Analyzing Training Metrics

Several business organizations are willing to shell outSeveral studies and industry reviews show that there
significant investments on trainings in order to makeis an inverse relationship between training and
their employees more efficient. Moreover,employee turnover. This means that employees are
management should regularly monitor and assess ifmotivated to continue to work for an employer whom
these activities are able to achieve their objectives.they perceive to be concerned about their productivity.
Training is commonly defined as the acquisition ofFurthermore, a directly proportional relationship exists
knowledge, competencies and skills. It is widelybetween employee development and customer
recognized today that for an employee to becomesatisfaction. Employees that are well-trained are able
more productive, his initial qualifications should beto address the concerns of their customers better. It is
maintained, improved, or updated all throughout hisundeniable that many project managers and functional
working life through trainings. This contention led to themanagers do not know the right metrics to be used to
emergence and popularity of professionalassess the performance of their own departments. It
development programs launched for variousis precisely for this reason that companies lose
occupations and professions. The concept of training issignificant profit margins due to waste or defects.
differentiated from that of exercise since the latter hasHowever, if the latter could be avoided, the opposite
a clearly defined scope and is particularly designed towould happen. Similarly, if managers of Human
improve a trainee's capacity, capability andResource departments who are in charge of trainings
performance. The former, on the other hand, is anand professional development programs will be able to
irregular activity that is mostly done for fun orchoose the correct performance measures, they
recreation.would be able to effectively address the training needs
Training and development within an organization mayof their employees. Through these performance
be categorized as an on-the-job training or anindicators, managers would be able to identify which
off-the-job training. The former refers to that trainingworks and which does not work in their current
that is done within the normal working venue. Thisprograms.
training also involves the use of the actual equipment,When choosing training metrics, it is important to
tools, or materials. This is often done when thechoose those measures that are meaningful to one's
purpose of the activity is to learn vocational tasks.company or business. These metrics should be able to
Off-the-job training, on the other hand, takes placebridge the gap between training and accepted
away from the normal working venue. This is often theorganizational goals. Through graphs, charts and
kind of training organized when introducing newsummary data used for presentation, it is easier to
concepts or ideas to trainees. Though employees mayidentify and analyze the strengths and limitations of
not be regarded as productive during the course ofcurrent training programs. This way, training
the training, they would be able to concentrate betterinvestments will be justified and will add value to the
as the activity is done away from their normal workingentire organization.
environment.