordingly, more organisations are recognising that although trainers have the required skills for effective training delivery, the people who work within the organisation have unmatched knowledge of the role and intimacy with internal work processes. To overcome this there are some who suggest that if the manager does the post-training then the employee is more likely to engage in the subject at hand. As a result, a growing number of organisations are asking trainers to impart training skills to employees who are experts in specialist subject matter, and subsequently giving that person the mandate to champion training efforts relating to their specialist area long after the formal training program has been completed.[8]

The train the trainer trend has implications for the role of the traditional training practitioner. With more training being conducted in-house, the training professional's role is broadening to include tasks such as performance consulting, locating resources and suppliers, managing relationships with external suppliers and the actual design of the training. Follow up support for the in-house team conducting training also becomes a particularly important part of the evolving training role.

6. The individual employee is your new focus

The move away from yearly performance appraisals and towards ongoing performance management systems has direct implications for the future of training delivery. For the staff member, performance management can mean more frequent feedback from many points of view, including peers, self-appraisal and management. This provides a fuller and more robust set of observations from which training needs can be assessed.

In turn the recommendations and employer development plans from such reviews may be varied and include such things as special projects, stretch goals, participation in cross-functional teams and temporary leadership roles. So training programs of the future will need to accommodate these broader development needs on an individual level.

7. Training just in time

This trend involves the delivery of training to coincide with the exact time the new skills are required, as opposed to weeks or months in advance. In doing so, the employee maximises the benefit of his/her new skills immediately by usefully applying learnings back in the current work environment. "Just in time" training is often delivered in response to the training needs identified by the employee's individual development plan, and timed to coincide with specific business projects.

In conclusion

The trends outlined in this article are by no means exhaustive. However if you work towards embracing these concepts you're ultimately a step closer to creating a learning environment to help lead your organisation on to continued successes.

References:

[1] Patricia McLagan, Where to, the field?, May 2004, T+D
[2] Calhoun Wick and Roy Pollock, Making Results Visible, June 2004, T+D
[3] Ibid
[4] Susan M. Heathfield, Catch the Wave: Six Training Trends, http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Jean Barbazette, e-Facilitation, June 2004, T+D
[8] Susan M. Heathfield, Catch the Wave: Six Training Trends, http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm

About Regent Recruitment Regent Recruitment is a recruitment consultancy that assists leading Australian employers to attract and retain talented staff on a contract, temporary or permanent basis. Whether we are filling one permanent role or recruiting contract staff for a 400-seat call centre, we deliver an exceptional recruitment service. Unlike other recruitment consultancies, Regent Recruitment is unique in that it combines the capabilities of a large-scale multinational recruitment operation with exceptional service levels typically only associated with small boutique agencies. How can we assist you? We would welcome the opportunity to have a confidential meeting to discuss your staffing needs in more detail. If you are interested, in the first instance please call Howard Mereine, General Manager, on (03) 9909 7150 or e-mail Howard at hmereine@regentrecruitment.com.au. We look forward to speaking with you.

This article was licenced by Regent Recruitment for the Regent Recruitment client newsletter.
Written by Victoria Small and Nathanael Small, and edited by Paul Quinn, Quinntessential Marketing Consulting Pty Ltd.


Subscriptions

Please feel free to forward this listing on to other people in your company or in the wider industry who you believe may benefit.

You may subscribe or unsubscribe at any time - click here to manage your subscription.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Regent Personnel Pty Ltd.