closing the gap from employee training to proficiency
TRANSCRIPT
From Training to Employee Proficiency
By Jason Silberman, Lead Author Training Station
In 1885, German psychologist Herman Ebbinghaus conducted a landmark study and coined the term "forgetting curve." He found that when people are exposed to an idea one time, after 30 days they retain only about 20%
of what they learned. That explains why so much training doesn't stick, and why companies are throwing a staggering amount of money down the drain.
1. How do we ensure that employees properly apply what they have learned during training sessions?
2. How can we make sure that what we are teaching in training is directly relevant to an employee’s daily work?
Focus on the “HOW” by giving practical task-based scenarios
Practice Makes Perfect: Provide opportunities to learners to participate and be involved
Set Standards and Expectations – design clear objectives for employees to achieve
If the training sessions have been developed properly, specific and measurable training objectives will be easily analyzed to determine what knowledge has been absorbed and where there remains room for improvement.
Quick application directly ties training to performance, it aids managers in assessing the training results fast and it learners to get a real grip of the information they learned throughout the preparation sessions. There's no reason to let time pass by, as any gaps should be filled in as quick as possible.
A relatively easy way in which employers can understand what needs to be done to improve things around is to get their feedback. This can be done directly and on an individual basis, both after the training has ended as well as at regular intervals of time.
Aside from the initial training success assessment that you get from the employee feedback, it's very important to monitor their skills closely throughout the immediate time period. Generally, results fail to show up immediately, so it's better for employers to monitor their workers over a long period of time.
Technology represents the easiest way to get employees on the right track, and if used properly, they can boost an organization's performance in a very short period of time. Social tools, online videos and webinars, and performance support technology is more diverse and available than ever.
Post-training performance support tools provide immediate and independent assistance, within the flow of work, helping employees to successfully perform any task, no matter how complex.
