Training evaluation form - main objective here to know if employees can apply what they have been trained

Hello Everyone, I have been asked to come up with a training evaluation form, the main objective here to know if employees can apply what they have been trained in their daily job activities. Can anyone help?

Dear Joyasuquo,

Before conducting the training programme, the training manager is expected to identify the need. Based on the need(s), the objectives of the training programmes are decided. The objectives could be any of the following:

a) To decrease the consumption of the resources
b) To decrease the turnaround time of some process
c) To increase or decrease some ratio or
d) To decrease some cost.

Whether the training programme fulfils any of the objectives mentioned in (a) to (d) above is the job of the HR/Training Manager. If there is a doubt on whether the employees can apply what they have been trained in their daily job activities or not, then why he/she should allow the training to be conducted at all?

Asking the participants whether the training programme fulfilled the objectives or not, is it not akin to putting the cart before the horse?

Please clarify what training programme you would like to conduct, who would be the participants, whether it will be conducted by the in-house trainer or an external trainer, whether the goal statement of the training programme has been decided etc.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Colleague,

I would like to share my thoughts on this.

The training evaluation form, however, nicely designed, may not be effective tool to know whether the participant can/ will apply what is learnt( if at all ) on the job or not.

Prior to knowing this, what is really important to know is whether any ' learning' has taken place and there are facilitating opportunities on the job provided with design to apply it.

Given above, the right source to find this out , in my view, is to know from the participant's immediate supervisor or close teammates, whether they have noticed discernible desired change in the behaviour/ performance delivery post- training. Again this is not foolproof as it is not objective method and can only be indicative perceptions of the source.

But in skill imparting training it can be known a bit objectively from the quantity produced, mistake reduction and quality improvement prior and post training.

Regards,

Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant