With competition in the corporate world soaring high, it has become crucial for companies to identify the unique strengths and weaknesses of their employees to navigate the competitive landscape. And what better way to do so than by conducting training evaluation programs that could offer a 360-degree view of employees’ performance?
As per a study conducted by Middlesex University’s Institute for Work Based Learning, about 56% of managers consider training evaluation a potent growth enabler. But what exactly is the training program evaluation?
Training program evaluation is a comprehensive process of assessing whether or not your program produces efficient results. Research shows that in US alone, large companies spend over $19.7 billion annually on training programs.
Evaluating the training programs is necessary as it helps in collecting relevant information regarding change, skills, performance, and costs of training events. This information is then used to ensure accountability and compliance with the competency gaps, a prerequisite to guarantee unhindered growth.
Determining the Type of Evaluation
To design effective training programs, it is crucial to determine the type of assessment as it will clarify your goals and help you make informed decisions quickly. Similarly, it will also identify what components of the training program are working or not working. Most companies divide the process of evaluation into subjective and objective parts.
Subjective Evaluation
Subjective evaluation is carried out to assess the aspects of the training program that are complex and qualitative. Evaluators ask questions that are open-ended and might have more than one answer. Generally, the following things are assessed in subjective evaluation:
- Personality
- Attitude
- Social interaction
- Appearance
The rating is given as per the scale that ranges from poor to extraordinary, as opposed to objective evaluation where companies generally attach a numerical value to the criteria.
But what is the primary dividend of it?
Subjective evaluation enables employees to be more creative while thinking critically to construct their answers. Most importantly, it proves highly effective in jobs where productivity is more related to personality traits as opposed to technical skills and proficiency.
Objective Evaluation
Objective evaluation is far more straightforward in nature. In it, companies usually determine the outcomes of training by asking questions that have a single correct answer. They can ask the questions, such as:
- Are employees satisfied with the wage structure?
- Do they want to improve their skills?
- Are they motivated enough to work with you for another year?
These assessments enable companies to enhance the effectiveness of training programs and place the right men on the right job. These measures also give remarkable results in situations where each person can be evaluated directly and you can compare each employee’s performance to another one.
What is done with the data once it’s collected?
The data collected through the rigorous evaluation processes is measured and analyzed to know about the ins and outs of various aspects, including the behavior of participants, skill gaps, business goals, and outcomes of training program. The result of the analysis is then used to outline short-term and long-term businesses goals and overcome the training challenges before they even arise. This data primarily helps in:
- Supporting a change in the training environment
- Taking a birds-eye-view of the participants’ core competencies and weaknesses
- Identifying the tools that can increase the effectiveness of training programs
- Measuring the changes in revenue to know the financial impact of programs
In many cases, companies begin to see the positive effects of the evaluation in the initial phases. But it could also take longer than expected to see improvement as the values of certain parameters could change rapidly. The only solution to this problem is to keep conducting training sessions and evolve the evaluation methods accordingly.
