Module 9: Designing & Evaluating Training Systems

Training

A planned effort by an organization to help employees learn job-related behavior.

Selection

Getting good performance by hiring people who already have the needed KSAs (the alternative to training them).

Proactive training

Teaching knowledge and skills that are not needed now but will be needed in the future (e.g., AT&T preparing employees five years ahead).

ATK

Missile propellant maker that hires excellent engineers and trains them because it can't find engineers with its niche experience.

Total U.S. spending on training

More than $164 billion per year (ASTD, 2013).

Average amount organizations spend on training

2.14% of payroll, or about $1,195 per employee (ASTD, 2013).

Netflix

Company that gives no organization-sponsored training; it hires experienced, self-motivated people and leaves development to them.

Palace Hotel

Hotel in Inverness, Scotland that values training so much it is written into its mission statement.

Needs analysis

The process of determining the training needs of an organization; the FIRST step in developing a training system.

Arthur, Bennett, Edens, & Bell (2003)

Meta-analysis showing training is more effective when a needs assessment is done first.

Three types of needs analysis

Organizational, task, and person analysis (in this order).

Organizational analysis

Determines the organizational factors (goals, money, space, time, employee readiness) that either help or block training.

Methods of organizational analysis

Establishing goals and objectives, economic analysis, personpower analysis and planning, climate and attitude surveys, resource analysis.

AT&T business center example

Managers refused to let employees train 'on the clock' because of layoffs and more business, so expensive new programs sat on the shelf.

Employee readiness for training

Whether employees are willing and able to be trained; after layoffs and no raises for three years, employees were 'not in the mood.'

Task analysis

Identifies the duties employees perform, the conditions under which they are done, and the KSAs needed, then decides how each duty is learned.

Most common task analysis methods

Interviews, observations, and task inventories.

Person analysis

Identifies which employees need training and in which areas, and checks their readiness.

Applebee's

Restaurant chain that tests management trainees on essential tasks and ends training once they show proficiency.

Five methods of person analysis

Performance appraisal scores, surveys, interviews, skill and knowledge tests, critical incidents.

Performance appraisal score

A rating of some aspect of an employee's work performance; perhaps the easiest way to find who needs training.

Problems with using performance appraisal scores for needs analysis

(1) Rating errors such as leniency and strictness, (2) averages hide the few low scorers, (3) the system may not give specific enough information.

Surveys

Questionnaires asking employees the areas in which they feel they need training.

Advantages of surveys

No rating errors; employees know their own strengths and weaknesses; works even without a good appraisal system.

Disadvantages of surveys

Employees may not be honest; the organization may not afford the training employees ask for.

Better way to survey training needs

Give employees a list of tasks to rate, then have supervisors 'validate' the ratings to set priorities.

Interviews

Needs analysis method that gives in-depth answers and reveals feelings, but whose data are hard to quantify and analyze.

Skill test

A test that measures how well an employee can actually perform some job-related task (e.g., free-throw shooting for a basketball player).

Knowledge test

A test that measures how much an employee knows about a job-related topic.

Using skill and knowledge tests for needs analysis

If everyone scores low, train the whole organization; if only a few do, train them individually. Biggest problem: few ready-made tests exist.

Critical incidents

Incidents are sorted into dimensions and into good vs. poor performance; dimensions with many poor examples need training.

Establishing goals and objectives

The second step after needs analysis; it decides the resources, training methods, and evaluation methods.

Mager (1997)

Objectives should state what learners will do, the conditions under which they do it, and the level at which they do it.

Four parts of a goal statement

Action word, item, condition, standard.

Example of a complete goal statement

'Balance the teller drawer without assistance in 30 minutes with no errors.'

Goals must be realistic for the time and money available

With only 4 hours of conflict training, aim to have trainees identify causes of conflict, not mediate conflicts.

Three categories of training methods

Classroom setting, distance learning, on-the-job learning.

Classroom training methods

Lecture, case study, simulation, role play, behavior modeling, video/DVD.

Distance learning methods

Printed materials, video/DVD, interactive video, podcast, webinar, webcast.

On-the-job learning methods

Modeling, job rotation, apprentice training, coaching, mentoring, performance appraisal.

Lawson (2000)

The best programs use a variety of methods so employees know why, how, and when to do a task.

Lecture

Training method good for providing knowledge but not for teaching skills unless paired with simulation or role-play.

Preparation time for 1 hour of new training

Zemke: 30 hours; Diekmann: 50 hours; textbook author: 16 hours.

Nichols & Stevens (1957)

People ***************************** content after leaving the room and another 25% within 48 hours.

Contents of training handouts

Cover sheet, goals and objectives, schedule, trainer bio, notes, activity sheets, references, evaluation form.

Case study

Employees, usually in a group, are given a real or hypothetical workplace problem and asked to propose the best solution.

Living case

A case study based on a real situation rather than a hypothetical one (used by General Electric).

Owenby (1992)

Written like a story, with dialogue and realistic details, easy to follow, has all needed information, and is challenging.

Characteristics of a good case study

Teach the principles before the case, use them during, and reinforce them after. Allen & Connelly (2005).

Simulation

Places a person in a situation similar to the real job so they can practice without the consequences of mistakes.

To work, a simulation must match actual job conditions in these two ways.

Physically and psychologically.

Meta-analysis

Employees trained with simulations learned and retained more than those trained with lecture or reading. Sitzmann (2011).

Role-play

Employees act out simulated roles; best for practicing interpersonal skills.

Playing the 'other person'

Role-play variation in which the employee acts out the other side (e.g., a clerk plays the angry customer).

Two ways to reduce employees' discomfort about acting in role-plays.

Warm-up exercises and praise.

Real play

Practicing skills on actual customers instead of acting (Farber, 1994).

Behavior modeling

Employees observe correct behavior, practice it, and receive feedback; one of the most successful training methods.

Learning points

In behavior modeling, the behaviors or rules to follow to solve a problem.

Steps of behavior modeling

Discuss the problem → watch video models → mentally rehearse → role-play with feedback → play the other person → discuss using it on the job.

Specific vs. generic skills

Calming a customer angry about a bounced check vs. calming any angry customer.

Two models beat one

But adding a negative (wrong) model is no better than two positive models. Russ-Eft & Zucchelli (1987).

Most training is optional

And 10% happens on the employee's own time. Galvin (2003).

Ways to motivate employees to ATTEND training

Relate it to the job, make it interesting, increase buy-in, provide incentives, provide food, reduce the stress of attending.

'Just in time, not just in case'

Give training right before employees need it, not on the chance they might someday need it.

Employees given a choice

Were most motivated; those given a choice but denied their pick were the LEAST motivated. Baldwin, Magjuka, & Loher (1991).

Microsoft's points-for-rewards program

Raised voluntary training participation by 2,000%. 'Ready, Set, Go'.

Three ways to deliver training

Classroom, distance learning, and on the job.

In-house trainers

Used when training is given too often to justify an outside trainer, or the topic is too company-specific.

External trainers

Used when company staff lack the expertise or building the program costs more ($2,500/day vs. $25,000 to develop).

Local colleges and universities

Lower costs, good facilities, known faculty, college credit; best when only a few employees need technical or leadership training.

On-site vs. off-site training

Training at the workplace is cheaper; training at a hotel or resort helps concentration and can be a reward.

Distributed learning

Presenting training in small chunks spread over time; leads to better learning.

Massed practice

Concentrating learning into a short period of time, like cramming the night before an exam.

Three audience factors a trainer considers

Size, demographics, and ability.

Mixed-ability audience

The toughest audience for a trainer; most trainers handle it with a moderate pace.

Self-efficacy

Believing you can perform well.

Recommended training schedule

A 10-minute break every hour and 1½ hours for lunch.

Types of icebreakers

Introductions, jokes or stories, activities, open-ended questions, free writes.

Three considerations in choosing an icebreaker

The goal, the length of the session, and the nature of the audience.

Goals of icebreakers

Get people to know each other, get them talking, wake them up, get them thinking about the topic.

What to add to a seminar when the material is a complicated skill

Practice or role-play.

What to add to a seminar when the material is not complicated but is visual

Visual aids.

What to add to a seminar when employees' feelings about the material matter

Discussion.

What a trainer should do when they don't know the answer to a question

Don't bluff; find out later or ask the audience.

Distance learning

Training that lets employees learn at their own pace, time, and place instead of all together in a classroom.

Asynchronous technologies

Distance learning completed at the employee's own pace and at a time of their choosing.

Synchronous technologies

Distance learning where everyone trains at the same time and pace, though in different places.

Life of Virginia

Insurance company: 7 self-paced modules for 1,000+ agents; sales +25%, turnover −10%.

Interactive video

The employee watches a situation, chooses a response, and sees what happens next (e.g., H. E. Butt Grocery food safety).

Captain D's Seafood

Spent $2 million on computer-based training in 350 restaurants; mystery-shopper ratings rose 4%.

FedEx

1,200+ interactive video units in 700 locations; customer contact training cut from 32 to 8 hours.

Learning portal

A website containing many e-courses (e.g., TrainSeek.com).

Programmed instruction

Training method in which employees learn information at their own pace, in small units, with active involvement.

Three learning principles behind programmed instruction

Self-paced, active involvement, small units (chunks).

Allen et al. (2004)

Test scores in distance learning classes were no different from traditional classes.

Webinar

INTERACTIVE training transmitted over the Internet.

Webcast

ONE-WAY, non-interactive training transmitted over the Internet.

Teleconference

Trainees view slides on their computer while the trainer does the audio by phone.

Blog

A website where the host posts commentaries that readers can respond to.

Wiki

Web pages that users create and readers can freely edit.