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 training evaluation to be effective, it is important to satisfy the following considerations, such as the extent to which the needs and objectives of the training 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 implementing the action plans, the extent to which they were supported by their managers, the extent to which the action has achieved an effective training ROI for the company in terms of of satisfaction of objectives or financial evaluation.
Many companies generally do not implement these training evaluation processes, especially in cases where the trainers and 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, as well as to the environment, which 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 are the person responsible for the evaluation and validation processes of the training 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 may also be the responsibility of senior management, line management, training manager and trainee, each of whom has different responsibilities. In addition, the participants in the training program also play an important role in the validation and evaluation process. This is because the evaluation would not be possible without your feedback and new skills and insights would not take place.
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 need to set realistic goals. Largely expensive and critical training programs more often warrant greater scrutiny and evaluation than small, simple and non-critical ones. The evaluation requires more precise details where there is a great investment and a lot of expectation. Training managers, in particular, should make validation and measurement expectations clear with senior management before conducting new training programs to establish the proper evaluation process.
Additionally, when planning large and potentially critical training programs, training managers must take care to ensure that sufficient measurement and evaluation processes are intact. So when the CEO of the company asks you what you got for your investment, the training manager can give you a complete and detailed answer.