Take These Steps to Help Employee Training Stick

by Employers Council Staff

Training and Development

Training employees, whether in-house or through classes or experiences offered externally, is an investment in time and money. Employers want to be sure that the training they authorize and pay for has an impact on the employee’s knowledge and performance for an overall favorable impact on business outcomes.

Newly trained employees should come back to work with new learning that they can apply immediately, but that often doesn’t happen. Whether it’s a one-hour class or a weeklong workshop, employees return to a deluge of messages, emails, voicemails, crises, deadlines, and deliverables. The learning often gets set aside.

Learning and development and organizational development professionals have focused attention for many years on what’s called “training transfer.” This is exactly what it sounds like: Learners are able to transfer their new knowledge and skills back to their jobs.
How can employers support positive training transfer? Surprisingly, some of the most important parts of learning through training aren’t the things that happen in class. They happen before and after. Here are some suggestions:

  • Pick the class or program that addresses the learning need. Once there is a skills gap or deficit identified, managers and HR professionals should carefully select the class or materials that will address the need. Class titles alone won’t tell you all you need to know. Be sure to read class summaries or class objectives and follow up with questions if you need more information.
  • Meet with the learner before the class to discuss learning objectives. What does the learner hope to gain from the class? What does the manager hope the employee will learn and apply? Set an expectation that the employee will return with something new to put into practice right away.
  • Suggest a learning journal. Many people take notes about content during learning events. A learning journal is different. It allows someone to set their own expectations, record their reactions to what they learn, note the challenges they may encounter, and celebrate the exciting things they learn. They can document their next steps and priorities for applying their new knowledge.
  • Set aside time immediately when the employee finishes the class to debrief. Often, learners are excited and intrigued by what they’ve learned and are anxious to put it into action. Capitalize on this enthusiasm and the freshness of the learning experience to help the employee find ways to apply it immediately. If the employee seems overwhelmed or unsure where to start, this is the time to sort out what is quickly relevant and achievable.
  • Keep the topic alive by providing coaching, support, and feedback. Look for ways to apply new knowledge and recognize successes.

Perhaps the employee can offer training or mentoring to others on what they have learned.
It can be helpful to keep in mind that training alone seldom fully addresses skills or knowledge gaps. To make training stick, learners need plenty of opportunities to practice and perfect what they have learned with the support and encouragement of their managers.
Employers Council offers an extensive training catalog of HR, employment law, leadership, and professional development classes, including virtual instructor-led, in-person, and on-demand formats. We also bring many of our classes onsite to employers’ locations and customize offerings to meet your team’s needs. Employers Council members enjoy access to classes at a discounted rate. Click here to learn how to become a member.

About the author
Employers Council Staff