While surveys have long been used to measure the effectiveness of training evaluation, they may not actually provide adequate accounting or validation of training. For the evaluation of training to be effective, it is important to satisfy the following considerations, such as the extent to which the training needs and objectives are met, the extent to which the objectives of the participants are met, what the participants have learned from the training and whether the participants have committed to implementing what they have learned from the training once they return to work.
Once they return to work, it is also important to determine the level of success in the implementation of the action plans, to what extent they were supported by their managers, to what extent the action has achieved an effective training ROI for the company in terms satisfaction of objectives or financial evaluation.
Many companies do not typically implement these training evaluation processes, especially in cases where trainers and the human resources department do not have enough time or resources to do so. The evaluation of the training must be adjusted to the available resources and the environment that can differ substantially from one organization to another. Of course, a good and proper methodical evaluation produces good and reliable data. The lack of evaluation carried out, on the other hand, would also produce very few results on the effectiveness of the training.
There are two main factors that need to be resolved when it comes to training evaluation. Among them is the person in charge of the training evaluation and validation processes and the available resources necessary for said processes. These resources include time, money, and people.
Training evaluation is traditionally left to, but not limited to, the trainer. It can also be the responsibility of senior management, line management, training manager, and student, each of whom has different responsibilities. Furthermore, the participants in the training program also play an important role in the validation and evaluation process. This is because the assessment would not be possible without your feedback and new skills and knowledge would not be carried out.
Training evaluation will also depend on various available resources, as well as cultural support. The more tools and the broader the approach used, the more effective and valuable the evaluation will be. However, you must set realistic goals. Critical and very expensive training programs often warrant more scrutiny and evaluation than small, simple, and non-critical programs. The evaluation requires more precise details where there is a large investment and so many expectations. Training managers, in particular, should make clear expectations about validation and measurement with senior management before undertaking new training programs in order to establish the proper assessment process.
In addition, when planning important and potentially critical training programs, training managers must take care to ensure that sufficient measurement and evaluation processes are intact. So when asked by the senior company executive what you got for your investment, the training manager can provide a complete and detailed answer.