If the art of learning something is vague, how would individuals learn? Learning develops human ability and, hence, businesses want their employees to learn. They introduce various training programs for employees to develop their skills, competencies, and flexibility, thereby making the entire system more efficient and effective. The irony occurs when these so-called training programs, which aim for “success,” fail to serve their purpose. Many authorities in Bangladesh believe that training programs are somewhat effective among employees. Now the question strikes, “Why is this the case?”
As the top management deals with multiple distinctive workforces, it often flounders with employee training programs and employee management. To better manage its workforce, it introduces many training programs and orientation, hoping these will give it more skilled, efficacious and reliable employees in return. Each organization has a different way of selecting appropriate training for its employees. One of the major determinants of training failure is not acknowledging the training needs of the employees. The gap employees have is sometimes ungraspable, and indeed, ‘needs analysis’ should be the top priority of the organization.
Imagine a salesperson has to attend a two-day workshop on advanced data analysis. It definitely sounds great, but if he/she doesn’t know the basics of Excel, the training is simply unfathomable. When a company doesn’t take employee feedback, performance reviews and job-specific needs into consideration, then there’s a high chance of the training not being a hit. Organization-to-organization challenges are different; while some struggle with budget, others may struggle with employee resistance, time limitations, or negligent trainers. Although these challenges are huge, the real deal is when the content of the training is simply not relevant.
Most times, it doesn’t succeed when the practical implementation is unlike the content covered in training. A teacher whose teaching competence is questioned, his/her training should be on planning lessons and modifying teaching methods instead of a classroom management training program. Training must be relevant to realistic scenarios and job needs. Despite having a good trainer and a good training session, training programs may fail as many companies implement the new learning practically 6-12 months after the training has finished. It is not a wise thing to do, as employees tend to forget what they have learned in the past.
In this case, the training program goes to waste as employees can’t remember any of the learning taught in the training. Especially while managing blue-collar laborers, it’s important to keep the timeline in mind to make sure they learn and apply the new tactics to their performance. Moreover, learning isn’t just a single bus-stop; it’s a process. Yet, many companies treat training like a one-time pill that is supposed to boost everyone overnight.
Insufficient follow-up is one of the major factors of a training failure. Employees should be continuously monitored and taken feedbacks off to know whether they need more training or not. Sequential follow-ups are a necessity to make sure the learning isn’t temporary but is a permanent cognitive learning.
On the other hand, problems can arise from both employees and trainers. Employee resistance is nothing but a waste of money from the company’s side. Lack of effort from workers will always be a reason for a not so successful training program. If employees aren’t motivated and interested to learn anything new, no matter how amazing the training program is; the training would fail.
Evaluating this would be tough as it can be the trainer’s negligence too. Monotonous training or the incompetence of the trainer can leave the employees confused and disinterested. Finding qualified trainers isn’t just enough; assessing the trainer is required, along with the employees.
Furthermore, many organizations unfortunately don’t have an adequate budget to conduct a successful training program for their workforce. Technological barriers and budget limitations often hinder companies from conducting an effective training program for their employees. A good training isn’t cheap; it requires expert trainers, updated tech and also interactive tools, which are costly.
Integrating business software like LMS (Learning Management System) with Enterprise Applications isn’t that easy; underestimating software expenses before the start of a training program can later be unexpectedly cancelled due to inadequate budget. On top of that, many companies allocate fixed slots for employee training due to limited budget, which creates interpersonal problems inside the office, along with biased selection. This sets low morale among employees and less collective improvement, as only a limited workers get training opportunities.
Additionally, sometimes it’s quite difficult for companies to accommodate everyone’s availability schedule to conduct a training session. As it is more costly and time-consuming to conduct the same training program multiple times for individual employees, companies try to find a common free time for all employees so that everyone can attend. Missing out on training programs due to time conflicts destroys the learning opportunities of a worker.
Then the training program might not be a big success as many workers are left out. It is also very important not to hamper employees’ personal lives by scheduling training programs after long hours of work. This can backfire and leave employees unsatisfied with work life. As a result, the training program will have no positive impact on work.
Even though these drawbacks are evident, organizations are optimistic while hosting training programs for employees. This is because successful training programs promise employee retention and loyalty. The consequences are a low employee turnover rate and better work quality. Training should be aligned with company goals and relevant to an employee’s work. The entire session should be interactive and interesting enough for employees. Online participation should be accepted in some aspects in order to avoid time clashes or unavailability.
Many officers believe that employees should be sent back to school by introducing a scoring and ranking system to increase competitiveness. It can avoid employee resistance to training programs. Competition can lead to enthusiasm; that’s why Key Performance Indicators (KPI) should be used by middle management to measure the change in the performance of trainees. Trainers should have great communication skills and must design an effective interactive program.
However, training shouldn’t be forced on employees. The success rate would be higher if companies train those who are willing to participate. Last but most important thing, the training should be “memorable”, not disposable, for the training program not to fail.
Author: Sarwa Tahseen Mallik
