How to Improve Your Chances of Success in Corporate Training

Would you willingly spend $3,000.00 for a 10% chance your ‘investment’ would produce a good return?

While many of you reading this instinctively thought “absolutely not”, there inevitably was a select few who thought to themselves, “depends on what the return is”.? A 10% chance your initial investment produces a positive upside is not a favorable proposition to say the least yet businesses do this all the time, in fact multiple times, if not dozens of times, a year.? I welcome you to the flunky world of ‘corporate training’.

Skillademia, an online training and stats organization, indicates US companies spend upwards of $200 billion a year on training and said training carries about a 10% effectiveness outcome.? The average company spends $3,000 per employee on annual training with dismal results to show for it.

Why is it then companies consistently spend so much money on training for such a poor return.? Answer – companies are missing the connection between information retention and positive reinforcement.

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, employee training is vital, yet just as important is the methodology and mindset of those involved (trainers, company management and the participants.? This article seeks to shed some light on why training fails more than it helps, and how you can ensure the next time you invest in training you’re getting more of a return on your investment.

THE FAILURE OF CORPORATE TRAINING

There seems to be a never-ending list which offers insights into the reasons corporate training fails to meet the mark, therefore improving employee performance.?

The #1 reason corporate training fails is due to a lack of reinforcement:? Hermann Ebbinghaus, a 19th Century German Psychologist, was a pioneer in the experimental study of memory and discovered ‘The Forgetting Curve’ which correlates a learners ability to retain information over a given time span.? Ebbinghaus suggests people forget a large portion of what they learn if there is no reinforcement, as follows:

o?? Immediate Retention: right after a training session, individuals might retain around 50-60% of the information

o?? After One Day: without reinforcement, retention can drop to around 30-40%

o?? After One Week: retention might further decrease to approximately 20-25%

o?? After One Month: retention rates can fall to about 10-20% if no efforts are made to reinforce the learning

Other reasons training programs fail, include:

·?????? Lack of Clear Objectives:

If the training goals are not clearly defined, participants may not understand what they are supposed to achieve, leading to disengagement and ineffective learning

·?????? Irrelevant Content:

Training that does not address the specific needs and challenges of the employees or the organization can lead to disinterest and low retention

·?????? Poor Delivery Methods:

Using inappropriate or ineffective training methods, such as monotonous lectures or poorly designed online modules, can result in disengagement and low participation.

·?????? Inadequate Trainer Skills:

Trainers who lack the necessary skills, experience, or engagement techniques can fail to effectively communicate the material and motivate participants.

·?????? Insufficient Practice and Application:

Without opportunities to practice and apply new skills in real-world scenarios, employees are less likely to retain and use what they've learned.

·?????? Lack of Management Support:

If leadership does not actively support and participate in the training process, employees may not see the value in it and be less motivated to engage.

·?????? No Follow-Up or Reinforcement:

Training is not a one-time event. Without follow-up sessions, reinforcement activities, or continuous learning opportunities, the initial training can quickly become irrelevant.

·?????? Resistance to Change:

Employees who are resistant to change may not fully engage with the training or implement new skills and knowledge.

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