How To Measure The Impact Of Training And Development In The Workplace

There is an old saying that goes like “Always begin with the end in mind” and the same holds true when you execute a wide ranging training program in your organization. When the training program is completed, the management needs to know whether the training helped the employees address their learning gaps, were the skills learnt applicable and relevant to ongoing workplace issues and whether or not there were any added advantages that accrued out of it.

To find reliable answers to these questions, organizations rely on measuring the impact of training through credible metrics that are measurable and quantifiable. This helps them determine the ROI of a training program, further allowing them to determine the effectiveness of the existing program.

Once the results are in, the organization will know exactly if the program needs any sort of modification or overhaul.

To acquire such an outcome, you need to run programs that allow you to gather quantifiable or qualitative data like assessment tests, surveys etc. Some training programs even offer certificates as a proof of validation.

However, probably the best way to measure the impact of an IT training program in the workplace is contained in the Kirkpatrick evaluation model. This model has been around since the 1950s but still is perhaps the most relevant tool to gauge the effectiveness related to all aspects of a training program.

And the best part about it is that you can even use it for modern Learning platform based training evaluations. This model is divided in the following four parts, with each one pertaining to an entirely different level of measurement:

No 1- Reaction:

This part effectively aims to understand the effectiveness of the training program from the learner’s perspective. This is incredibly useful because the learner is the main focus of any program and just how well it reacted to the program of which it was a part of is critical towards developing an understanding on how useful did the learner found to engage with the program.

This part is ideally initiated prior to the course beginning and it concludes after the program has ended. You can use data collection tools like questionnaires and one on one interviews to gain valuable feedback at this stage. However, no matter what tools you deploy, always ensure that they cover the following key points:

• How did the learners term the course as far as relevance is concerned?
• Were the learners able to comprehend the course contents fully?
• What key takeaways did the learners arrive at from the program?
• What were the pros and cons of the training exercise?
• Did the learner found the pace of the course as well as its style suitable to its own requirements?

If the content of the training was not relevant or the learners experienced some issues during it, they will all come to the fore once you go through this level.

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No 2 – Learning:

As the name itself implies, this part of the model deals with the skills and learning imparted during the course. The participants had to gain a certain set of knowledge after completing this course and if you want to judge whether they acquired it or not, this level is perfectly primed to assist you in achieving this means. Many organizations that follow this training model recommend that you apply these metrics at the learning stage:

• The final scores of the training programs of each participant
• Analysis of projects directly related to applied learning programs
• Measuring performance based on KPIs before and after the course
• Recommendations of the evaluator or reports from training platforms if used

Relevant skills gained during the training programs will completely become available for further analysis at this level concludes.

No – 3 Behavior:

As one of the core motives of imparting training is to increase employee motivation and create high retention rates, this level of the evaluation model deals with behavioral changes that occur once the training has been given. The changes in performance at work is scrutinized and measured using these methods:

• Work based observation
• Feedback from immediate managers
• Self-assessment tests
• Job relevant KPIs
• Feedback from customers or colleagues

In addition to this, you can also check the level of confidence the learner has gained in terms of showing and sharing its newly gained skills with its immediate team members.

No – 4 Results:

This final stage pertains exclusively to business gains realized as a direct impact of the training program. From increase in sales to reduced costs and heightened efficiency in tasks, this level will allow you to analyze just how in-depth the impact this training had on your business and whether you need to continue in the same direction or change course accordingly.

To gain the data to make decisions like this, you will need to check the following business relevant metrics:

• Increase in overall profitability
• Retention rates of employees
• Level of customer satisfaction
• Project completion times

Conclusion:

Experts suggest that all these four levels are not applicable to all training scenarios and you should only add levels as the complexity of the training programs increase. For e.g. level 1 of this model is to be used for all types of training programs, irrespective of whether they are large scale or small scale, while you only go till level four, if the program being implemented has high stakes attached to it due to hefty investment or important business goals.

However, if you want to improve your results in all four of these levels, AI based learning platforms that offer self-paced, customized courses that are highly adaptive to user learning needs are highly suitable. That’s because, AI based learning platforms have a higher chance of gaining positive results in evaluations as they comply easily with learner expectations, business goals, skills appreciations and a wide variety of other factors.

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