Is Training the Best Way to Boost Employee Skills? Let's Explore How to Ensure Success

Is training the best method for developing the skills of an employee?

How can one ensure the success of training? How can the need be identified for training?

Hi,

Training is an effective way to enhance the skill sets and competencies of an employee. The advantage of training is that it is normally focused, and concentrated inputs are given to the trainees by an experienced facilitator, resulting in quicker learning and more sound techniques.

Identifying training needs correctly is a major precondition for effective training. This can be done by studying the annual appraisal reports of individuals, conducting personal interviews with employees, using a structured questionnaire filled in by the trainees and their superiors, etc. Tabulating the results will provide a fair idea of the training needs.

Ensuring the success of training is the toughest part. Some indicators of positive training results include studying the post-training performance of participants. A drop in the rate of mistakes, increased quality output, enhanced savings, positive feedback from superiors and peers, etc., are strong signs of the training's effectiveness.

I hope this reply motivates you to use training extensively.

Regards

Dear SRL,

This subject comes up for discussion time and again. Please refer to my previous comments:

- Roll / Duties of a HR Personnel in training
- Evaluating the effectiveness of training
- To work as a trainer
- "Honeymoon Effect" after training
- Parameters of Trainers' skills

Ok...

Dinesh V Divekar
Management & Behavioural Training Consultant
Bangalore - 560094

Training is the best method for developing skills. However, you need to determine which type of training the employee requires; training can be segregated in the following manner:

- Academic Training
- Job-related Training
- On-the-job Training

You also need to consider which type of skills the employee requires to develop, which are listed below:

- Technical Skills
- Soft Skills
- Knowledge-based Skills

All of the above requirements can be identified in two ways:

• Performance Appraisal System
• Training Needs Analysis

During the performance appraisal cycle, supervisors can identify their employees' areas of weakness and determine if they need soft, technical, or knowledge-based training. This determination can also depend on the method of evaluating performance and the period in which it is done.

On the other hand, the organization can decide to undertake a training needs analysis. This involves developing questionnaires and distributing them to department heads to fill in. Usually, this method provides more detailed information on the employees' training requirements.

It's up to your discretion as an HR professional and up to the departmental manager to decide the areas in which training is required and the best method for it. The only way to evaluate employees' training effectiveness is by assessing their performance and developing a questionnaire to determine how much of the acquired knowledge the employee has applied in their job.