Is Your Training Organization Performance-Based?

By Ann W. Parkman, Executive Vice President, and
Karen VanKampen, Director - Performance Consulting

In the past few years, the number of consulting clients asking us for help in assessing their training departments has grown markedly. The same holds true with our workshop clients. The underlying request from each side is: "How can we directly impact the profitability of our organizations?"

This question underscores the transition many companies are making from traditional training organizations to performance-based training organizations. What exactly does it mean to become performance-based? It means the primary goal of your department is to encourage your organization to focus on improving job performance as a means of directly affecting the quality of your organization's products and services and the efficiency with which they are produced. To achieve this goal, the following critical elements must be in place:

• The training organization's goals must be aligned with the goals of the business
• A thorough analysis must be conducted before solutions are selected
• Selected solutions must focus on job performance
• When training is identified as the appropriate solution, it is designed using a systematic performance-based instructional design methodology such as Criterion-Referenced Instruction (CRI)

Here are some recommendations for you to consider as you assess ways to transform your department into a true performance-based training organization.

Focus on Results - Improve Job Performance

The performance-based training organization's focus should be to improve job performance and sustain desired levels of performance. In other words, training is not always the answer. In addition, the support to employees does not end once they leave the classroom. To maintain a focus on results, ask yourself if your organization:

• Has a policy in place that requires all training requests to be analyzed to ensure the right solution (training, non-training, or both) is developed and implemented.
• Views training as the right solution only if the cause of the performance problem is due to a lack of skill or knowledge.
• Follows analysis procedures to ensure objectives are derived from job performance needs.
• Gives business leaders training and tools to guide them in providing feedback and coaching to their employees.
• Has procedures and methods to communicate the importance and benefits of a systematic performance improvement approach.

Training/Performance Improvement Methodology

Adopting a best practice, performance-based training methodology will ensure that training focuses solely on job-relevant skills. CEP uses CRI exclusively because it leads each learner to the desired competence level described by the performance objectives. Fully implementing CRI throughout your training organization will ensure competence in skills learned which will, in turn, result in improved job performance. Here are some questions to help you determine how your training organization's methodology compares to CRI:

• Does training focus on providing learners with the skills they need to improve job performance?
• Do practice situations match the actual on-the-job conditions as closely as possible?
• Do learners receive feedback immediately after practice situations so they know what they have done right or wrong?
• Does training include skill checks (not knowledge tests such as multiple choice) to be sure learners have mastered essential skills?

Performance Measurement - Measure Results

A performance-based training organization is in the best position to take the lead in or influence the development of an organization-wide plan for standardizing and aligning performance measures. Work with Human Resources and line management to establish direct links between pre-employment assessments, training skill checks, quality auditing, employee performance reviews, and major business unit goals. Also take steps to measure the return on investment (ROI) of training and non-training performance improvement solutions so you can be certain your solutions are working and are cost effective. To help you assess how your training organization measures up, ask yourself:

• Are employees' job tasks and performance standards aligned with organizational goals?
• Are pre-employment assessments, training skill checks, and performance appraisals aligned with job tasks and standards and with the major business unit goals?
• Are standards of performance stated in quantitative terms, including measurements such as productivity, quality, and service level?
• Do end-of-course evaluations assess the learners' perceived ability to apply their newly learned skills back on the job?
• Do procedures exist to evaluate performance at key stages of learning and development (for example, upon completion of training, after learners have returned to their jobs for a set amount of time, etc.)?
• Do procedures exist to determine the ROI of training and non-training solutions?

If you answer "no" or "don't know" to any of these questions, you may need to close some gaps between your current training focus and your desired performance improvement focus. You can develop targeted strategies for closing these gaps and transition to a true performance-based training organization.

Need help assessing your training department? Contact Paula Alsher at 770-458-4080 or palsher@cepworldwide.com for a free consultation.

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