5 Steps to Creating Effective Training Programs

Reading Time: Less than 3 mins.

Synopsis: This blog outlines practical steps that talent and HR departments can take in adopting an effective, long-term training strategy, and how adopting a more comprehensive approach to feedback can enrich the employee experience. 

An effective training program for employees should be built by following a systematic, step-by-step  process.

Training initiatives that stand alone (consisting of one-off events) often fail to meet organizational objectives and participant expectations. The need for effective, on-going training that can be delivered online is especially important with today’s increasingly remote workforce.

In today’s rapid-fire advice post, we outline the five necessary steps to creating effective training programs that both result in positive business impacts and support the drive for a comprehensive People Insights strategy. 

1. Assess training needs:
   The first step in developing a training program is to identify and assess needs. Employee training needs may already be established in the organization’s strategic, human resources or individual development plans. However, if you’re building the training program from scratch (without predetermined objectives), you’ll need to assess which areas to focus on.
2. Set organizational training objectives:
   The training needs assessment process (organizational, task & individual) will identify any gaps in your current training initiatives and employee skill sets. These gaps should be analyzed, prioritized, and turned into the organization’s training objectives. The ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between current and desired performance/knowledge through the development of a training program that has business goals at its core. At the employee level, the training should match the identified areas where improvement is needed. This can be comprehensively identified through 360 feedback and evaluations.
3. Create training action plan:
   The next step is to create a comprehensive action plan that includes learning theories, instructional design, content, materials and other training elements. Resources and training delivery methods should also be detailed. While developing the program, the level of training and participants’ learning styles need to also be considered. Many companies pilot their initiatives and gather feedback to make adjustments well before launching the program company-wide.
4. Implement training initiatives:
   The implementation phase is where the training program comes to life. Organizations need to decide whether training will be delivered in-house or externally coordinated. Program implementation should consider employee engagement and learning KPI goals, as well as thoroughly planning the scheduling of training activities and any related resources (facilities, equipment, create questionnaire process etc.). The training program is then officially launched, promoted and conducted. During training, participant progress should be monitored to ensure that the program is effective.
5. Evaluate & revise training:
   As mentioned in the last segment, the training program should be continually monitored. In the end, the entire program should be evaluated to determine if it was successful and met training objectives. Feedback should be obtained from all stakeholders to determine program and instructor effectiveness, plus knowledge or skill acquisition. Analyzing this feedback alongside an employee performance review will allow the organization to identify any weaknesses in the program and built a more robust People Insights strategy At this point, the training program or action plan can be revised or re-assessed if objectives or expectations are not being met.

An effective training process delivers when it is both based on recent feedback and employee experiences that highlight team needs – and when it is focused on connecting with on overall business goals. 

Understand and meet all your company’s training needs with 360 feedback