A powerful team is the engine room of every successful organization. That is why companies and enterprises spend huge resources on staff onboarding and training.
But how do they know the training programs are effective enough and align with organizational goals?
The strategy for evaluating training processes and outcomes has been developed for years. Multiple specialists came up with various ideas on how to do it. This article is a guide for organizations and educators to explore the concept of training evaluation, its importance, the steps to perform it, and the models and tools that can facilitate the process of bringing productivity to the organization.
What is Training Evaluation?
To put it simply, training evaluation is the process of collecting and analyzing the results of training programs to assess their efficiency. This can be done through surveys, participants’ feedback, and regular staff assessment sessions. These events will show whether the training meets its objectives and contributes to overall organizational performance by enhancing the skills and knowledge of the workforce and whether there are any areas for improvement. Typical questions like “Was the training relevant for your comprehension level?” or “Was the material delivered easily and inclusively?” help trainers understand the pros and cons of the training program and design future courses in a better way.
Why Is Training Program Evaluation Important?
Implementation of training programs at the workplace is not just a fashionable trend. These events aim to support people in doing their jobs better. Evaluating training programs is crucial for multiple reasons. First, it helps organizations determine how well training meets corporate learning standards and identify the areas that require additional coaching. Another important reason is resource optimization - companies invest time and money to equip their employees with relevant skills and ensure overall productivity. This takes place alongside sharing and collecting feedback and ideas to contribute to continuous improvement. Training evaluations promote understanding of the employees’ roles within the organization and clear up uncertainty regarding their performance.
Benefits of Training Evaluation
What will your company gain by implementing training evaluation programs?
Improved Performance and Employee Engagement: By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of training programs, organizations can improve their training methods and materials, which will in turn lead to better performance management. On the other hand, training evaluation identifies ways to increase employee engagement.
Accountability and Decision-Making: When the training programs address relevant issues, this speaks about enhanced accountability. Besides, data-driven insights from training evaluations help in making strategic decisions about future projects.
Increased ROI: Training programs’ effectiveness evaluation demonstrates the return on investment (ROI), ensuring that the allocated resources are justified.
Enhanced Reputation: If training programs meet industry standards and regulatory requirements and prove to be effective, this positively impacts the organization’s reputation.
5 Steps To Evaluate Training
There are several key steps to evaluating training programs effectively. Let’s take a look at them!
1. Set Clear Learning Objectives
The first thing to do before conducting any training is to establish clear learning objectives. Distribute them by priority, from specific ones to measurable and time-bound goals. These objectives demonstrate what the trainees should learn and achieve by the end of the program.
2. Designing an Evaluation Model
Since each evaluation model has a specific purpose and focus, you should choose the one that aligns with the organization's goals. The choice of the model depends on what insights and benefits you expect.
3. Implementing the Evaluation Plan
An evaluation plan is a list of goals, objectives, and procedures for training evaluation that includes the levels, evaluation methods, people in charge of the process, deadlines, and necessary resources.
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Collection and analysis of the data help determine the effectiveness of the training. At this stage, you may find new strategies and patterns for training, and areas that require improvement.
5. Reporting and Using Results
The report involves information on whether the training meets its goals and what factors lead to either failure or success. Based on the report, the company can observe the findings and make actionable recommendations for improving future programs.
Training Evaluation Models
Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model
Kirkpatrick’s model is one of the most popular frameworks for training evaluation. It consists of four levels which provide a detailed analysis of user satisfaction, learning outcomes, and behavior changes. These levels are:
Reaction (or satisfaction): This is how the trainers understand and measure the participants’ response to the training.
Learning: This allows us to define whether the training served to increase the trainees’ knowledge or skills.
Behavior (or impact): Here it is possible to watch the behavior change after training, i.e., ensure that the staff applies new skills in practice.
Results: This shows the impact of the previous levels on organizational goals.
The Phillips ROI Model
This model is based on Kirkpatrick’s framework and adds a fifth level: Return on Investment (ROI). It calculates the financial return of training programs by comparing the benefits to the costs. As a result, you will have a cost-saving formula, the image of productivity improvement due to new skills, and an understanding of how much less you will spend on the employees who leave the company due to a lack of training and how much more you can charge clients for providing them with the best service.
Kaufman’s Five Levels of Evaluation
Kaufman’s model uses five levels to evaluate training programs. This is actually very much like Kirkpatrick’s model but with a slight difference. Here, Kirkpatrick’s first point is split into two parts by differentiating between individual and organizational levels:
Input and Process: Here you can track the invested resources and evaluate the quality and efficiency of the delivered training session.
Acquisition: This is checking the training outcome for individuals and small groups, i.e., measuring the mastery of knowledge and skills.
Application: Through this level, we can assess how well the skills are applied on the job.
Organizational Output: This includes measuring both employee performance and a profit reduction/increase for your organization.
Societal Outcomes: This reflects the impact of the training program on business clients and society.
The CIRO Model
CIRO stands for Content, Input, Reaction, and Output. This is a perfect model for implementation in a company’s training policy. Here is what it offers:
Content helps evaluate the current situation at the company, its environment, and needs, as well as identify the factors likely to impact the training results.
Input allows for exploring all methods and techniques for training. This includes the design of the course and the way it is managed and delivered to the learners.
Reaction is about collecting feedback regarding the course and making some changes to future training programs based on the suggestions.
Output displays the final results for the workplace, learners, teams or departments, and overall business.
Anderson’s Model of Learning Evaluation
Anderson’s model differs from the previous ones by focusing on the company’s overall learning strategy. It consists of three stages:
Aligning training with strategic priorities.
Implementing evaluation frameworks to measure the contribution to the learning programs.
Analyzing and reporting on the alignment and effectiveness by emphasizing short-/long-term benefits, senior management trust, and learning value metrics.
Training Evaluation Tools
To be on the same page with employees, regular feedback is necessary. Several ways of gathering information can be implemented, or they can be practiced all together.
Questionnaires
These are sets of questions for feedback from participants on a particular topic. They can assess reactions, learning outcomes, and overall satisfaction.
Interviews
Face-to-face or online interviews with trainees, managers, and other stakeholders provide deeper insights into the training’s impact and areas for improvement.
Focus Groups
These are discussions with a group of people who participated in the same training program. Focus groups provide qualitative data about their training experience and its effectiveness.
Observations
Practitioners or evaluators observe participants’ behavior changes during and after training to measure how they complete tasks and apply new skills on the job.
LMS Reporting
Learning Management Systems (LMS) provide detailed analytics on training progress, completion rates, and performance, which can be used for evaluation.
When Is the Best Time to Evaluate Training?
Effective training evaluation is an ongoing process that should be conducted before, during, and after the implementation phase. This kind of monitoring will ensure the completion of relevant steps and their impact on the involved parties. Consider the following key times for training evaluation:
Before Training: To identify the goals of the training in terms of its impact on the employees’ skills.
During Training: To make real-time adjustments if needed.
Immediately After Training: To gather initial reactions and measure learning outcomes.
A Few Months Post-Training: To assess long-term knowledge retention and skill application.
Regular Intervals: To continually improve and adapt training programs based on ongoing feedback.
Conclusion
Any training program is incomplete and inefficient unless the evaluation process follows it. Training evaluation discloses shortcomings and ensures that training initiatives are aligned with organizational goals. The properly selected evaluation models and tools enhance employee performance and optimize resources, leading the organization to achieve significant improvements in their training outcomes.