The word “Training” refers to anything associated with learning or development. Most organizations strongly believe in the process of employee training, and make sure to schedule as many training courses as possible. Research provides practical advice around learning principles, training designs and evaluation for individual courses. However, research has generally overlooked how business focused training strategies a framed by organizations.
Everything Research Tells Us
Employee training is used to describe the process by which individuals acquire job-related skills to help organizations achieve their annual, short term and long term goals. Training involves teaching particular skills or imparting some form of job-related knowledge to the employees by a business expert in an attempt to improve their performance on the job. One of the main components of employee training is formal on-the-job training.
Formal training is generally considered effective in improving employee performance and also in preparing them for future organisational roles and job profiles. However, in order to maximise results, formal training must be integrated with other developmental experiences such as leadership development, coaching or mentoring, experience-based learning, and so on.
Adult Learning And Its Principles
It is essential to understand how adults think and learn in a work environment. Hence, experts must be aware of adult behaviour in the workplace before designing and implementing employee training. Adult training principles can be applied to both, formal and informal training initiatives, since they are the stepping stones of the employee learning process. Research defines adult learning as a process of “self-directed inquiry”. There are several key factors that distinguish between adult learners and can guide an individual in developing effective training programs.
A few of these factors are:
• Self-direction
Mostly autonomous learners, adults generally prefer to have some amount of control over the direction and nature of the learning process.
• Experience
The work place experience and knowledge that adults accumulate over time help them learn better and grasp faster.
• Readiness to Learn
As learners, adults tend to be goal-oriented. This motivates them to develop the abilities and skills required to perform their job tasks in the organisation to the best of their ability.
• Relevance-Oriented
Adult learners are found to be more oriented and focused on relevant and problem-focused learning that can be applied immediately.
• Motivation to Learn
Adult learners find that they do not need external motivation to pursue new knowledge, as they are intentionally motivated to learn more and perform better at work. However, they are most motivated to learn when they find the urgent need to apply the new information at work.
• Cooperative Learning
Adults are generally most receptive to learning, and gathering new information and knowledge in a cooperative environment of mutual trust, where they are surrounded by individuals with shared expectations.
Learning Strategies
In order to enhance the learning outcome, corporate trainers and educators take up a variety of strategies to improve employee knowledge and enhance learning outcomes. These strategies can include utilization of advanced organizers, providing valuable feedback, and practice.
• Practice
Practice is one of the most fundamental learning strategies. It occurs when the employees learn something new during the training period and are provided with opportunities to put their learning to good use by demonstrating their newly acquired knowledge and skills. Adult learners are more likely to retain knowledge and put their skills to good use at the workplace when they actively participate in the training sessions by practising new skills during the training period. Research has shown that learners who did not participate actively in any activities during the training period, i.e. those who retained information only passively did not demonstrate their newly acquired skills to the level that was expected of the employees. Researchers have also identified that there are several key aspects of practice during a training that can influence the way in which the learning takes place.
• Over-learning
The aspect of over-learning during practice refers to practising a task for a duration which is more than what is necessary for any new knowledge or skills to be transferred back to the job. Trainers generally encourage the aspect of over-learning during a training when they need employees to carry out particular tasks without thinking. For example: Sales executives in a fashion store might have to over-learn the technique of steam ironing and folding apparel, as these are tasks that must be performed approximately 4 to 5 times a day.
• Massed versus Distributed Practice
The frequency and duration of practice during training sessions is known as massed versus distributed practice. Massed practice entails practising for an extended period of time without taking in-between job breaks. Distributed practice refers to the practice that involves taking breaks between the practice sessions. This method is almost always preferred by employees and trainees as it helps them to retain information better so they can transfer their new knowledge and skills to their respective jobs at the workplace.
• Fidelity
The aspect of fidelity with respect to training refers to the level of similarity between the training context and the actual work environment. For example: Training a cashier for a retail store job will be considered as high fidelity if the trainees are trained with an actual cash register and with the help of pretend clients, instead of role-playing during training without acting clients or a cash register.
Other learning strategies include the organisation of learning into wholes and parts, utilization of advanced organizers, and the provision of valuable feedback.
• Whole Learning
Whole learning takes place when trainees/ employees are taught an entire task or concept at one time.
• Partial Learning
Partial learning occurs when a task is broken down into several manageable pieces. This aspect of learning has been found to be more effective for tasks that are more complex in nature in order to avoid overburdening the trainees.
• Advanced Organizers
The Advanced Organizers aspect of learning strategies entails the use of charts, graphs, or pictures to reduce the chances of overloading trainees as advanced organizers organize new information using familiar objects or memorable devices.
• Accurate and Timely Feedback
This is an essential part of the learning process. Trainees learn more effectively when they are given the freedom to make mistakes, receive feedback and correct their mistakes by analyzing and working on them.
Learning Outcomes
Employee training is essential to any job as it helps convey valuable information related to the skills and knowledge that are essential to an employee’s performance on the job. Training outcomes are not realized till trainees put their new learning and knowledge to essential use at the workplace.
Training Outcomes have been broadly classified into three categories:
• Cognitive based learning
This form of learning refers to acquiring job-relevant facts or knowledge and skills. For example: Employees at all fashion retail stores might memorize the names of the products that they are responsible for selling. They know exactly what size of apparel will make the perfect fit for a certain sized individual. Furthermore, they are made to memorize the material of the clothing, the offers that the brand is offering and other information pertaining to the store and the clothing present at the store.
• Skill-based Learning
This form of learning refers to process of acquiring the technical or motor skills required to carry out a particular job or task. For example: the employees working in the field of computers and technology will have to learn how to use a computer software correctly in order to carry out their tasks.
• Affective Learning
This form of learning refers to the generation of emotional attachments or beliefs that will motivate an employee to behave a certain way. An example of affective learning would be training new employees so they value the company’s product and carry out their job responsibilities in a way that is consistent with the company’s performance standards.
Building a Business Focused Training Strategy
Research fails to clearly state the process of creating a comprehensive strategy that is related to the business strategy via organisational competencies and capabilities. Research also fails to demonstrate the cause-and-effect relationship between training and business outcomes.
Practical Tips for Training Employees
• The initial training strategy should be aligned to the defined capabilities and competencies of the organization.
• Competency ratings data, training participation and performance data must be captured for every course of the training.
• The ROI must be calculated on a regular basis to show the constant impact of training strategies on the business.
• The effectiveness of the training strategy should be measured regularly.
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