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Chapter 8 Designing and Evaluating Training Systems  Training A planned effort by an organization to facilitate the learning of job-related behavior on the part of its employees. -Is based on the recognition that not every employees need training in which areas. DETERMINING TRAINING NEEDS  -Should...

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Chapter 8 Designing and Evaluating Training Systems

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Training A planned effort by an organization to facilitate the learning of job-related behavior on the part of its employees.

-Is based on the recognition that not every employees need training in which areas.

DETERMINING TRAINING NEEDS 

-Should also include an evaluation of an employee’s readiness for the training.

Need analysis The process of determining the training needs of an organization.

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Organizational Analysis The process of determining the organizational factors that will either facilitate or inhibit training effectiveness.

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Task Analysis Identifies the task performed by each, the conditions under which these tasks are performed, and the competencies needed for the task under specified conditions.

Person analysis -The process of identifying the employees who need training and determining the areas in which each individual employee needs to be trained

-To determine the individual training needs for each employee, person analysis uses performance appraisal scores, surveys, and interview, skill and knowledge tests. Performance appraisal score - a rating representing some aspect of an employee’s work performance; The easiest method of needs analysis Surveys- questionnaires asking employees about the areas in which they feel they need training; Common approach to determine training needs is to design and administer a survey that asks employees what knowledge and skills they believe should be included in future training. Interviews - third method of needs analysis • Which usually done with a selected number of employees. • Interviews are not used as extensively as surveys, but they can yield even more in-depth answers to questions about training needs. • Interview yields more in-depth answers to questions about training needs- but data are difficult to quantify and analyze Critical Incidents - dimensions of good and poor performance Skills and Knowledge tests • •

Skill test- a test that measures an employee’s level of some job related skill. Knowledge test- a test that measures the level of an employee’s knowledge about a job related topic.

ESTABLISHING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

It is only effective if it physically and psychologically simulates actual job conditions

What does the organization wants to accomplish? •

Practicing Interpersonal Skills Through Role-Play Role play allows trainee to perform necessary interpersonal skills by acting out simulated roles. It can be challenging to make employees participate in roleplaying because it is sometimes perceived as “embarrassing.” This reluctance can be reduced by warm up exercises or praising employees after they participate

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Increasing Interpersonal Skills Through Behavior Modeling Behavior Modeling- A training technique in which employees observe correct behavior, practice that behavior and then receive feedback about their performance. Learning points- begins with a discussion of a problem, why it occurred, and the employee behaviors necessary to correct the problem.

Must state the following (Mager, 1997): • • •

What learners are expected to do The conditions under which they are expected to do it The level at which they are expected to do it

Goal statements should: Include an action word, an item, a condition, a standard Example: • By the end of this training session, you will be able to answer (action word) customer questions about loan rates (item) without asking others (condition) 90% of the time (standard). CHOOSING THE BEST TRAINING METHODS Classroom Setting • Using Lectures to Provide Knowledge - It can take a great deal of time and very effective to obtain knowledge - The trainer must research a topic, develop a training outline, create visuals, create handouts, and create supporting materials - The trainers prepare in a long period of time for the every hour of training • -

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Using Case Studies to apply knowledge A training technique which employees, usually in a group are presented with a real or hypothetical workplace problem and are asked to propose the best solution Good sources for developing analysis, synthesis and evaluation skills. Taken from actual situations Must be interesting Using Simulation Exercises to Practice New Skills Simulation Exercises - allow trainee to practice newly learned skills; allow trainee to work with equipment used in actual working conditions without the consequences of mistakes.

Motivating employees to attend training • Relate the training to an employee’s immediate job • Make the training interesting • Increase Employee buy-in • Provide incentives. • Provide food • Reduce the stress associated with attending. DELIVERING THE TRAINING PROGRAM Conducting Classroom Training On-site training less expensive Off-site training getting the employees away from the work site and allowing them concentrate on their training. Disturbed Learning/ Practice- training material should be presented in small, easily remembered chunks distributed over a period of time. Massed Learning/ Practice- concentrating learning into a short period of time.

Preparing for Classroom Training • Adjusting for the audience. A trainer must consider the size, demographics, and ability of the audience. Delivering the Training Program • Introducing the trainer and the training session • Using Icebreakers and Energizers • Delivering the presentation

Conducting Training Through Distance Learning TWO BROAD CATEGORIES: • Asynchronous – employees can complete training at their own pace and at a time of their choosing. • Synchronous – require employees to complete the training at the same time and at the same pace, although they may be in different physical locations. Asynchronous Distance Learning Employees are provided with media materials for learning the content, as well as with a series of exams that measure what they have learned from them. Information can be provided to the employee in a variety of ways including; - printed materials - Videos - DVDs - Web-based programs Interactive Video – a training technique in which an employee is presented with a videotaped situation and then receives feedback based on the response. Programmed Instruction – a training method in which employees learn information at their own pace.  First learning – self-paced, each trainee proceeds at his own pace  Second learning – each training is actively involved in the learning.  Third learning – presents information in small units or chunks, because learning smaller

amounts of material is easier than learning larger amounts. Synchronous Distance Learning Many training programs are conducted live where the trainer communicates to an audience. Fast-growing sources of synchronous distance learning are teleconferences: Webinars (short for web-based seminar) – interactive training method in which training is transmitted over the internet. Webcast – a noninteractive training method in which the trainer transmits training information over the Internet. Interactive, online communities of learning: Blog – a website in which the host regularly posts commentaries on a topic that readers can respond to. Wiki – a collection of web pages in which users can create web pages on a topic ad readers can freely edit those pages. Listserv – a program that automatically distributes email messages to a group of people who have a common interest . Conducting On-the-Job Training Learning by Modeling Others Also called social learning. Modeling – is a vitally important method of learning for training in organizations. Modeling – learning through watching and imitating the behavior of others. Characteristics of the Model – for modeling to be effective, the appropriate role models for employees should be similar to them in significant ways. Characteristics of the Observer – for an employee to model another’s behavior, three conditions are necessary: • First – the employee must pay attention to the behavior of other employees. • Second – the employee must be able to retain the information that is being modeled. • Third – the employee must have the ability or skill to reproduce the behavior that is seen.

Learning Through Job Rotation Employee performs several different jobs within an organization. Popular for managerial training Commonly used to train nonmanagerial employees Main advantage is that it allows for both lateral transfers within an organization and greater flexibility in replacing absent workers Cross-training – teaching employees how to perform tasks traditionally performed by other employees. Job rotation can improve job satisfaction by reducing boredom that often comes with a task-repetitive job. Learning Through Apprentice Learning Apprentice Learning – a training program usually found in the craft and building trades, in which employees combine formal coursework with formal on-the-job training. - an individual takes a minimum of 144 hours of formal class work each year and works with an expert for several (usually four) years to learn a particular trade and perhaps become eligible to join a trade union. Apprenticeships are good for both the apprentice and the organization. Learning Through Coaching and Mentoring Coaching – another popular method of training new employees and typically takes one of two forms: 1) experienced employees working with new employees, 2) professional coaches who work with all employees I. Experienced Employees as Coaches – a new employee is assigned to an experienced employee, who is told to “show the kid the ropes.” Coaching has problems Good workers are not necessarily good trainers, and good trainers are not necessarily good workers. It diminishes the expert’s productivity Pass-through programs – in which experienced workers are temporarily assigned to the training department. These workers are taught training techniques and then

spend several months training new employees before resuming their old jobs. II.Professional Coaches - “corporate coaches” - Similar to consultants yet, they are hired to coach a particular employee, usually a manager. - They also help employees identify strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and solve problems Mentoring Mentoring – is a form of coaching that has recently received much attention. Mentor – a veteran in the organization who takes a special interest in a new employee and helps him not only to adjust to the job but also advance in the organization. Performance Appraisal One of the major uses for employee performance evaluation is training. • One excellent method of on-the-job training is to have a supervisor meet with an employee to discuss his strengths and weaknesses on the job. • As pointed by Kirkpatrick, three factors account for the difficulty of using performance appraisal for both training and determining raises and promotions, 1) The focus on salary administration is on past behavior, whereas the focus for training is on future behavior. 2) Performance appraisal for salary administration often is subjective and emotional, whereas such appraisal for training is objective and unemotional. 3) Salary administration looks at over all performance, whereas training looks at detailed performance. •

MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES TO LEARN DURING TRAINING Providing Incentives for Learning

Employees motivated to learn perform better in training than their less motivated counterparts. This motivation to learn is often related to the perception that there is an incentive to learning. Types of incentives that can be used to motivate: • Money • Job security • Self-improvement • Advancement • Fun • Opportunity to enter new career Skill-based pay • Common financial incentive method • Compensating an employee who participates in a training program designed to increase a particular job- related skill. Four common skill-based pay plan: 1. Vertical skill plans 2. Horizontal skill plans 3. Depth skill plans 4. Basic skill plans Interest Employees will be more motivated to learn when training program is interesting. •

Feedback Providing employees with specific information about how well they are performing a tasks or series of tasks. -Negative feedbacks Telling employees what they are doing incorrectly in order to improve their performance of a task STRATEGIES FOR ENSURING TRANSFER OF TRAINING Use Realistic Training Programs • Research in learning has indicated that the more similar the training situation is to the actual job situation, the more effective training will be. (Aamodt, 2016) Training research shows that it is easier for people to more actively engage with training when they see specific purposes for the challenges of learning, practicing, using feedback to improve, and applying what they learn. Relevance creates an environment for training to transfer to the workplace. (Shank,2017)

1. Have Opportunities to Practice Work-Related Behavior During the Training • Transfer of training is increased by having the trainee practice the desired behavior as much as possible. • Overlearning – Practicing a task even after it has been mastered in order to retain learning. Driskell, Willis, and Cooper (1992) found that overlearning had a significant and positive effect on long-term retention for both physical and cognitive tasks. Overlearning increases the length of time training material is retained; if training involves learning a skill, then employees should be asked to demonstrate the skill even after they have reached some initial mastery level. 2. Provide employees with the Opportunity to Apply their Training • Employees are more likely to be given opportunities to perform what they learned if their supervisor perceives them to be competent and the organizational climate is supportive (Baldwin & Ford, 1998; Ford et al., 1992) 3. Ensure Management is Supportive of the Training • An important factor in employee motivation to apply training is the atmosphere set by management. That is, employees are most likely to apply their new knowledge and skills if supervisors encourage them to do so. • Learning and improvement should be celebrated in the workplace, and managers should take an interest in the progress that their staffs are making in their training. 4. Have Employees set Goals • The use of knowledge and skills learned in training can also be encouraged by having employees set goals. Goals must… -align with the organization’s goals/mission. -be framed in time, with clear beginning and ending points. -be supported by rewards. -be achievable. EVALUATION OF TRAINING RESULTS Research Designs for Evaluation

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Two factors: Practicality Experimental Rigor The most simple and practical of research designs implements a training program and then determines whether significant changes happen (Pretest-Training-Posttest).  Pretest- is taken before the implementation of training.  Posttest- is taken after the training program is complete.  Control Group- is used to overcome the possible problems that might affect the research.  Control Group- these people will be tested and treated like experimental group but will not receive training. • Experimental Group: Pretest*Training*Posttest • Control Group: Pretest*No training*Posttest  • • • •

Solomon Four-Groups Design Group 1= No pretest*Training*Posttest Group 2= Pretest*Training*Posttest Group 3= Pretest*Training*Posttest Group 4= No pretest*Training*Posttest

(6) Evaluation Criteria  Content Validity- comparing KSAO  Employee Reactions  Employee Learning  Application of Learning-the extent to which employees actually can use the learned material.  Business Impact-determining whether the goals of the training met  Return on Investment- the amount of money an organization makes after subtracting the cost of training or other interventions. • Did the organization actually save money? • Did they actually benefit from it?...