LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

HRM LEVEL 6 SEPT. 2024

PREPARING TRAINING PROGRAMS GUIDE

An employee training program is an initiative led by an organization’s HR and talent department to

upskill or reskill employees. A vital part of the broader employee experience, training programs allow
employees to develop new skills or refine existing ones to boost productivity and performance.
Employee training programs provide new hires and employees with general training exercises and access
to learning resources. These opportunities can also be a great way to help an employee transition to a
new position.

What makes an effective training program?

Training programs must be carefully designed and managed to ensure effective learning and
retention. Some critical aspects that can transform training programs into effective learning
opportunities include:

 Starting from a known baseline: Assessing employees at the beginning of each training program
or course can ensure that learning material is properly curated to meet learners' needs.

 Personalization: Every employee learns differently. Personalization software and capabilities can
match learners' with the materials, exercises, and ongoing learning opportunities that fit their
content needs, learning styles, and goals.

 Self-directed learning: Traditional training programs such as all-day seminars, intermittent

lectures, and passive access to material is not sufficient. Instead, effective training programs
allow participants to learn at their own pace, with online access to learning materials and
individual dashboards for tracking performance and completion.

 Integration with role responsibilities: Many employees will be eager to take advantage of
training programs, especially if they want to learn new skills or grow their careers. However, not
all employees will have the time or drive to learn. Even employees who want to learn may not
have time when faced with a lot of other responsibilities. Instead, make ongoing training and
development part of each employee's job responsibilities and ensure there is plenty of work
time allocated for fulfilling that responsibility.
STEPS TO PREPARE A TRAINING PROGRAM

1. Conduct Training Needs Analysis

The first step in developing a training program is identifying and assessing needs. A needs assessment
helps you determine which teams or employees need training, what training they need, and the best
ways to deliver it.

Employee training needs may already be established in the organization’s strategic, human resources, or
individual development plans. However, if you’re building the training program from scratch (without
predetermined objectives), you must first assess which areas to focus on.

There are several critical steps involved in assessing your organization’s training needs.

 Align the business need with the training initiative

 Understand the roles and core competencies in your business

 Identify skills and performance gaps

 Prioritize training and compare your options

 Design learning experiences based on training recommendations

1. Measure the success of the training needs analysis on overall performance

Here are a few questions you can start by asking:

 What areas in the organization will benefit from training right now?

 What problems are you trying to solve with the training?

 Who will benefit most from training?

Data points you can look at to answer these questions include:

 CSAT surveys,
 employee performance reviews
 sales goals vs. achievement
 employee engagement surveys
 exit surveys.

2. Set organizational training objectives

The training needs assessment (organizational, task & individual) will identify gaps in your current
training initiatives and employee skill sets/knowledge. These gaps should be analyzed, prioritized, and
turned into the organization’s training objectives.

key objectives and goals for the training program can include specific goals such as:

 Ensuring employees in each role has a sufficient understanding of safety regulations and
compliance requirements.
  Providing salespeople with the right tactical knowledge, soft skills, and product information to
make more sales.

 Certifying all cybersecurity team employees with a necessary degree of credentials.

A training objective should:

 Clearly state the purpose and expected outcome of the training.

 Employ the parameters of the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-
Bound) methodology.

 Align with the company’s broader objective and contribute to it.

 Offer different options for hybrid, in-person, and online programs.

 Identify additional barriers to training. E.g., Do employees need time off to take training?

Remember, any training program aims to set the employee up for success. Establish clear and
measurable objectives for the training program. Define what skills and knowledge employees should
acquire and outline the expected outcomes. These objectives will serve as a roadmap for designing the
training content.

3. Develop success metrics for your training program

This stage is all about building the motivational infrastructure and measurement criteria for your
learning program. Different types of success metrics you'll need to develop include:

 Success criteria: At what level of competency will you consider each employee's training to be
sufficient, and how will you identify that point?

 Milestones: Larger goals should be broken down into more granular milestones. For example, a
complete training course would be broken down into the completion of courses, which in turn
are broken down into the completion of modules.

 Feedback: Quantifiable results are not the only feedback that should guide development. Plan
for ways to elicit employee feedback, so you can revise future training to include more engaging,
relevant, or rewarding content

4. Select the type of training program

There are numerous different vehicles and mechanisms you can use for your training programs. These
include:

 In-person training: In-person training involves face-to-face instruction. This may be at off-site
seminars, in-person mentoring, on-the-job training, instructor-led learning, and coaching.

 Virtual training: Online courses, recorded lectures, videoconference seminars, and AI

simulations are forms of eLearning.

 Workshops:

 On-the-job training:
  Instructor-led training:

 Blended learning: A hybrid approach involves both in-person and virtual training. You can have
equivalent options in either category to meet the accessibility needs and preferences of different
employees. Alternatively, some aspects may only be available in person, while others are only
virtual. Some learning platforms like 360Learning combine the best of both virtual and in-person
learning by simultaneously showing learners taking the same course at the same time.

3. Design the training program:

 Choose the appropriate training methods (e.g., workshops, e-learning, on-the-job training).
 Structure content logically (from basic to advanced concepts).
 Prepare materials like manuals, slides, case studies, and interactive exercises.

Prepare the Action plan during this stage which should include:

 Training objectives & expected outcomes

 Resources needed (budget, trainers, venues, tools)
 Timeline & schedule
 Roles & responsibilities (who will conduct, manage, and evaluate the training)
 Training delivery methods
 Evaluation criteria & follow-up plan

4. Develop Training Materials:

 Create engaging and accessible content.

 Use multimedia (videos, quizzes, interactive simulations) to enhance learning.
 Ensure materials are tailored to the audience’s learning style.

Create or source content like presentations, manuals, videos, interactive modules, ensuring they are
engaging and relevant to the learning objectives.

Start by designing relevant training modules that are engaging and aligned with organizational goals.
Incorporate various instructional methods, such as workshops, e-learning platforms, and on-the-job
training, to cater to diverse learning styles. By tailoring the content and delivery to the needs of the
employees, you can maximize engagement and knowledge retention.

5. Schedule Training Sessions:

Plan the timeline, frequency, and duration of training sessions, communicating the schedule to all
participants.

 Determine the duration, frequency, and timing of training sessions.

 Communicate the schedule clearly to participants and stakeholders.

6.Implement Training Initiatives:

The implementation phase is where the training program comes to life

Deliver the training using the chosen methods, incorporating active learning techniques to maximize
engagement.

 Choose the right venue and schedule for in-person training or set up an online platform.
 Assign qualified trainers or facilitators.
 Engage participants with interactive activities and real-world applications.

Program implementation should consider:

 Timeline: Ensure the training schedule aligns with organizational priorities and employee
availability to avoid disruptions.

 Employee engagement: Develop strategies to keep employees motivated and engaged

throughout the training process, such as interactive sessions, quizzes, or gamified elements.

 Learning Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) goals: Establish KPIs to measure the effectiveness of
the training and ensure that learning objectives are being met.

 Related resources (Facilities, Equipment, etc.): Verify that all necessary resources, including
training facilities, equipment, and technology, are available and functioning properly to support
the training activities.

Participant progress should be monitored during training to ensure the program is effective.

7.Evaluate and Revise Training:

Use feedback forms, quizzes, or tests to assess learning outcomes.

Apply Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation:

 Reaction – Did participants find it useful?

 Learning – Did they gain knowledge/skills?

 Behavior – Are they applying what they learned?

 Results – Did it improve performance/achieve goals?

Use post-training assessments, surveys, performance evaluations, and other metrics to measure the
impact of the training and identify areas for improvement.

The entire program should be evaluated to determine if it was successful and met training objectives.

The training program or action plan can be revised or reassessed if objectives or expectations are not
met.

8.Follow up and continuous improvement

 Provide post-training support (mentoring, refresher courses).

  Monitor performance improvements.
 Adjust and refine the program based on feedback and outcomes.

Important Considerations:

 Alignment with Business Goals:

Ensure the training program aligns with the organization's strategic objectives and performance
needs.

 Audience Engagement:

Design training materials and activities to cater to different learning styles and keep participants
actively involved.

 Continuous Improvement:

Regularly review and update training content based on feedback and changing business
requirements.