Designing and Evaluating Designing and Evaluating Employee TrainingEmployee Training

Training is big business!Training is big business! Over 90% of US businesses have systematic Over 90% of US businesses have systematic

training programs.training programs. From 1971-1981, training was most commonly From 1971-1981, training was most commonly

cited intervention to improve productivitycited intervention to improve productivity The U.S. Civil Service Commission offers over 50 The U.S. Civil Service Commission offers over 50

training programs for reading alone!training programs for reading alone! In 1977, the DOD allocated $6 billion for military In 1977, the DOD allocated $6 billion for military

training effortstraining efforts In 1979, the cost of training a telephone operator In 1979, the cost of training a telephone operator

was $25,000/traineewas $25,000/trainee

The Ideal ProcessThe Ideal Process

TrainingTraining

PerformancePerformance

LearningLearning

A set of planned activities on the part of A set of planned activities on the part of the organization to increase job the organization to increase job knowledge or skill or to modify attitudes knowledge or skill or to modify attitudes and social behaviors in ways that are and social behaviors in ways that are consistent with organizational goals and consistent with organizational goals and objectivesobjectives

A relatively permanent change in A relatively permanent change in behavior that come through experience behavior that come through experience -- something that takes place inside the -- something that takes place inside the person, a change of some sortperson, a change of some sort

A response of some sort A response of some sort

good performance implies the correct good performance implies the correct responseresponse

Essential ProblemsEssential Problems Not all training leads to learningNot all training leads to learning

What was that all about?What was that all about? Some unintended learning may occurSome unintended learning may occur

shortcutsshortcuts Not all learning comes from trainingNot all learning comes from training

on-the-job, other jobson-the-job, other jobs Not all learning leads to good performanceNot all learning leads to good performance

motivation may be lackingmotivation may be lacking Some learning is out of dateSome learning is out of date

ex: using out-of-date programsex: using out-of-date programs

Needs AssessmentNeeds Assessment Organizational AnalysisOrganizational Analysis

what are our goals, resources, and what are our goals, resources, and environment?environment?

Task and KSA AnalysisTask and KSA Analysis what skills, knowledge, or attitudes are what skills, knowledge, or attitudes are

necessary for successful performance?necessary for successful performance? Determine via Job AnalysisDetermine via Job Analysis

Person AnalysisPerson Analysis which people do not currently possess the which people do not currently possess the

necessary KSAs to fill the organization’s necessary KSAs to fill the organization’s needs?needs?

Example – Organizational Example – Organizational AnalysisAnalysis

Motel 6Motel 6 good productgood product low pricelow price high volume high volume

Ritz-Carlton HotelRitz-Carlton Hotel high-qualityhigh-quality high pricehigh price loyal customersloyal customers

Other typical issues:Other typical issues: Do we care about employee morale, job Do we care about employee morale, job satisfaction, and life goals OR do we hire people and satisfaction, and life goals OR do we hire people and expect higher turnover?expect higher turnover?

What is our stance on sexual harassment? Do we What is our stance on sexual harassment? Do we invest time and $ in preventative programs? OR deal invest time and $ in preventative programs? OR deal with incidents on a case by case basis?? with incidents on a case by case basis??

Person Analysis – Who Person Analysis – Who needs needs

the training?the training? Current IncumbentsCurrent Incumbents

remedy problemsremedy problems performance evaluationsperformance evaluations

consistency: chronic vs. temporaryconsistency: chronic vs. temporary consensus: how many people have the same consensus: how many people have the same

problem?problem? distinctiveness: problems with one task or many?distinctiveness: problems with one task or many?

New HiresNew Hires prevent problemsprevent problems un-learn previous learningun-learn previous learning

On-the-Job Training – On-the-Job Training – Orientation SessionsOrientation Sessions

AdvantagesAdvantages usually positive usually positive

experience for experience for workersworkers

decreases decreases ambiguityambiguity

who to go to w/ who to go to w/ questionsquestions

DisadvantagesDisadvantages can be can be

overwhelmingoverwhelming boringboring too general or too too general or too

specificspecific

First couple of days; inform employee First couple of days; inform employee about policies, benefits, SOP, company about policies, benefits, SOP, company goalsgoals

On-the-Job Training – On-the-Job Training – CoachingCoaching

AdvantagesAdvantages non-threateningnon-threatening immediate immediate

feedbackfeedback inexpensiveinexpensive

DisadvantagesDisadvantages relies on diligence of relies on diligence of

supervisor / coworkersupervisor / coworker little control over little control over

consistency of adviceconsistency of advice

Informal feedback or advice from Informal feedback or advice from coworkers or supervisorscoworkers or supervisors

On-the-Job Training – On-the-Job Training – ApprenticeshipsApprenticeships

AdvantagesAdvantages thoroughthorough applicableapplicable certification of certification of

completioncompletion standardizedstandardized

DisadvantagesDisadvantages may be too may be too

programmed for programmed for people who are people who are slower / fasterslower / faster

Formal training programs of set duration Formal training programs of set duration for skilled tradesfor skilled trades often include classroom componentoften include classroom component

On-the-Job Training On-the-Job Training – Mentors– Mentors

AdvantagesAdvantages helps reduce helps reduce

ambiguityambiguity provides source of provides source of

formal / informal formal / informal informationinformation

can help develop can help develop personal bondspersonal bonds

DisadvantagesDisadvantages totally dependent totally dependent

on effort of on effort of mentor / mentor / mentoree mentoree (mentee?)(mentee?)

usually only with usually only with upper level jobsupper level jobs

may be no may be no “connection”“connection”

Assigned advisor who guides employee Assigned advisor who guides employee through personal and professional through personal and professional challengeschallenges

On-the-Job Training – On-the-Job Training – Job RotationJob Rotation

AdvantagesAdvantages decreases boredomdecreases boredom increases increases

knowledge of whole knowledge of whole company company functioningfunctioning

increases staffing increases staffing flexibilityflexibility

increases job increases job communicationcommunication

DisadvantagesDisadvantages very costly and very costly and

time consumingtime consuming undesirability of undesirability of

certain jobscertain jobs pay differentials of pay differentials of

jobsjobs

Individuals try out a number of different Individuals try out a number of different jobs in the organizationjobs in the organization

On-the-Job Training – Local On-the-Job Training – Local ExpertExpert

AdvantagesAdvantages cost effectivecost effective fastfast easyeasy personalpersonal

DisadvantagesDisadvantages takes expert away takes expert away

from other dutiesfrom other duties expert may resent expert may resent

the job and the job and additional additional responsibilityresponsibility

Person in office/department is designated Person in office/department is designated as the “problem consultant”as the “problem consultant”

Simulation TrainingSimulation Training

AdvantagesAdvantages can teach complex can teach complex

behavior in non-behavior in non-threatening threatening environmentenvironment

allow for practiceallow for practice provides high provides high

fidelityfidelity

DisadvantagesDisadvantages can be quite can be quite

costlycostly trainees know it’s trainees know it’s

not realnot real

A work-like environment that replicate crucial A work-like environment that replicate crucial features of the real work environmentfeatures of the real work environment

Equipment / Machine Simulator (ex: flight Equipment / Machine Simulator (ex: flight simulator)simulator)

Simulators – Social / Simulators – Social / Interpersonal SimulatorsInterpersonal Simulators

AdvantagesAdvantages can teach new can teach new

skillsskills can teach can teach

organizational organizational expectationexpectation

can provide can provide examples of examples of correct behaviorcorrect behavior

non-threatening non-threatening environmentenvironment

DisadvantagesDisadvantages can be costly / can be costly /

time-consumingtime-consuming employee reactions employee reactions

to “games”to “games” relies on employee relies on employee

motivationmotivation may emphasize may emphasize

acting more than acting more than problem solvingproblem solving

role playing; business games; modeling; role playing; business games; modeling; incident methodincident method

Transfer of Training – Ultimate Transfer of Training – Ultimate Goal Goal

Maximize similarity between training situation Maximize similarity between training situation and job situationand job situation

Provide as much experience as possible with Provide as much experience as possible with task being taughttask being taught

Provide a variety of examples when teaching Provide a variety of examples when teaching concepts or skillsconcepts or skills

Identify important features of taskIdentify important features of task Make sure general principles are understoodMake sure general principles are understood Reward transfer of trainingReward transfer of training Ensure trainees can see applicability of Ensure trainees can see applicability of

training to their jobtraining to their job

Evaluation of TrainingEvaluation of Training Reaction CriteriaReaction Criteria

face validityface validity impressions of traineesimpressions of trainees

Learning CriteriaLearning Criteria how much was learned how much was learned

Behavioral CriteriaBehavioral Criteria how much was transferred to the jobhow much was transferred to the job did behavior change?did behavior change?

Results CriteriaResults Criteria measure of organizational payoffmeasure of organizational payoff did sexual harassment decline?did sexual harassment decline?

Validity of TrainingValidity of Training Training validityTraining validity

did the trainees learn?did the trainees learn? Transfer validityTransfer validity

did the trainees transfer what was learned did the trainees transfer what was learned to their job?to their job?

Intra-organizational validityIntra-organizational validity is the training program equally good for is the training program equally good for

different groups of employees within the different groups of employees within the same organization?same organization?

Inter-organizational validityInter-organizational validity is the training program equally effective in is the training program equally effective in

other organizations?other organizations?

LocalLocalValueValue

GeneralGeneralValueValue

Summary of Training Summary of Training ResearchResearch

““By and large, the By and large, the training and development training and development literature is voluminous, literature is voluminous, non-empirical, non-non-empirical, non-theoretical, poorly theoretical, poorly written, and dull … it is written, and dull … it is faddish to the extreme.”faddish to the extreme.”

(J. P. Campbell, 1971) (J. P. Campbell, 1971)

Why?Why?

Field dominated by practitionersField dominated by practitioners Many training procedures arise from an Many training procedures arise from an

emergencyemergency Training programs have always been Training programs have always been

dominated by fads and fashionsdominated by fads and fashions Despite lots of training, very little theory to Despite lots of training, very little theory to

permit building on existing knowledgepermit building on existing knowledge Effects of training not assessedEffects of training not assessed Many factors contribute to the success of Many factors contribute to the success of

training besides the program itselftraining besides the program itself trainee motivationtrainee motivation trainer expectations of successtrainer expectations of success

Evaluation of Training Evaluation of Training Programs: The Solomon Programs: The Solomon

Four-Group DesignFour-Group Design GroupGroup BeforeBefore TrainingTraining AfterAfter Experimental Experimental MeasureMeasure TrainTrain MeasureMeasure Control 1Control 1 MeasureMeasure PlaceboPlacebo Measure Measure Control 2Control 2 No measureNo measureTrainTrain Measure Measure Control 3Control 3 No measureNo measureNo trainingNo training MeasureMeasure

Control 1 – tests for effects of trainingControl 1 – tests for effects of training Control 2 – tests for effects of pretestControl 2 – tests for effects of pretest Control 3 – tests for history effectsControl 3 – tests for history effects

Current Trendy Training Current Trendy Training TopicsTopics

Diversity TrainingDiversity Training promoting intercultural promoting intercultural

sensitivitysensitivity

Sexual Harassment Sexual Harassment TrainingTraining recognizing sexual recognizing sexual

harassmentharassment preventing SHpreventing SH