New Checklist Helps Make Training More Impactful

Every year, organizations around the globe spend millions upon millions of dollars on employee training. That’s good news. The bad news, however, is much of that money is wasted on ineffective training. Training programs can fall flat for a variety of reasons—the wrong information can be presented to the wrong employees at the wrong time using the wrong medium—but researchers are looking to change that. A new checklist, described in the International Journal of Training and Development provides guidance for employers looking to maximize their training dollar. “There is a science of training and, surprisingly, most organizations are not aware of it or ignore it,” says Eduardo Salas, chair of and professor in the Physiological Sciences Department at Rice University. “This checklist is an attempt to translate the science into a practical tool.” The checklist is divided into three sections of yes-or-no questions to be administered before, during, and after a training program. The before section helps determine if the training program will help meet the organization’s needs; the during section addresses the content and utilization of the training; and the after questions evaluate the training’s impact. “We believe the checklist will eliminate unnecessary training, enable more motivated, engaged, and effective staff, and possibly serve as a gateway for cultural change within an organization,” said Ashley Hughes, an assistant professor of biomedical and health information sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago.