Do training programs really work?

Organizations invest huge sums of money on training programs. But how effective are they in addressing organizational concerns, filling skill gaps or in supporting you towards goals??

In my past corporate life, I handled Learning and Development for a group of more than a thousand employees. My role involved sourcing external vendors, designing internal training programs, helping our employees get certified, and everything else in between.?

The sourcing, designing and the certification are the more straightforward parts of the job. It’s the in between which could define the success and return on investment of the training programs. This includes ensuring we effectively capture the training needs of our various teams (and yes, this goes beyond running surveys and asking them what they need/want). Ensuring we have the capability in new technologies that our customers or potential customers require is also part of it. And of course, we had to ensure we have the right measures in place to assess effectiveness. Oh, I forgot to mention that we also had to ensure proper documentation (policy, process, work instructions, records) were in place for our end-to-end process (and that we’re ready to face the auditors) to meet ISO standards.

Yeah, I did all that.?

And this is why, as a partner for leadership, career and personal effectiveness workshops and coaching programs, I make sure that I go beyond just delivering canned programs, and really take time to partner with my corporate clients in understanding their needs and providing them support to ensure sustainability (where scope allows).?

If you’re currently planning your programs and budget for 2025, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your programs when choosing a training provider.?

Look for a training partner, not just a provider

A partner is someone who is on the same team as you are. They share and understand your own goals and take time to ensure that the program is designed with your goals and needs in mind. When choosing a partner, make sure to articulate the goals clearly and to understand their process for onboarding you as their client and whether there is room for customization.?

Ask about success stories

In the same way you ask behavioral interview questions to a job applicant, you’d also want to understand your potential training partner’s track record. Ask not just about customer satisfaction rating, but also about repeat customers, long term partnerships and how they were able to address their other client’s needs.?

Know their value beyond their price-point

Let’s admit it, one of the main considerations before engaging with a training partner is the financial investment. I agree that it is important to mindfully invest the organization’s limited resources. This is why it is all the more crucial that we treat the training program delivery not just as a tick-in-a-box. The selection process must go beyond just completing paperwork, but really dive into understanding what value and impact you can get out of it. Are they a train-and-go kind of partner just like a summer fling? Or are they for keeps and really have your best interest in mind??

Do your homework

As a training partner myself for leadership, career and personal effectiveness programs, I ask a lot of questions too. When you’ve done your homework, it helps me help you. This means that you’ve done the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) process to identify the real needs, have clearly defined your objectives and are willing to do the pre-work or homework to make the program effective.?

What makes an effective training program?

An effective training program makes a long term impact, and not just short-term inspirational high or feel-good moments.?

The Kirkpatrick Model is a useful tool to evaluate training effectiveness. Sadly, many internal and external training programs focus only on Level One - Reaction, through post-session feedback surveys.?

Following through is critical to ensure that what was learned is actually put into practice, and translates to actual results. I’m happy to report that there are boutique training partners (like mine ??) that provide support for continuity and sustainability, touching on the other higher levels of this model.?

This can be done through developing internal systems and making the new learning part of BAU (“business as usual”) like redefining performance metrics or leadership competencies, running 360-feedback surveys, providing coaching and mentoring, teaching leaders how to coach, and more.?

Please know too that we are not magicians or miracle-workers who could turn things around after conducting a day or two of training sessions. I recall getting a request from someone to run a 1-hour webinar to address absenteeism. I made it clear that even if I share all the best practices about productivity or give them the most inspiring message, if the real reason for absenteeism (could be related to company culture, mindsets, regulations, deeper problems) is not addressed, then the webinar will have no use.?

Next Steps

As you plan next year’s training calendar and budget, keep these tips in mind. Don’t just stop at plotting dates, allocating budget and joining the bandwagon of popular training offerings. Create a robust roadmap that’s backed by a solid TNA and objectives, choose your partner carefully and be ready to institutionalize practices that will reinforce the newly learned skills and behaviors.?

Get in touch ???? [email protected]

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Coach Kurly de Guzman is a Career and Leadership Coach and one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices based in the Philippines. She continuously seeks ways to help coaches, leaders and teams thrive through her newsletter, leadership and career development workshops as well as group and 1:1 coaching sessions for clients.

To work with Kurly, send an email to [email protected] or book an exploratory call to discuss your organization’s needs here.