Developing Effective Training Programs

Effective training programs require solid planning. The main priority in training, for a business, is to ensure that the employees get the skill sets required to perform the job functions completely. This requires a firm knowledge of the business processes and business culture involved. In many cases, a business will need to develop their own materials and information sources. The proprietary nature of many business processes makes this even more likely. Depending on the subject matter to be covered, however, resources may be available. For hardware and software being used, there will often be tutorials and informational packets available from the manufacturer or distributors. For internal processes, employee handbooks, job descriptions and policy/procedure manuals may be good sources of information. If these do not exist, an organization would be well served by developing them at the same time as the instructional materials. Once data sources are assembled, it is time to develop the framework of the sessions. The training guide is a basic outline of topics, not a detailed information source. This gives the employees a time line for the training, the main process areas to be covered and what they can expect to learn from the training in relation to their job functions. The rest of the training plans will come out of this framework.

The next level of development is the individual training session plans. In business, it is likely that training will be accomplished in a single session or multiple sessions over a brief period of time. Unlike academic education, where topics can be covered in detail over a long time period, business requires efficient learning and rapid uptake of information. Most businesses need employees to begin producing results as soon as possible. It is still wise to develop separate lesson plans for each process. This takes the basic topic listed in the training guide and covers the subject matter in greater detail. Specifically, each of the main components of that process should be addressed, with enough detail to provide clear instruction on how to perform the job functions from start to finish for the process. Often small, but important, process information is left out of training, as it has been informally adopted by employees who have found a more efficient or simpler way to accomplish the company tasks. Talking to current employees and observing them in the performance of their duties should minimize this problem.

At this point in the development process, the trainer will want to determine the methods to be used in training sessions. These include videos, demonstrations, PowerPoint presentations, graphs, charts, expert speakers and employee lead presentations, as well as hand on skill development sessions. These are listed within the training guides where they will be utilized.  It ensures that the required supplies and equipment are available. Material needs should be clearly assessed and expressed so that arrangements can be made ahead of time, should that be required. Never underestimate the importance of planning, resources must be available when needed to ensure successful execution of training programs. Greater lead time given decreases the likelihood that problems will arise. Be proactive. In the case of job training, a hand on use of the techniques and processes is often best. Utilizing a safe environment to practice the requisite skills can ensure that the knowledge is applied accurately and consistently. This training method also allows for repetition to reinforce the training over time. Ideal safe methods would be an non-networked computer, running the hardware and software used in the actual job performance, and a training room with scaled down versions of any line processes or production chain processes involved in the job performance. It is important to be able to accurately run through the system from start to finish ensuring smooth work flow in the "real" job performance.

When the planning phase is over, it is time to perform. Controlling the room is a requirement for effective training. The methods for this can be vastly different depending on the employees' education and skill levels, setting, position of authority of the trainer and employee buy-in on the subject matter. Certain factors which contribute to control of the room will be addressed. First is demonstrating a competency in the subject. If the employees believe that the presenter lacks credibility he/she will have difficulty creating buy-in. For training sessions with long-term employees, their knowledge of the processes may, and often will, exceed that of the trainer. Acknowledgment of that fact will go a long way towards gaining the cooperation and respect of the employees. Asking for feedback and input from the employees, before, during and after the training will often contribute to the success of the training program as well. Don't rely solely on notes; be able to answer questions adequately from your pre-training preparation. It is also key to offer training assertively. Appearing uncomfortable or agitated is not conducive to holding the attention or respect of the employees effectively. Being audible is crucial to effective training. If a trainer can not be heard clearly, he/she cannot effectively train any group. Fortunately there are products today which allow trainers to be heard, from wireless microphones and speakers to PA systems and professional sound systems. Depending on the trainer's needs these can be coordinated with computer presentations, videos and audio units as well as microphones. Wireless, hands-free paging and PA systems are often ideal fits for training sessions, as the audience is normally smaller and demonstrations of processes often requires free use of hands. They may also be scaled for venues of differing sizes and acoustic qualities. Once again, it is crucial to plan for the needs of the trainer and the employees to be sure that adequate resources are available. Training sessions should be planned well in advance and scheduled to avoid serious disruptions to productivity. In emergency situations where immediate training must be done to fix serious system problems, it may be necessary to shut down systems and train all personal at once to avoid catastrophe, but this should be rare if ongoing training programs are in place.

Gauging effectiveness and responding appropriately is the final component of an effective training program. Often, surveys are used at the ends of training sessions to determine the success or failure of methods used. This method may not provide accurate feedback, as it is highly subjective. This can, however, be a great source of information for adjusting and improving training programs based upon employee experience with systems in the "real world." Job performance on an individual and departmental level is a prime measure of effectiveness. If productivity rises after implementing training programs, they are likely effective, although other factors must be looked at as well to account for possible changes in productivity. If possible, pre-training performance testing, or benchmarking, followed by post-training testing is the optimal effectiveness gauge, as it provides a baseline for performance prior to the training and a demonstration of the knowledge gained through training sessions. In business training, supervisors must participate in the follow-up as well, as they must be observing whether or not the new policies, procedures and methods are being used by the employees. Often, without such supervision and follow-up, employees will simply continue to do what they have always done, as familiarity makes that easier than change.

Increased effectiveness should result from the use of these strategies in business training settings. In summary planning is crucial to success, but it must be followed up by quality execution and metrics to determine effectiveness. Where plans fall short of expectations or needs, adjustments should be made and the process re-entered until an optimal training program has been found. With the ever changing technologies, methods, and legal/regulatory environments in business today, it is imperative for businesses to maintain up-to-date training classes in order to remain competitive and compliant.