Identify the Training Needs
Identifying the Training Needs involves looking at the organisation’
The Job Analysis looks at the knowledge, skills, attitudes and performance standards that are required for a person to perform effectively in that particular job. This analysis can be assessed even further by investigating the key tasks of the job, or performing a Task Analysis. Once the Job/Task Analysis has been completed, attention is turned to the people who do the jobs.
• Are they performing at their peak?
• Where are their deficiencies?
• What levels of knowledge, what skills, what attitudes do they have and how do they differ from what is required to perform effectively in their job?
Any deficiencies are the potential Training Needs. These are considered potential because training may not be the solution to all the identified needs. There may be other factors for decreased performance, such as inadequate resources, dissatisfaction with conditions or malfunctioning equipment to name a few.
Other training needs are more easily identified because of their nature. For example, the introduction of new machines, systems or technology, new legislative or compliance requirements, new corporate policies, new employee inductions and OH&S issues are all areas where learning is required and are obvious Training Needs.
The final step in determining the Training Needs is collating the needs into workable and meaningful information.
• Do they apply to the whole organisation (corporate), to certain groups of
employees (group) or to individuals?
• What are the priorities that apply?
• How important or urgent are they? Are there sufficient resources to
implement training?
• What is the time frame involved?
All of the above questions determine the final outcome of the Training Needs Analysis and enable training professionals to make decisions about the most appropriate types of training required.
Design the Training Solutions
Once the decisions relating to what training needs will be targeted, the most appropriate training solutions can be researched and the relevant training programs designed and developed.
The range of training solutions available to the training professionals depends on the type of training and the target audience. Some options do not require the commonly accepted form of a formal training course design, such as in face-toface training. For example, a legitimate and frequently used training strategy is
mentoring, where the skills gaps are reduced by having an experienced person guide, instruct and monitor the employee through the required tasks over a defined period of time.
Other options may include on-the-job training, job rotation, self-paced learning exercises, online training packages, focus group sessions, information sessions, knowledge sharing sessions and web-based training. Each of these, however, will need some form of structure, where learning can be assessed or evaluated.
A key factor when designing training is to ensure that the learning outcomes relate directly to the objectives of the relevant task, which must relate directly to those of the organisation. It is good practice to determine the criteria that will be used in the evaluation or assessment stage at this step of the training cycle.
The design of training can be a complex and time consuming exercise that needs to take into account the variety of audiences (individual, group or organisation)
a significant resource impact for the organisation.
Deliver the Training Solutions
Training delivery depends on the strategy selected. Each has its unique variation on the delivery medium, the timing, the resources required and the assessment or evaluation method used.
Delivering the training involves activities such as the planning, scheduling, arranging the physical, financial and human resources, and managing the attendance and execution of the training program. The e-Learning web-based training and self-paced learning options, by their nature, require less effort than other methods to manage. Group training, either internally presented or externally, requires substantial organisation, coordination and follow-up.
What is common to all training is that there must be a change in behaviour, knowledge or performance after the training. This may not become apparent immediately following the training, as it often requires some time to consolidate the learning and to practise the new skills/knowledge/
total training process.
Evaluate the Effectiveness
Training evaluation is a whole field on its own and, depending on resources, can be as simple as completing a “Happy Sheet” at the end of a training course, to a fully fledged analysis of the training outcomes and their impact on the organisation’
A commonly accepted training evaluation methodology is the Kirkpatrick Training Evaluation Model. This was developed by Dr. Donald Kirkpatrick in 1959 and is arguably the most widely used and popular model for the evaluation of training and learning. This method is now considered an industry standard across the HR and training communities. The four levels of Kirkpatrick's evaluation model essentially
measure:
• Reaction: the reaction of the trainee (e.g. what they thought and felt about the training).
• Learning: the resulting increase in knowledge or capability.
• Behaviour: extent of behaviour and capability improvement and implementation or application.
• Results: the effects on the business or environment resulting from the trainee's performance.
Evaluation is fundamental to the success of the training function. It ensures that the training achieves what it is designed to achieve and provides a built-in monitoring system for the continual improvement of training programs, as indicated by the “Adjust” link in the Training Cycle diagram on pg.3. This allows training professionals to fine tune their programs and ensure that future trainees will have optimum training.
Conclusion
Training is an important part of an organisation’
The management involved in implementing such a strategy is quite significant and can be complex and time consuming. One way to attempt this in a planned and structured manner is with the help of a dedicated software system, such as the Training and Competency Module from CINTELLATE™.
