Post-training surveys have become standard practice for most organizations. You know the drill: After a training session that lasts several hours, you give your learners five minutes at the very end to rate the training in terms of whether they enjoyed it, whether they found it helpful, and what they thought of the instructor(s).
These surveys may not be the best indicator of how effective training was. The clearest indicator is how employees implement what they learned. These evaluations can be a terrific indicator of how engaged the participants were in the process (Hurix), if everyone completes the survey and tells the truth.
How many of you have been in such a hurry to get out of a training session and back to work that you gave every category a perfect score just to be done with it or because you knew and liked the instructor? Or, how many of you have been so irritated at having to participate in a training session that you gave it a low score out of spite? Believe it or not, these reactions are both very common (Management Library).
The best way to get the truth out of respondents when you ask them to rate a training is to make said training so engaging and pertinent that they’re just as invested in the feedback as they were in the process. If they take the training seriously, they’re far more likely to take the survey seriously. Better yet, using Jigsaw Interactive, you can get objective results on all levels and types of engagement through their Data Analytics Dashboard.
How would your employees rate your training? Generally their rating will be in direct correlation to:
Did the Training Meet the Audience’s Needs and Skills?
Training engagement starts even before the training itself (goFLUENT). Nobody is interested in taking training they feel is useless. If you want to engage your audience, do your research ahead of time. Who are the people coming to the training? Where do they currently sit in terms of job knowledge and proficiency? What do they think they need to learn? What are their media and technology preferences? The more you know, the more relevant you can make your training.
Was It Immersive, Interactive & Relevant?
Matt Archer, of Positive Results Custom Business Solutions, says, “Interactive training can help increase a learner’s […] involvement or commitment with the material and help them become more invested in the end result.” Hours of lectures and slide shows never hold anybody’s interest, but the more learners invest themselves in the process—the more they’re actually involved in their own learning via mental and physical activity—the more they care about what they learn (Positive Results).
Using a virtual training solution like Jigsaw Interactive, engagement and learner centered training is easy. With tools like multi-screen sharing and customizable break out rooms, trainers have an easy way to get everyone involved.
It’s vitally important to adopt a learner-centered mindset when designing training if the goal is to create and maintain engagement during training. Higher learning engagement translates to (Design Digitally):
- Higher success rates
- Better knowledge retention
- Increased performance
If you’re looking to see these outcomes but aren’t sure how to increase engagement in your virtual training, visit Jigsaw Interactive and understand the advantages of a true virtual learning environment that lets the learners own their learning in a way never seen before.
