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Geotechnical News December 2011
ASFE NEWS
Study Finds Serious Inadequacies in Employee Training
Organizations need to be more
committed and engaged to enhance
the value they derive from transferring
learning to the workplace. That’s the
conclusion of
Applying Training and
TransferringLearningtotheWorkplace:
How To Turn Hope into Reality
,
a just-
released ESI International study that
highlights key weaknesses in on-the-
job application of learning, including:
inadequate manager support and
lack of trainee preparation, effective
incentives, and effective program
design and measurement. More than
3,000 government and commercial
training-related managers responded to
the survey.
According to ESI’s Raed S. Haddad,
“The study points out some striking
contradictions in how well organiza-
tions think they transfer learning and
the lack of proof to back up their esti-
mate of learning transfer or on-the-job
application. Client experience shows
us that organizations often fail to estab-
lish success criteria or identify expec-
tations for learning engagements. This
is a key pre-training strategy in order
to measure trainee performance against
agreed upon standards.”
Key study findings included:
• The top three strategies indicated as
the most important for the transfer
of learning are: (1) trainees have
the time, resources, and respon-
sibility to apply learning (30%);
(2) manager support (23.8%); and
(3) the instruction approach simu-
lates the actual work environment
(21.8%).
• While two-thirds of respondents
estimate that they apply more than
25% of training knowledge back
on-the-job, they have little proof.
Almost 60% say the primary meth-
od for measuring this estimate is
either informal/anecdotal feedback
or “simply a guess.”
• Sixty percent of those surveyed in-
dicate that they lack a systematic
approach to preparing a trainee to
apply on-the-job learning.
• When asked what specific rewards
motivate trainees, almost 60% said
the “possibility of more respon-
sibility,” followed closely by an
impact on their HR/performance
review. Only 20% indicated that fi-
nancial rewards or other incentives
were involved.
• When it comes to post-learning
tools and programs to help train-
ees recall and apply what they’ve
learned, survey responses indicate
a varied mixture of tactics, includ-
ing:
• post-course discussions with the
manager/team leader,
• on-the-job tools,
• informal support like social net-
works or on-line forums, and
• practice communities such as peer
groups/coaching.
• Sixty-three percent said manag-
ers formally endorse the program;
only 23% percent of managers hold
more formal pre- and post-training
discussions.
When asked to share specific learn-
ing-transfer tactics and identify best
practices, respondents instead identi-
fied a to-do list:
• incorporate real projects in the train-
ing and make it more relevant,
• conduct more training and/or bet-
ter marketing and communication
about what exists,
• communicate a transparent mea-
surement strategy,
• establish change management
guidelines, and
• increase managers’ involvement be-
fore and after training.
“Employees need to know that the
application of learning is a priority for
management,” Haddad said. “This can
be shown by aligning training with
company strategy, motivating employ-
ees by setting expectations beforehand,
and through incentives and sharing
post-training reports on employee suc-
cess or failure in applying what they
learned.”
For a free copy of the full ESI study,
visit
