Training as an intervention

“He needs training” is a common refrain of frustrated supervisors

everywhere, and yet, training as a solution isn’t always the right answer. The
exam objectives tell you that a needs assessment is the first thing that you
need to do to determine if training is the appropriate intervention. A training
needs assessment (TNA) is a tool used to identify the goals of training. A
TNA can be used on a macro level to view the company from 50,000 feet
during the strategic planning process. For example, if the company is
introducing a new product or installing new software, the training need is
fairly obvious. On a smaller scale, the training needs are generally viewed
from three perspectives:
Compliance: So many labor laws, so little time. Training is often the
second step to demonstrating compliance with various labor laws, bowing
only to establishing a policy. Areas where training is required by law
include harassment prevention and safety.
Technical: How to perform the work is another reason for training.
Although most companies seek to hire individuals with at least some level
of skill or experience, all jobs usually require a learning curve that must
be nurtured through training efforts.
Retention: Many employers simply attempt to hire employees with the
necessary skills required for the job. When this is impossible (or
impractical), they may find that training current workers with the specific
skills needed for new jobs is more effective. Training costs may prove to
be much lower than recruitment costs. Also, employees may be less likely
to leave an organization that is willing to offer more job security through
training.
True organizational development activities take into account the third prong
of training, the humble soft skill, helping employees develop in areas of
communication, leadership, change management, and more. So many
companies unfortunately are forced to allocate their training dollars and time
to compliance and technical training, leaving this third option woefully
unexplored.
Regardless of the type of training, the exams ask you to apply your
knowledge to a broad range of training applications, which include
Instructional design: Defining the objectives of the training must be the
focus of any solid instructional design (a process to identify the systems,
methods, and strategies of training). Exam prep materials often use a
helpful acronym called ADDIE:
Analyze the need.
Design the training objectives.
Develop the training material.
Implement the training by teaching.
Evaluate the outcomes.
Find a more detailed description of these steps in the later section,
“Making the most of common reports and tools.”
Training delivery: How the training is delivered is actually an important
consideration. When training is selected as an intervention, a company
must make many decisions. One decision is to identify if the training
should be formal, such as conducted by an outside expert, or informal,
such as self-paced. You need to be familiar with training terms, such as
vestibule (near the job training), computer-based training (online, CDs,
software), and contract learning (self-identified competency learning at
one’s own pace).
eLearning: eLearning is the formal name for any training that students
attend online or at a computer. Terms you should know for the exam
include asynchronous and synchronous. Asynchronous training occurs
when student and teachers are online at different times, whereas
synchronous training is when participants are required to be online at the
same time.
mLearning: A relatively new term, mLearning refers to mobile learning,
or the ability of elearners to access training material on mobile devices.
For training developers, mLearning requires decisions to be made about
how the information will be delivered and upon what devices in order to
modify content as necessary. For example, web-based learning that relies
on mouse click selections won’t work on tablets that are touch screen. HR
professionals need to become familiar with authoring tools that support
this mode of training delivery.
Measurement of training effectiveness: The goal of most training
activities is to transfer learning to the job, which requires that you’re able
to measure the effectiveness of a training program through the use of
established metrics. If you’re an SPHR candidate, take heed. Your exam
requires that you’re able to demonstrate knowledge in the evaluation of
the success or failure of a training program in terms of knowledge or skill
transfer.