3 Tips to get more effect (and ROI) out of a training

Are you thinking of sending your employees on a training? Or maybe ask them to follow an e-learning course?

Often training is quite an investment. So what can you do to make sure the effect of the training doesn’t wear off and you get the change you are looking for?

As I’ve explained here a training itself often doesn’t lead to change. For a training to have an effect, your employees need to use what they’ve learnt at their jobs. Using the new knowledge and skills at their jobs isn’t something the training can teach them. It is something that you need to facilitate within your organisation.

What can you do? 3 Tips to get more effect out of your training
There is no ‘silver bullet’ to make a work environment ‘learn friendly’, but there are some things you could do to improve the effect of the training. Here are three facts and tips to help you along.

Fact 1: Most of what your employees learn in a (formal) training, they will forget within 3 weeks or less if they don’t use it.
-> What you can do: Make sure your employees use their knowledge and skills immediately after the training, instead of after two weeks or more. Plan the training right before your employees are going to use the new knowledge and skills. Preferably have them use their new knowledge and skills the day after the training.

Remember they forget

Most of what your employees learn in a (formal) training, they will forget within 3 weeks or less if they don’t use it.

Fact 2: The best way to improve a skill is a combination of deliberate practice and receiving feedback, where ideally that feedback comes from someone with an expert eye. And where the feedback is perceived as directed toward the task and not as personal criticism.
-> What you can do: Let the learning continue at the workplace, instead of having your employees follow a training and not getting any support after that. For example arrange for an expert to give feedback to your employees while they’re using their new skills. Having an expert available will also give your employees the chance to ask questions and learn even more. They will need feedback or else there’s the risk they’ll make mistakes and will keep making them, because nobody points them out.

Fact 3: Research has found that one of the most important factors in translating formal learning into improved performance is the expectation set by managers before the training takes place.
-> What you can do: Before the training; set and communicate a goal or multiple goals, so your employees know what it is they are working towards. This will also help you evaluate the effect of the training.

My advice? Implement these three tips and you will increase the effect of any training.

Still didn’t get the change you are looking for?
Did you implement the above tips and still have the feeling, or the hard numbers to prove it, that you aren’t reaching the goals you set before the training? Then, there might be roadblocks or hurdles that prevent, or demotivate your employees from implementing what they’ve learnt.

The lack of results is often a good indication the new knowledge and skills aren’t used (in the right way).

Reasons your employees aren’t using what they’ve learnt could be:

  • Overwhelmed, don’t know where to start
  • Hard time convincing colleagues to use a new methodology
  • No time
  • Not a priority
  • They’re using it in the wrong way, because they don’t get feedback
  • Not motivated to use it

I’d love to help you find out what is blocking the flow of learning and how to smoothen the ride. Not only to get more effect out of one particular training, but to get more effect out of any training your employees follow.

Contact me to book a consultation and have a chat about the possibilities.