6 Elements of Successful Employee Training Programs.

We all know that there is no one simple answer to building a perfect training program, but there are a few elements that are consistently part of successful training programs. This is what we are going to discuss today. Bringing more than a decade of experience as a people professional and partnered with multi conglomerates globally, I have found these six characteristics that predicate a successful training program;

• Training Needs Assessment

A training need is identifying the gap between current skills and required skills to perform in the organization. For example, if you have employees who are having problems performing in. remote settings, there might be a need for Remote Team working and Remote Communications training. At the core of an effective training program is the identification of training need requirements, who needs to be trained and on what skills or topics. . L& D specialists or program managers should invest time in understanding the history and present of the organization and its future plans.

A needs assessment can be conducted through job analysis, employee performance inputs and feedbacks, research, interviews, and internal surveys.

• Business Alignments

What's the purpose of the training identified, what's its impact on the organisation? this is a very critical piece. Once needs are identified they must be aligned with organisational goals. L& D specialists should be able to build this alignment to address problems in the organization and help in achieving business goals. By following this framework, employees will be more likely to understand the training and it will be supported by managers and leaders.

When linking training to organisational strategy, you will be able to easily identify the above or bottom line indicators – are you saving the company money or making the company money?

• Goals and Metrics

There are times when quantifying training outcomes become very challenging, However, with the above two steps training needs assessment, and alignment with business objectives, this can be achieved. When developing goals, make sure metrics give the full information, including cost, quantity, time and effectiveness. You would want to develop a benchmarking strategy for evaluating your progress towards your goals. Schedule time to analyze, monitor and review your goals regularly, this will make you agile and you would be able to shift the strategy if needed.

• Leadership Buy-In

This is one of the most important elements for the success of your training and development program. Having leadership support on the training programs establish appropriate expectations, and build accountability. Senior Leaders would want to understand how the training program can impact the employee's performance and ultimately get us the business results.

• Marketing and Training Communication

Now consider the above three steps, you got your assessments done, you got your goals and metrics defined, you got your leadership buy-in, and you are at the stage of delivering training. The strong marketing plan of your program is an integral part of your program success. This includes your plan for launching activities, communication strategies, which can be paired with took kits, small infographics at the beginning of the program which explains the overview. Also, you must provide "why, behind your training program". One of the training I successfully delivered was coupled with the CEO's message and CEO's presence in the program. Tie your activities into the goals of the program and use marketing as a platform to get your success in the training.

• Post Training REinforcement

The success and failure of any training program depend on its retention rate and how employees are using their learning in their work. Many organizations spend thousands of dollars per year training employees, only to discover that they’re not applying new concepts. Being a training and program manager it's your responsibility to provide the employee's opportunity to remember. This could be a series of small clips, small infographics, bullet sheets, that support a core concept or skill. By continuing to teach what was learned at a seminar or from a video, employees will not only remember more, but they will also be more likely to apply it to their everyday work.

Take these ideas and breathe new life into your employee training plan. Let me know in the comments, what do you think about it? or you can share your thoughts at anjulisharma.com