No matter how it is labeled, training, learning, micro learning, or skill refreshers, corporations spend a significant amount of money on employee training. The return on investment (ROI), despite creative approaches by Human Resource professionals in trying to link training to performance improvement, is difficult to quantify. With regret, it can be stated that after formal education (school and college) nothing beyond just in time training/learning works. It is not for the lack of trying by passionate trainers and dedicated instructional designers.
The classroom was flipped so that the boring reading occurred before or after training. The training focused on the must know items. Great idea, but it was quickly discovered that learners would not (and will not) not do the pre- or post work. Guess what? You can’t make ‘em!
Learning was gamified. From variations on Family Feud, Jeopardy, to virtual worlds, learning became edutainment. Well, that was fun, but learners did not transfer the fun to on the job application. Nope. The learners took their digital badges, posted them on their digital resumes and went home.
From classroom, to webinars, to at-your-own-pace learning, training has morphed into many shapes and forms. Here is our current reality. For the most part, we are training at the speed of Google and YouTube. It seems that no matter what you want to learn how to do, someone else has done it and posted it on YouTube. Free. A quick Google search will yield a path to the knowledge desired.
Here is the trouble with training. It is not the method or the timing. There is some really bad training out there. It is not the amount of money that corporations invest in employee training; an average of $1,200 and 30 hours per year. The trouble is that management is out of the loop. How much more effective would training be if managers set expectations before and after employees went to training. Say what? You mean this training you approved is not just a reward of sorts? You expect me to actually engage in the training and be able to apply the concepts when I return? Oh snap!
