Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The process that links the human resource needs of an organization to its strategic plan to ensure
that staffing is sufficient, qualified, and competent enough to achieve the organization's objectives.
HR planning is becoming a vital organizational element for maintaining a competitive advantage and
reducing employee turnover.
Definition: The Human Resource Planning is the process of finding the right
number of people for the right kind of a job, at a right time and the right place,
by forecasting the organizations demand for and supply of human resources in
the near future.
In other words, Human Resource Planning is responsible for arranging the right
people for the right job from all the available sources. And not only this, it also
anticipates the vacancy arising due to the promotion, transfer, retirement,
termination, of an employee and thus, plans for the manpower accordingly.
Immediate filling of vacancies reduces the idle time caused due to an employee
turnover, and hence the functioning of the business process remains unaffected.
The Human Resource Planning should not focus only on filling the vacant
positions, but should emphasize on hiring the right person for the right job. It
also focuses on developing the skills of an existing employee through an
interactive training program, with the intention to make them well equipped
with the skills required in the future, for the attainment of the organizations
objectives.
Developing a Human Resource Plan
Learn a process for developing an effective human resource plan to ensure that your organization has the
right people, with the right skills, in the right jobs.
Developing a Human Resource Plan guides participants through a step-by-step process to developing a human
resource plan that includes: staffing, forecasting, performance management, compensation, and employee
development. Participants will learn how the human resource plan links to the organizational strategic plan and
contributes to employee morale and overall organizational success.
The seminar explains a process for assessing current and future human resource challenges and how to use
recruitment, succession planning and retention strategies to address these issues. Participants will learn how to
prioritize issues and develop strategic staffing solutions. The seminar also teaches the process of developing action
plans for successfully communicating, executing, and monitoring the human resource plan.
Benefits
For Individuals
For Organizations
Both people and organizations need to establish a strategic framework for significant
success. This framework consists of:
A vision for your future
A mission that defines what you are doing
Values that shape your actions
Strategies that zero in on your key success approaches
Goals and action plans that guide your daily, weekly and monthly actions
Your organization's success and your personal success depend on how well you define
and live by each of these important concepts.
In fact:
Companies whose employees understand the mission and goals enjoy a 29 percent
greater return than other firms (Watson Wyatt Work Study).
U.S. workers want their work to make a difference, but 75 percent do not think
their company's mission statement has become the way they do business
(Workplace 2000 Employee Insight Survey).
Read more to find out how to develop a successful strategic framework for your
organization and yourself.
Training Policy
Participating in conferences
On-the-job training
Job shadowing
Job rotation
As part of our learning and development provisions, we can also arrange for
subscriptions or educational material, so employees will have access to news,
articles and other material that can help them become better at their job.
There are two conditions for this:
All relevant fees should not exceed a set limit per person
This list doesnt include software licences or other tools that are absolutely
necessary for employees jobs.
Objective
The purpose of the University's training policy is to ensure that:
employees are properly trained in the skills they need to carry out their present jobs at a
standard acceptable to the University and its customers;
employees are provided with the skills they may need for changes in the way jobs are carried
out;
as far as possible, employees are encouraged to develop their skills and talents to enable them
to progress within the University and reach their full potential.
The University is committed to making the most effective use of the talents, skills and abilities of its
workforce and to helping all employees maximise the contribution they can make. To demonstrate its
commitment, the University has formalised its training through this policy statement and through the
allocation of specific budget resources.
The Training Team will work closely with managers within the University to provide a range of
consultancy/training services.
Training Budget
How to Develop a Training Budget
by Tara Duggan; Updated September 26, 2017
Identify the types of training costs you expect. For example, list mandatory training
required. This type of training usually provides your employees with licenses and
certification needed by your company to operate. Categorize rest of your training
catalog into professional or technical development. Further refine your list by indicating
the training format, such as lecture, workshop, distance learning or web-based self
study offerings.
Estimate the cost of developing and running classes. For example, obtain quotes for
training providers or use data provided by in-house developers and instructors. Include
wages of instructional designers, instructors, programmers and other personnel
required to create the training. Identify any additional costs, such as marketing
materials, travel, meals or hardware and software.
Determine the number of training sessions required to meet the needs of your
organization. For example, to deploy a mandatory training program for an organization
of 400 people, with 20 people in each face-to-face class, you need to schedule 20
sessions. If the training needs to be completed within a single year, you need to
schedule two sessions per month.
Prepare your budget, the detailed listing of money required to complete the training
development and delivery. Use a spreadsheet template provided by a website such as
Microsoft Office Templates or develop your own format. Using an established template
allows you to take advantage of built-in formulas that automatically calculate financial
data and replicate it in an easily readable format. For example, use Microsoft Excel to
record quarterly costs, calculate yearly costs and ensure it does not exceed the annual
allocation for training. Enter line items, descriptions, quantities and unit rates to
generate a budget to include in your project plan to get approval for your organizations
training and development programs. Maintain the file to track actual expenses and use
the data for planning subsequent training programs.
The Society for Human Resource Management recommends that a training budget include the costs for
training staff salaries, appropriate learning facilities, training materials, hardware and the cost of outside
consultants. Businesses may find it more effective to outsource certain training needs to vendors or benefit
from advances in learning technologies to reduce training costs. It is important that the training budget
adequately covers the realistic costs associated with the training methods your business employs.
Assess the training needs of your business before you begin planning your budget. Businesses may initially
need to spend money on discovering or researching which skill deficit is hindering productivity and
performance. The true training need may be overlooked if care is not taken to identify it. Ask for feedback on
training needs from all stakeholders. A good training budget is designed to address the real issues by spending
money on the actual needs of the business and its employees.
Prioritize the training needs within your company. Address those that are both important and urgent first.
According to the 2005 State of the Industry Report from the American Society for Training and Development,
industry- or profession-specific training has been the highest priority of organizations. Other high-priority
training topics include compliance training, business procedures, supervision skills and technical skills.
Determine your company's priorities by conducting a needs analysis, researching those needs identified by
stakeholders such as customers, employees and supervisors.
E-learning can be a cost-effective option for businesses, including small businesses that need to reduce costs
and make training more accessible. Companies can effectively use e-learning for mandatory or compliance
training; in fact, 61 percent of organizations reported using this delivery method in the 2010 Training Industry
Report. Online training for system and desktop application training was reported as the second most common
online training taught. Small companies currently lead the way in using social networking or mobile devices
for training, and also are more likely to use blended instruction -- a mix between online and instructor-led
learning.
Zero-based budgeting--every item included in the budget must be justified before being
included; therefore, the process begins with a clean slate.
Budgeting requires the collection of many forms of data. From a human resource
perspective, the data needed to create a new budget include the following:
While there are many items that may or may not be included in an HR departments
budget, below is a list of some of the most common ones to consider.
Recruitment advertising
Agency fees
Temporary help
Employee referral program
Skills testing
Drug testing
Background checks
Recruitment-related travel
College recruitment giveaways
Printing costs--applications, recruiting brochures
Web development/maintenance
Applicant tracking system costs
External programs
Registration fees
Travel expenses
Certification exam costs
Internal programs
Consulting fees/trainers salary
Program materials
Food and beverages
Supplies for attendees
Audiovisual rentals
Employee salaries
Payroll costs
Overtime
Incentive compensation
Health, dental, vision
Life insurance
Short- and long-term disability insurance/funding
Pension/401(k)/profit sharing
Cafeteria plan administration
Telecommuting expenses
Survey reports
Recognition program
Service awards
Attitude survey administration
Performance appraisal software
Attendance incentives
Employment attorney fees
Outplacement expenses
Suggestion program awards
Labor relations expenses (attorneys, consultants)
Diversity management program administration
Other
For additional information about budgeting and related issues, see the Business
Leadershipdiscipline.
Creating a training budget plan is not just necessary from a regulatory point of view, but it
does make sense financially. It is one way to ensure your personnel has theskills and
competencies required to complete tasks up to the required standard of quality.
The question becomes how to prepare training budgets without breaking the bank? Lets look at
a few ways to maximize the return on your training cost.
How much do companies spend on training
Many medium and large organizations invest anywhere from 2 to 5% of salary budgets
back into training. While that may not be realistic for a small business, its important to find a
training budget per employee your company can absorb. For this purpose, you can go on a
needs basis. For example, outside trainers can seem attractive, but they are not absolutely
necessary.
Sometimes, senior employees under management supervision can do just as good a job as
external training providers, and theyll cost you next to nothing. Of course, it all depends on the
type of training youre interested in, as some professional and industry-specific subjects cant be
handled internally.
Before you begin planning your budget, start by assessing the training needs of your
business. You may need to focus on researching which skill deficit is affecting productivity
and performance. This way, your program can identify and focus on the real issues and actual
needs of the business and its employees, and your training budget can be put to good use.
Many employers use training courses as part of employee annual performance reviews to
address competency gaps, as well as employees desired areas of improvement. This
includes setting specific training goals for each employee and letting them know they are
monitored.
Its a good idea to assess the impact training has had on their overall skills and performance on a
monthly and annual basis as well.
If you are paying for outside classes to improve their knowledge on a specific subject, get
employees to commit to working for you for a specified period of time after completing the
training. You can have your HR department include a reimbursement clause in their
employment contract if they arent able to fulfill the agreement.
Ultimately, you want to have the full support for training efforts from your senior staff and
HR employees. If they understand the long-term value of employee development and training
budget allocation, they will be able to assist you in every way possible.
Well-trained employees are essential to the success of any company. Unfortunately, in a bad
economy, a lot of businesses consider employee development to be an unnecessary expense. But
while cutting your training budget can seem like the logical thing to do, stop and think about its
long-term implications, as they can far outweigh the immediate costs saved.
The right training program will have a plethora of benefits for a company: it
increases employee engagement, retention, and productivity; it decreases the need for
supervision, reduces absenteeism, improves customer service, and boost sales.
Well-trained employees make fewer mistakes and, because they feel valued and appreciated,
training increases their commitment and personal confidence.
Its all about creating a positive and stimulating work environment. If you plan your training
budget wisely, you can minimize staff turnover and maintain productivity.
As you attempt to make money-conscious choices on staff always turn to your trustworthy
HR department on suggestions for how to manage training and development budgets. Their
guidance will help you handle motivation levels and business inefficiencies before theyve gotten
out of hand.
According to the Training Industry Report, an average training budget for a small company
amounts to $234,850 on an annual basis. The average training cost per employee 2016 comes to
$1,041.
Proper training has a positive effect on employee and customer retention, sales and overall
profitability. Of course, your training budget will vary based on your specific business training
needs, but typically 2 2.5% of the companys budget allocated to employee training is
considered standard.
b) Training need assessment system
c) Training Needs Assessment System (TNAS) is a web-based tool designed to allow organisations,
department groups and individuals to assess their knowledge and skills and identifying what training is
required and what specific areas they need training in. TNAS can address particular skill areas and can be
customised to focus on specific user groups and topics, thus growing your organisational capabilities and
helping you compete more effectively.
Alpha Training Needs Assessment System (TNAS) is based on the following four dimensions of training needs
assessment :
a. Type of competencies
b. b.Proficiency level
c. c.Importance Level
d. Performance level
Types of Competencies
There are at least three types of competencies: Core, Profession, and Position (Technical) competencies.
Core competency Required by all positions in an organization in order to be able to successfully perform
duties required to meet the organizations strategic plan.
Profession competency Required by a specific organisational unit, department or type in addition to core
competencies in order to successfully perform the duties required.
Position competency A competency specific to a particular position. Position competencies may also
include technical competencies, which refer to specific occupational skills gained from education or training
or which are based on a particular area of expertise.
The type of competencies (or skills) has to be determined by top management and / or supervisor or manager before
the assessment.
Proficiency Levels
Proficiency levels indicate the spectrum of complexity with which the TNAS is to be applied. Proficiency levels
describe what expected of both the job and the incumbent. TNAS classification Proficiency levels:
Basic
Intermediate
Advanced
The proficiency level has to be determined by the supervisor or manager before the assessment
Importance Levels
Performance Levels
The performance levels relate to how well the competency is being performed by the incumbent at any proficiency
level.
1. Outstanding employee consistently completes task or performs function at a very high level with little or no
assistance
2. Very Good employee consistently complete task or perform functions in an above average manner with
little or no assistance
3. Satisfactory employee can complete task or perform function in a satisfactory manner with little or no
assistance
4. Needs Improvement employee can complete task or perform function with considerable assistance
5. Needs Significant Improvement employee is unable to complete task or perform function in a satisfactory
manner even with assistance
What is Training Needs Assessment?
Needs Assessment: the process to identify "gaps" between current performance and
department/organizational objectives.
An assessment process that serves as a diagnostic tool for determining what training needs to take
place. This survey gathers data to determine what training needs to be developed to help individuals
and the organization accomplish their goals and objectives. This is an assessment that looks at employee
and organizational knowledges, skills, and abilities, to identify any gaps or areas of need. Once the
training needs are identified, then you need to determine/develop objectives to be accomplished by the
training. These objectives will form criteria for measures of success and utility.
This analysis can be performed by managers who are able to observe their staff and
make recommendations for training based on performance issues or gaps between
performance and objectives. This analysis can also be performed on an organization-
wide level by Training and Development managers who survey the organization to
identify needs.
Factors that may lead to Training Needs
Re-organization processes
Business Process Re-engineering
Process Improvements
Reductions in Force
Layoffs/Transfers/New Hires
Staffing Changes/Promotions
Re-locations
New equipment/Technology
Performance/Safety Issues
Problems in Production/Safety
New Systems/Procedures
Changes in Laws/Regulations
Succession Planning
Career Paths/Growth
Then determine the desired outcomes from the training to address these needs. These outcomes could
serve as measures of success (validation) of the training.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Personal Interviews
Conducted by a trained "interviewer" who follows an interview outline (or set of questions) to be asked
during the interview.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Personal Observations
An observation of the employee at work. May be structured (i.e., the employee performs specific tasks)
or unstructured (i.e., the observer tries to document the employees work without influencing what the
employee does).
Advantages
Disadvantages
LIKESAVEPRINT
REUSE PERMISSIONS
A training needs assessment identifies individuals current level of competence, skill or
knowledge in one or more areas and compares that competence level to the level
required for their position or another position within the organization. The difference
between the current and required competencies can help determine training needs.
Rather than assume that all employees need training or even the same training,
management can make informed decisions about the best ways to
address competency gaps among individual employees, specific job categories or
groups/teams.
Assessments can be conducted at any time but are often done after hiring, during
performance review times, when performance improvement is needed, for career
development plans orsuccession planning, or when changes in an organization involve
changes in employees jobs. It is beneficial to perform these assessments periodically to
measure changes in employees knowledge and skills and also training program
effectiveness.
A training assessment is the first step to any successful training program and is critical
as part of succession planning. Conducting this analysis allows an organization to focus
its efforts on areas of training that are necessary for employees to successfully carry out
the organizations goals, make optimum use of the companys training dollars, and
motivate employees by contributing to their career development. The person conducting
the training needs assessment must clearly understand the overall organization and
department goals and priorities, so he or she can properly assess the training options
and identify which training opportunities will contribute most to the overall success of
employees, the business units and the organization as a whole.
Essentially, why are you conducting a training needs assessment? What is the end
result that the employee, manager or executive team is trying to accomplish? Will
training contribute to this accomplishment? Sometimes training is not the answer. There
may be other organizational issues that would be best addressed through another
meansfor example, through job analysis,goal clarification, reorganizing or realigning a
department, or employee engagement. See,Aligning Workforce Strategies With
Business Objectives.
HR records. HR records can include accident and safety reports, job descriptions, job
competencies, attendance records, grievance filings, exit interviews, performance
evaluations and other company records such as production, sales and cost records. For
example, if a department has a dramatic increase in workplace accidents, then it would
be important to review accident reports as part of the gap analysis prior to conducting
safety training.
Individual interviews. Individual interviews may be conducted with employees,
supervisors, senior managers and even sometimes clients/customers or outside
vendors. For example, with safety training, it would be important to talk with the
employees who not only had the accidents but also witnessed the accidents. In addition,
talking to employees who have never had accidents may be helpful to find out what they
may be doing differently. If the accidents involved equipment, it may be fruitful to talk to
the vendor that made the equipment or that services the equipment.
Focus groups. Unlike individual interviews, using focus groups involves simultaneously
questioning a number of individuals about training needs. Best results would occur with
a department or group of employees who would have similar training needs. The
participants brainstorm about all the training needs they can think of and write them on a
flip chart. Then each person is provided five dots or sticky notes. (Note: You may only
want to provide three dots, or maybe you want to provide more than fivewhatever
works best for your organization.) Each individual places the five sticky notes on the
training ideas he or she believes are the most important. An individual could choose to
place one dot on five different items, or all five on one training item.
Surveys, questionnaires and self-assessments. Surveys generally use a
standardized format and can be in writing, electronic or by phone. Depending on the
situation it may be helpful to conduct surveys with employees as well as customers. For
example, when doing a customer service training needs assessment, employers should
ask employees what would help them provide better customer service; employers should
also get opinions from customers about their experiences with employees. See, Skills
Analysis Form and Training: Needs Analysis Form.
Observations. Sources for observation include on-the-job simulations of work settings
and written work samples.
After you have assessed all the training needs/options, you will have a list of training
priorities for individual employees, departments or the organization as a whole.
Training Needs Analysis: The process of identifying training needs in an organization for
the purpose of improving employee job performance.
Introduction
Today's work environment requires employees to be skilled in performing complex tasks in
an efficient, cost-effective, and safe manner. Training (a performance improvement tool) is
needed when employees are not performing up to a certain standard or at an expected level
of performance. The difference between actual the actual level of job performance and the
expected level of job performance indicates a need for training. The identification of training
needs is the first step in a uniform method of instructional design.
A successful training needs analysis will identify those who need training and what kind of
training is needed. It is counter-productive to offer training to individuals who do not need it
or to offer the wrong kind of training. A Training Needs Analysis helps to put the training
resources to good use.
Adaptability
Analytical Skills
Action Orientation
Business Knowledge/Acumen
Coaching/Employee Development
Communication
Customer Focus
Decision Making
Fiscal Management
Global Perspective
Innovation
Interpersonal Skills
Leadership
Establishing Objectives
Risk Management
Persuasion and Influence
Planning
Problem Solving
Project Management
Results Orientation
Self-Management
Teamwork
Technology
Are any of these KSA's required before the employee is hired? Are the required KSA's
included in any job postings or advertisements? Do they need to be?
Techniques
Several basic Needs Assessment techniques include:
direct observation
questionnaires
consultation with persons in key positions, and/or with specific knowledge
review of relevant literature
interviews
focus groups
assessments/surveys
records & report studies
work samples
Observe the employee performing the job. Document the tasks being performed. When
documenting the tasks, make sure each task starts with an action verb. How does this task
analysis compare to existing job descriptions? Did the task analysis miss any important
parts of the job description? Were there tasks performed that were omitted from the job
description?
Organize the identified tasks. Develop a sequence of tasks. Or list the tasks by importance.
Are there differences between high and low performing employees on specific work tasks?
Are there differences between Experts and Novices? Would providing training on those tasks
improve employee job performance?
Most employees are required to make decisions based on information. How is information
gathered by the employee? What does the employee do with the information? Can this
process be trained? Or, can training improve this process?
Since the training is based on specific job tasks, employees may feel more comfortable
taking the effort to participate in training.
Gather information about how the task is performed so that this can be used to form a
model of the task. Review job titles and descriptions to get an idea of the tasks performed.
Observe the employee performing the job. Review existing training related to the job. Make
sure you observe both experts and novices for comparison.
Critical Incident Analysis
Critical Incident Interview Guide.
1. Performance Appraisals
2. Quotas met (un-met)
3. Performance Measures
4. Turnover
5. Shrinkage
6. Leakage
7. Spoilage
8. Losses
9. Accidents
10. Safety Incidents
11. Grievances
12. Absenteeism
13. Units per Day
14. Units per Week
15. Returns
16. Customer Complaints
One of the most nebulous and unsatisfactory aspects of training programmes is the evaluation of
their effectiveness. Evaluation is any attempt to obtain information (feedback) on the effects of a
training programme, and to assess the value of the training in the light of that information.
Training Evaluation is the application of systematic methods to periodically and objectively
assess the effectiveness of training and development programmes in achieving expected results,
their impacts, both intended and unintended, continued relevant and alternative or more cost-
effective ways of achieving expected results.
INTRODUCTION
Evaluation leads to control which means deciding whether or not the training was worth the effort and
what improvements are required to make it even more effective. Training Evaluation is of vital
importance because monitoring the training function and its activities is necessary in order to establish
its social and financial benefits and costs. Evaluation of training within work settings can assist a
trainer/organization in learning more about the impact of training. It is important to understand the
purpose of evaluation before planning it and choosing methods to do it. Some advantages of using
evaluations are difficult to directly witness, but when done correctly they can impact organizations in
positive ways.
Selecting measures,
Definition:
"Training Evaluation is a systematic process of collecting information for and about training activity
which can then be used for guiding decision making and for assessing the relevance and effectiveness of
various training components."
TYPES OF EVALUATION
On the basis of the time dimension, evaluation may be classified as (1) formative evaluation and (2)
summative evaluation.
Raab et al. (1987), however, classified evaluation into four major types: (1) evaluation of planning, (2)
process evaluation, (3) terminal evaluation, and (4) impact evaluation.
Stakeholders of training evaluation involve participants, curriculum developers, trainers and training
organizer as depicted below:
Objectives of Evaluating Training and Development Programmes
The major objectives are:
1. At Macro Level
To assess training and development programme's business impact as a whole.
2. At Micro Level
To measure a specific training and development programme's business impact
Perhaps looking at the benefit of specific elements of the programme, or of the training model for a
specific issuer
The specific training and development programme's business impact measure has a visible link to the
organization's goals and objectives.
Trainers:
Careful consideration should be given to the selection of trainers, the scheduling of training and pilot
testing. In selecting trainers, two equally important abilities must be sought: knowledge of the subject
and teaching ability. Not everyone who has the required job knowledge will necessarily have teaching
ability. On the whole, it is easier for people to acquire knowledge than it is to acquire teaching ability. In
most workplaces, including the shop floor, there will be a number of people who have a natural teaching
ability, and they will have the advantage of knowing the workplace and being able to understand
practical examples. In small group learning, a "group learning facilitator" may be used in place of a
trainer. In this case, the facilitator is learning along with the group but has responsibilities for the
process of learning.
The scheduling of training involves several important considerations. For example, it should be arranged
at a time convenient for the learners and when interruptions can be minimized. Training can also be
packaged in self-contained modules so that it can be spread out over time perhaps a three-hour module
once a week could be scheduled. Not only does this approach sometimes cause less interference with
production, it also allows time between sessions for learners to try to apply what has been learned.
CONCLUSION
Every training programme should be pilot tested before initial use. This allows the programme to be
tested against training objectives. Pilot testing should involve not only the trainers but a representative
sample of the prospective learners as well.
References
1. TRINING AND DEVELOPMENT BY GUPTA
Evaluation involves the assessment of the effectiveness of the training programs. This
assessment is done by collecting data on whether the participants were satisfied with the
deliverables of the training program, whether they learned something from the training and are
able to apply those skills at their workplace. There are different tools for assessment of a training
program depending upon the kind of training conducted.
Since organisations spend a large amount of money, it is therefore important for them to
understand the usefulness of the same. For example, if a certain technical training was
conducted, the organisation would be interested in knowing whether the new skills are being put
to use at the workplace or in other words whether the effectiveness of the worker is enhanced.
Similarly in case of behavioural training, the same would be evaluated on whether there is
change in the behaviour, attitude and learning ability of the participants.
Evaluation acts as a check to ensure that the training is able to fill the competency gaps within
the organisation in a cost effective way. This is specially very important in wake of the fact the
organisations are trying to cut costs and increase globally. Some of the benefits of the training
evaluation are as under:
Evaluation ensures accountability - Training evaluation ensures that training programs comply
with the competency gaps and that the deliverables are not compromised upon.
Check the Cost - Evaluation ensures that the training programs are effective in improving the
work quality, employee behaviour, attitude and development of new skills within the employee
within a certain budget. Since globally companies are trying to cut their costs without
compromising upon the quality, evaluation just aims at achieving the same with training.
Feedback to the Trainer / Training - Evaluation also acts as a feedback to the trainer or the
facilitator and the entire training process. Since evaluation accesses individuals at the level of
their work, it gets easier to understand the loopholes of the training and the changes required in
the training methodology.
Not many organisations believe in the process of evaluation or at least do not have an evaluation
system in place. Many organisations conduct training programs year after year only as a matter
of faith and not many have a firm evaluation mechanism in place. Organisations like IBM,
Motorala only, it was found out, have a firm evaluation mechanism in place.
There are many methods and tools available for evaluating the effectiveness of training
programs. Their usability depends on the kind of training program that is under evaluation.
Generally most of the organisations use the Kirk Patrick model for training evaluations which
evaluates training at four levels - reactions, learning, behaviour and results.
After it was found out that training costs organisations a lot of money and no evaluation
measures the return on investment for training, the fifth level for training evaluation was added
to the training evaluation model by Kirk Patrick which is called as the ROI.
Most of the evaluations contain themselves to the reaction data, only few collected the learning
data, still lesser measured and analysed the change in behaviour and very few took it to the level
of increase in business results. The evaluation tools including the Kirk Patrick model will be
discussed in detail in other articles.
1. Reaction of the Trainee - thoughts and feelings of the participants about the training
2. Learning - the increase in knowledge or understanding as a result of the training
3. Behavior - extent of change in behavior, attitude or capability
4. Results - the effect on the bottom line of the company as a result of the training.
The fifth level which is the ROI has been recently added which is not but a part of the original
model. The graphic description is as follows:
Level 4 - Results
Was it worth it ?
Level 3 - Behaviour
KSAs being used on the Job ?
Level 2 - Knowledge
Did they learn anything ?
Level 1 - Reaction
Was the environment suitable ?
The beauty of the model is that each level can only be predicted when the lower level prediction
is complete. Thus evaluation at the level of behaviour may not be useful unless evaluation at the
knowledge has been completed.
Reaction
Reaction implies how favorably the participants have responded to the training. This evaluation
is primarily quantitative in nature and is a feedback to the training and the trainer. The most
common collection tool is the questionnaire that analyses the content, methodology, facilities and
the course content.
Learning
At the level of learning the evaluation is done on the basis of change in the ASK (Attitudes,
skills and knowledge) of the trainees. The evaluation involves observation and analysis of the
voice, behaviour, text. Other tools used apart from the observation are interviews, surveys, pre
and post tests etc.
Behaviour
Behaviour evaluation analyses the transfer of learning from the training session to the work
place. Here the primary tool for evaluation is predominantly the observation. Apart from the
observation, a combination of questionnaires and 360 feedbacks are also used.
Results
The results stage makes evaluations towards the bottom line of the organization. Here the
definition of the results depends upon the goal of the training program. The evaluation is done by
using a control group allowing certain time for the results to be achieved.
There are many other models that are unique in their own ways, nut as mentioned earlier
Kirkpatricks Model is the one that is accepted and used widely across all industries and with
wider applications.
Over the course of 2014, weve explored a number of topics from chat to social media to one that
I am exceptionally passionate about this month, learning and development. Every month, theres
been a discussion around measures, specifically what the most effective metrics are for that
particular area. In keeping with that theme, it seems appropriate to put the spotlight on ways to
measure the results of our investments in training.
So lets start by taking a look at the four levels and then identify areas where we can apply
them. Then, well finish up with some key points to consider in determining if/when to apply
each of the 4 levels.
We need to first give credit where credit is due, to Donald Kirkpatrick, Professor Emeritus at the
University of Wisconsin. He first published his Four Level Model in 1959 in the U.S. Training
and Development Journal. The model was updated in 1975 and again in 1994, when he
published his best-known work, Evaluating Training
Programs. (Source: www.kirkpatrickpartners.com)
The following is a summary of the four levels along with a few suggestions for implementing
measurement at each level.
Did the seminar participants believe that the training was worth the investment of their time?
What topics were most valuable; least valuable?
Would they recommend this course to colleagues?
What do you need/want to evaluate? Was the goal of the training program to change skills,
knowledge, attitudes, confidence and/or commitment?
It is often useful to test participants in this area before they attend the training and then again
after they attend the session.
Level 3: Behavior: To what degree participants apply what they learned
during training when they are back on the job.
One of the most effective ways to assess behavior change is to conduct observations and
interviews over time.
It is also important to keep in mind that the environment the trainees return to impacts whether or
not they can apply what they learned. If the culture, management and reward systems do not
support behavior change, then trainees may not be able to apply what they have learned.
To measure level 4 results it is important to determine which outcomes are the most directly
linked to the training program. Then youll need to develop ways to measure these over time.
Here are a few potential benefits/outcomes to consider, that are often linked to training programs.
(Please note: not every item on the list will apply to every training situation and this list is not
exhaustive, there may be others that do not appear on the list.)
(Source: www.kirkpatrickpartners.com )
Evaluation should always begin with level one, and then, as time and budget allows, move
sequentially through levels two, three, and four.
Information from each prior level serves as the foundation for the next level's evaluation.
Thus, each successive level represents a more precise measure of the effectiveness of the
training program, but at the same time requires a more rigorous and time-consuming analysis.
I will be the first to admit calculating the ROI (level 4) on training is challenging for many
reasons. However, that doesnt mean we shouldnt try! As you consider what levels you would
like to pursue, it is important to consider some of the following if you are going to go to level 4
(and to a degree level 3).
And finally, remember that measures only tell you how you are doing, it is up to each of us to
find root causes, determine the appropriate next steps, and then to take action!
More Resources
Research: The Multichannel Agent: A 2014 Contact Center Roadmap Research Report and Best
Practices Guide
Training: ICMI OnDemand All-Access Training Pass
Rose Polchin is a Senior Consultant for ICMI. She brings over 25 years of contact center
experience, both as an independent consultant and in contact center leadership roles within the
financial services and health care industries. During her tenure as senior director of customer
service strategies for one of the countrys largest health care services organizations, Roses
leadership was instrumental in creating and implementing a common vision, strategy and
processes across the companys multi-site contact center network, which helped establish the
contact centers as strategic assets for the business.
Rose now continues her commitment to excellence in customer experience through her delivery
of ICMI seminars and by partnering with customers on key projects. Her hands-on experience
has equipped her with the ability to consult with contact centers on all facets of contact center
management from strategic development and deployment of resources to quality program design
and employee engagement. Roses passion and focus is partnering with customers to develop
and implement strategies that create value for their respective organizations, customers and
employees.