Employee Training Methods and Evaluation: A Comprehensive Guide
Definitions
Employee Training
Planned efforts by organizations to help employees learn job-related knowledge and skills.
Social Learning Theory
A learning theory that emphasizes the observational learning of behavior.
Modeling
Learning that occurs through the observation and imitation of the behavior of others.
Cognitive Theories of Learning
Emphasize that humans are information processors.
Transfer of Training
A concept dealing with whether training is actually applied in the work setting.
Trainee Readiness
Refers to the individual’s potential for successful training.
On-the-Job Training
An employee training method of placing a worker in the workplace to learn firsthand about a job.
Apprenticeship
A training technique, usually lasting several years, that combines on-the-job experience with classroom instruction.
Vestibule Training
Training that uses a separate area adjacent to the work area to simulate the actual work setting.
Job Rotation
A method of rotating workers among a variety of jobs to increase their breadth of knowledge.
Seminar
A common training method in which an expert provides job-related information in a classroom-like setting.
Audiovisual Instruction
Involves the use of films, videotapes, and other electronic media to convey training material.
Behavior Modeling Training
A training method that exposes trainees to role models performing appropriate and inappropriate work behaviors and their outcomes, and then allows trainees to practice modeling the appropriate behaviors.
Simulation Training
Training that replicates job conditions without placing the trainee in the actual work setting.
Programmed Instruction
Self-paced individualized training in which trainees are provided with training materials and can test how much they have learned.
Computer-Assisted Instruction
Programmed instruction delivered by computer that adapts to the trainee’s learning rate.
Problem-Solving Case Study
A management training technique that presents a real or hypothetical organizational problem that trainees attempt to solve.
Role-Playing
A management training exercise that requires trainees to act out problem situations that often occur at work.
Management Games
Management training techniques that use scaled-down enactments of the operations and managements of organizations.
Conference
An unstructured management training technique in which participants share ideas, information, and problems; also called a group discussion.
Action Learning
Consists of teams assembled to work on a company-related problem or issue to learn by doing.
Mentoring
A training program in which an inexperienced worker develops a relationship with an experienced worker who serves as an advisor.
Coaching
A one-on-one relationship where a consultant helps an executive improve performance.
Posttest Only Design
A program evaluation that simply measures training success criteria following completion of the training program.
Pretest-Posttest Design
A design for evaluating a training program that makes comparisons of criterion measures collected before and after the introduction of the program.
Solomon Four-Group Design
A method of program evaluation using two treatment groups and two control groups.
Review Questions & Answers
Question 1: List at least four management training methods and explain each.
Problem-Solving Case Study
A management training technique that presents a real or hypothetical organizational problem that trainees attempt to solve.
Role-Playing
Requires trainees to act out problem situations that often occur at work.
Management Games
Use scaled-down enactments of the operations and management of organizations.
Conference
An unstructured management training technique in which participants share ideas, information, and problems; also called a group discussion.
Action Learning
Teams assembled to work on company-related problems or issues to learn by doing.
Mentoring
An inexperienced worker develops a relationship with an experienced worker who serves as an advisor.
Coaching
A one-on-one relationship where a consultant helps an executive improve performance.
Question 2: List the four types of criteria for evaluating training program effectiveness and explain each.
Reaction Criteria
Measures of the impressions of trainees, including their assessment of the program’s value, the amount of learning they received, and their enjoyment of the program.
Learning Criteria
Measures the amount of learning that has taken place. Typically, these take the form of some test assessing the amount of information retained from the program.
Behavioral Criteria
Measures of the amount of newly learned skills displayed once the trainee has returned to the job.
Result Criteria
Measures the outcomes that are important to the organization, such as increased trainee work outputs as expressed by production rates, dollar sales figures, or quality of work.
Question 3: List the four on-site training methods and explain each.
On-the-Job Training
An employee training method of placing a worker in the workplace to learn firsthand about a job.
Apprenticeship
Usually lasting several years, combines on-the-job experience with classroom instruction.
Vestibule Training
Uses a separate area adjacent to the work area to simulate the actual work setting.
Job Rotation
A method of rotating workers among a variety of jobs to increase their breadth of knowledge.
Question 4: What are the off-site training methods?
Answer: Off-site methods include the common seminar method and audiovisual instruction that provides graphic depictions of work activities.
Question 5: What is the Solomon Four-Group Design in a successful training program?
Answer: The Solomon four-group design is a very complex and sophisticated evaluation design that uses two training groups and two control groups.
Question 6: What are the three major methods for determining training needs?
Answer: Organizational analysis, task analysis, person analysis.
Question 7: What are five methods of person analysis?
Answer: Use of performance appraisal scores, surveys, interviews, skill and knowledge tests, critical incidents.
Question 8: What are five training methods that involve sample job performance?
Answer: Simulation, role-play, modeling, behavioral modeling, job rotation.
Question 9: What are the three learning principles used in programmed instruction?
Answer: Self-paced learning, active involvement in learning, material presented in small units (distributed practice).
Question 10: For modeling to be effective, the observer must:
Answer: Pay attention to the model’s behavior, be able to retain the observed behavior, be able to reproduce the observed behavior.
Question 11: What three factors affect the effectiveness of incentives?
Answer: Type of consequence, timing of the consequence, contingency of the consequence.
Question 12: What are the five criteria used to evaluate training success?
Answer: Content validity, employee reactions, employee learning, application of training, bottom-line measures.