How Do You Measure Training Effectiveness? Seeking Formats and Questionnaires

Measuring Training Effectiveness

Can anybody tell me the ways to measure training effectiveness? If an organization is imparting training to its employees, then the effectiveness of the same should be judged, say after a month or so, by the immediate superior. Can anybody share a format or questionnaire for the same?

Regards

Training evaluation should be done after 3 months. Please see the attached format of TE.

Regards,
Yogesh

The first question you need to ask is, "Are the things you are training measurable?"

For example, if you are training sales staff in sales techniques, then yes, it is measurable. The effectiveness is measured by a consistent increase in sales. If management has set sales targets as part of the business plan, and staff are achieving those targets, then you have success.

Likewise, health and safety training will ideally result in a measurable reduction of workplace accidents, etc.

Where you will have problems is trying to measure the effectiveness of nebulous things like the so-called "soft skills."

I seriously doubt sending around a questionnaire after 3 months will achieve much. Based on previous experience, I suspect staff will tell you what you want to hear.

One of the well-documented problems with training is that people forget a lot of what they learned by the time they return to the office the following day. Training is only effective when the trainee goes back to the workplace and immediately implements what he/she has learned—and continues to use and build on that training.

Please follow the Kirkpatrick Level 2 evaluation. It is very effective.

Thank you.

John is correct with his observations.

Improving the Training Evaluation Form

The form attached by Yogesh can be improved a bit by adding the following:

1. In what area of your work did you implement your new skills?
2. Give an example of how the implementation of this new learning helped you and your team.
3. Now that you have implemented the new skill, did you find the training useful?

Members can add more questions to the above, but remember the answers to the questions should be quantifiable.

Ensuring Training Effectiveness

Another good way of ensuring that the training was effective is to make it a practice for those trained to train others in the organization.

In my previous organization, we went through the entire course for "Bullet Proof Manager," which stretched over two years with one topic taken up each month. The training was for managers only. We had to fill out forms indicating where and how we implemented our new skill and how it helped us and our function in improved effectiveness. We were also required to train our group members.

However, as John pointed out, seeing the effectiveness of "Soft Skills" training is not so easy and will be evident much later on. It is up to the organization to find ways and means to evaluate the effectiveness of such a course. This may branch off into a full-blown topic by itself.

As we evaluate all investments on ROI, training is also an investment in our employees, and we must evaluate the ROI. This evaluation also helps us to eliminate or repeat various training courses. We must start with simple evaluation techniques and gradually move on to better methods based on our experience.

I trust this adds a bit more to what others have said on the topic.

Best Regards,

One of the things I have tried in the past:

At the end of the training, I ask the trainees to write down how they will implement what they have learned at 9 a.m. the next morning when they get back to their desk. I also ask them to write down at least 3 bullet points about how the training will help them in their job and contribute to continuous improvement for both them, their job, and the organization as a whole.

After a month, the staff were interviewed with those sheets to see if they had implemented the training effectively and if it had improved their work. I am sure you can guess what the results of that were!

One of the side benefits is that it can show you where the gaps in the training are and ways to make the training more practical to meet the needs of the participants.

This is one reason why I am NOT in favor of "one size fits all" training. Sure, you can have a basic outline of the course you want to teach and outcomes you need to achieve, but every group of people is different and will have differing needs. I believe you can get more "buy-in" when you adapt the material to meet specific requirements.

For evaluation to be effective, the "INTENTIONS" have to be captured immediately after the training is imparted. For instance, let the participants declare:

- What concepts learned at the session will they apply in their area of work?
- How will they evaluate whether what they have applied is yielding results?
- In what time frame will they expect to see results?

Once this is done at the session, it is easy for the trainer to track with each participant on the committed dates, how they have applied the learning from the workshop/session. This method also promotes a feeling of commitment on the part of the participants, and they feel obliged to implement what they learn. Otherwise, just asking at the end of 3 months or 6 months doesn't enlist their commitment. What do you all think?

Please find attached files for the questionnaire.

Regards,
[Name Removed For Privacy Reasons]
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Dear Symphony, Have you measured the training effectiveness using the Kirkpatrick Level 2 evaluation in your company? If yes, would you mind sharing your experience? Why did you stop at just Level 2 and not scale upward to Level 4? Could you please elucidate?

Thanks,
Dinesh V Divekar

P.S. Please follow the Kirkpatrick Level 2 evaluation as it is very effective.

I have recently started working as a trainer with a company that focuses on integrating technology in schools. My profile includes creating training modules and providing product training to school teachers. The challenge I am facing is the time constraint. It is difficult to persuade teachers to dedicate a couple of hours to learn the technology and implement it effectively. In this situation, how can I measure the effectiveness of my training?

Ideally, the measurement of training effectiveness should be done after 3 months; however, it also depends on the type, duration, and other factors.

Also, below is the link for the questionnaire. I hope it will be helpful.
<link no longer exists - removed>

Dear Sneha, I have gone through your post. Please provide me with a little more information about your job or the product training you are referring to. During the training sessions, it is essential to focus on the benefits of using the product. Clearly specify what is increased or decreased as a result.

Distinguishing Between Training and Education

Additionally, it is important to distinguish between "training" and "education." Are you conducting the former or the latter? Calculating the Return on Investment (ROI) for education can be quite challenging.

Feel free to contact me on my mobile. However, please note that in the initial post of this thread, I have shared two links. I recommend reviewing them before reaching out to me. It is possible that after going through those links, your questions will be addressed.

Thank you,

Dinesh V Divekar

Thanks for the reply. You have quoted the point of education and training very well. Let me explain more about the product and my job.

In our traditional education system in schools, the use of laptops or interactive boards is still rare. Additionally, teachers are often reluctant to use these technologies as they are unfamiliar with them and fear using technology. My company has introduced software that aids students' learning through audio-visual methods. It also includes features that enable teachers to eliminate the use of paper and switch entirely to the software for all their tasks. Proper hardware such as an interactive board, a laptop, and a projector needs to be installed to support this software. My job primarily involves training teachers to use all of these tools.

I have created a module where my focus is on eliminating any apprehensions they may have. I then gradually move on to the basics, such as connecting a laptop to the projector. After that, I introduce them to the actual software, which contains the same textbook contents they use but with additional features like animations, creating question papers, taking attendance, quizzes, etc. To reinforce these concepts, I have designed activities that encourage interaction. My concern is whether all this effort will be effectively utilized. After school hours, teachers are often impatient to attend any training sessions. The most I can do is gather feedback, but how can I measure effectiveness within the time constraints?

P.S.: I am not certain if the effectiveness is measurable in this context as I am conducting such sessions for the first time.

Kindly help.

Dear Sneha, you may call me today after 1700 hours on my mobile ([Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]). We will discuss your challenges. Ok...

DVD

Dear Dinesh, thanks for the reply. You have quoted the point of education and training very well. Let me further explain the product and my job. In our traditional education system, the use of laptops or interactive boards in schools is still rare. Teachers are often hesitant to use them due to their unfamiliarity with the technology. My company has introduced software that facilitates student learning through audiovisual methods. Additionally, it includes features that allow teachers to transition from paper-based tasks to using the software entirely. To support this software, specific hardware such as interactive boards, laptops, and projectors needs to be installed. My role primarily involves training teachers on the use of this technology.

I have developed a training module that focuses on dispelling any apprehensions they may have initially. I then progress to teaching them the basics, such as connecting a laptop to a projector. Subsequently, I introduce them to the software, which contains textbook content, animations, and other features like creating question papers, taking attendance, and conducting quizzes. To reinforce their learning, I have designed activities that encourage interaction. My concern lies in ensuring that the effort put into training is effectively utilized. Teachers often show impatience towards training sessions after school hours. While I can gather feedback, measuring effectiveness within time constraints poses a challenge.

PS: I am unsure if the effectiveness of the training sessions can be measured since this is my first time conducting them.

Kindly help.

Please find attached the "Training Report," which was prepared during several In-House Training Programs conducted in my organization. It will cover the following aspects:

1. Training Schedule - List of Nominees from every Department, Topic, and Trainer Name
2. Training Attendance - Actual Presence
3. Trainee-wise Feedback Summary
4. Trainee Composite Result: Graphical Summary
5. Trainer Feedback Result: Graphical Summary
6. Post-Training Report

Hope the attachment solves your query up to a certain level.

Regards

Firstly, it is very important that training provided to employees is based on the competency skills in which they are lagging behind or which their managers feel are required. One can only measure the same maybe in a period of 2-3 months depending on the competencies that are mapped. You can create your own form to track the changes or improvements employees have discovered before and after training. Any changes in the work scenario or in the way they are working that have increased their productivity, etc.

This has been raised in previous posts. Please do take the initiative to search. However, please find attached the training effectiveness form contributed in previously posted threads.

Regards