Training programs are mandatory for every employee, regardless of the industry, yet the completion of training programs still fails to change employee behavior. This is a common issue faced by most organizations in modern times, where training course completion is not really reflected in the work style of employees. Usually, behavior change in the workforce happens far away from the LMS, and it gets difficult to identify.
Completion Metrics dominate diversified industries for one common reason: their availability. Such metrics are easy to get, and the LMS marks the finished course as soon as it is completed, while the transfer data works quite differently. The shift in employee behavior through managers’ direct observation takes much time, and most teams struggle to understand what they need to focus on, as they already have too much on their plates. Instead of completion, the leaders should focus on the following aspects, as they are asking the wrong questions.
Consider Learning and Transfer as Separate Events
According to the revered organizational psychologists, learning outcomes can be divided into two phases. The first phase is the learning that happens during the training session, and the second phase is the conditions that help to make the transfer. The transfer of knowledge mainly depends on three ingredients, namely training design, trainee characteristics, and the work environment where employees work after the training session is completed.
Among the three ingredients, the workplace environment is often overlooked as it is not directly connected with the training program. A learner can genuinely understand the material provided in the training, but if the workplace does not offer room for implementation, employees do not get any safe opportunity to practice what they have learned. As a result, old habits are followed by default, and the work environment reinforces them. Therefore, the organization must focus on the second phase, as the first phase gets done quite quickly and does not cause disruption.
A Concrete Plan is Often Missing at the Time of Action
Even in a supportive workplace environment, it is important to find out what will make employees follow the trained behavior instead of following the old habits. According to research based on implementation intention, it is said that the number of employee decisions can decrease with the intent to implement at the moment of action. When employees need to respond under pressure, they are more likely to rely on recognizable patterns and older habits that they find familiar.
This reveals a major gap in training programs for L&D teams, as they understand that training programs only focus on teaching concepts and skills without implementing them in actual work and real-life scenarios. Along with a stack of deadlines and a ton of work, the intention of implementation can quickly fade. There should be a concrete plan that helps the learners encounter real issues along with behavior change and loyalty.
How Should the Training be Designed?
- The last ten minutes of the training program should be used for planning for if-then situations.
- Mapping the work environment before the course starts can help to match expectations among learners.
- Other than completion metrics, also focus on other transfer metrics to measure behavior.
- Invite managers into reinforcement without waiting for approval alone.
While the training program helps to set the stage for the employees, the real test begins when they have to address impatient customers and curious clients. Rather than focusing on just certificates, the organization should design a follow-through that helps employees implement the training with intention.
